UP.Labs

Build and operate security control baselines ensuring SOC 2 readiness and compliance across applications. | 5+ years in security engineering or GRC with hands-on cloud/SaaS controls and compliance automation expertise. | About the Role We are hiring a Sr. Security Controls & Compliance Engineer to build, implement, and operate the security control foundation across multiple applications in a venture studio environment. This is a hands-on security execution role. We are not looking for someone who only documents gaps, manages a compliance tool, or routes work to engineering. We need someone who can understand enterprise customer security requirements, identify the controls required, implement or configure those controls directly where possible, and verify that they are operating effectively. This person will help prepare our venture applications for SOC 2 readiness while supporting enterprise customer data, information security, and TPRM requirements. They will work across cloud environments, identity systems, source control, CI/CD workflows, logging, monitoring, compliance tooling, and operational security processes. The goal is to create a repeatable security baseline that each venture application can inherit, operate against, and eventually carry forward as it matures or spins out. Responsibilities * Build, implement, and operate security and compliance controls across multiple venture applications and supporting systems. * Translate enterprise customer security, data handling, and TPRM requirements into practical technical controls, operational workflows, evidence requirements, and remediation plans. * Create a reusable security control baseline that can be applied across current and future venture applications. * Configure and operate compliance automation platforms such as Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, or similar tools. * Configure evidence integrations across systems such as cloud platforms, GitHub, identity providers, ticketing systems, device management tools, productivity platforms, and security tooling. * Implement identity and access controls, including SSO, MFA, role-based access, least-privilege permissions, access review workflows, and offboarding evidence. * Implement secure SDLC controls, including branch protection, required code reviews, code scanning, dependency scanning, secret scanning, vulnerability management workflows, and release/change management evidence. * Implement or configure cloud security controls, including IAM policies, encryption settings, logging, monitoring, backup settings, network restrictions, and security alerting. * Implement operational security workflows, including vendor review, risk review, change management, policy attestation, incident response evidence, exception tracking, and recurring control reviews. * Maintain a centralized control library mapped to SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, customer-specific requirements, and relevant frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, or CIS Controls. * Support SOC 2 readiness activities, including control mapping, evidence requirements, gap tracking, audit preparation, and control verification. * Identify launch-blocking security gaps and close them directly where possible. * Partner with product engineering only where application-specific code, architecture, or deeper infrastructure changes are required. * Write clear technical requirements and acceptance criteria for any security work that must be completed by product engineering. * Review and verify control implementation to ensure controls are actually operating and producing evidence. * Support customer security questionnaires, audits, evidence requests, and enterprise security reviews with accurate technical detail. * Track control gaps, remediation status, launch blockers, and compliance risk for leadership. * Help create a repeatable security implementation playbook that future ventures can inherit as they mature or spin out. What Success Looks Like * Enterprise customer requirements are translated into implemented controls, not just documented gaps. * Each venture application has a working security baseline across identity, cloud, source control, CI/CD, logging, monitoring, evidence, and operational processes. * SOC 2 readiness is actively tracked with clear control ownership, evidence collection, and operating cadence. * Compliance tooling is configured and produces useful evidence across the required systems. * Engineering teams are not overloaded with generic security tasks; they are engaged only when product-specific implementation is required. * Security launch blockers are identified early, prioritized clearly, and remediated quickly. * Customer security reviews, audits, and questionnaires are handled with accurate technical detail and supporting evidence. * Leadership has clear visibility into control maturity, launch risk, audit readiness, and open remediation items. * The venture studio has a reusable security control baseline that can be applied to new applications and carried forward as ventures mature. Required Qualifications * 5+ years of experience in security engineering, cloud security, DevSecOps, security operations, security compliance, GRC, or a related field. * Hands-on experience implementing security controls in cloud/SaaS application environments. * Experience supporting SOC 2 readiness, SOC 2 audits, or similar compliance programs. * Strong understanding of security controls, audit evidence, policy requirements, control testing, and control operation. * Experience translating customer or enterprise security requirements into practical technical controls. * Ability to configure and operate security and compliance systems directly, not just document requirements. * Experience with identity and access controls, including SSO, MFA, RBAC, least privilege, access reviews, and offboarding controls. * Experience with secure SDLC controls, including source control permissions, code reviews, branch protection, vulnerability management, dependency scanning, secret scanning, and change management evidence. * Experience with cloud security controls such as IAM, encryption, logging, monitoring, backups, network restrictions, and alerting. * Experience with compliance automation or GRC tools such as Vanta, Drata, Secureframe, OneTrust, Tugboat Logic, or similar platforms. * Familiarity with tools such as GitHub, Jira, Linear, Okta, Google Workspace, Slack, AWS, Azure, GCP, or similar systems. * Strong written communication skills for policies, procedures, audit documentation, technical requirements, and customer-facing security responses. * Ability to operate in an ambiguous, fast-moving startup or venture environment. Preferred Qualifications * Experience supporting enterprise customers with strict security, data handling, or TPRM requirements. * Experience in venture-backed startups, SaaS companies, enterprise software, or venture studio environments. * Familiarity with SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, or similar frameworks. * Experience implementing security controls across AWS, Azure, GCP, or multi-cloud environments. * Experience with GitHub security features, CI/CD security controls, vulnerability management tools, and cloud security monitoring tools. * Experience with identity platforms such as Okta, Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, or similar. * Experience with logging, monitoring, incident response, vendor risk, evidence automation, and security questionnaire support. * Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, AWS Security Specialty, Security+, or similar.

Design and build backend infrastructure and lead technical team for AI-driven manufacturing platform. | 5-10+ years engineering experience with Node.js, Python, Azure Databricks, and scaling B2B SaaS products in startups. | About the Role: UP.Labs is seeking a proven Lead Engineer with a track record in 0>1 environments to join a new AI platform in our portfolio. This stealth venture is reimagining how mid-market manufacturers manage production planning and scheduling- an area still dominated by spreadsheets, MRP noise, and manual firefighting. Built in partnership with a $1.5B+ truck body manufacturer, the platform is a demand-driven planning co-pilot that helps manufacturers reduce schedule volatility, improve on-time delivery, and scale operational intelligence across their plants. This is not a role for someone looking to maintain or inherit a system. You’ll join as one of the earliest technical hires, working directly with the CTO to design and build core infrastructure from the ground up, and eventually grow into leading the engineering team as the company scales. What You’ll Do: * Own backend architecture and system design decisions alongside the CTO - whiteboard to production. * Build and scale the core platform on a Node.js / Python stack with Azure Databricks as the data layer. * Design and implement optimization-heavy algorithms for demand planning and production scheduling. * Establish engineering patterns, standards, and discipline as the team grows from its earliest stage. * Collaborate directly with product and data functions - the team is small, the surface area is wide. * Mentor and eventually lead a small team of engineers, setting the technical bar without the ego. * Use AI as a force multiplier across development and product capabilities. How You’ll Operate: * You rose through the ranks at a startup, not a big company. You built things from scratch and learned system design by doing it. * You think architecturally, not just tactically - when complexity increases, you bring discipline to it, not workarounds. * You’ve scaled a B2B SaaS product to real customer loads and understand what that actually requires: security, capacity, reliability. * You lead without pretension - deep technical expertise without needing a title to prove it. * You’re comfortable operating in ambiguity early on, wearing multiple hats, and building the plane while flying it. You Should Have: * 5–10+ years of engineering experience, with meaningful tenure at startups - ideally founding or early engineer who stayed and saw a product scale. * Demonstrated 0>1 experience on a B2B SaaS product, with firsthand exposure to scaling to thousands of customers. * Proficiency in Node.js and Python; comfort across a modern JavaScript stack. * Experience with Azure Databricks or comparable cloud data platforms. * Some experience leading or mentoring engineers, even informally. * Startup grit: willing to operate solo or in a very small team and own outcomes end-to-end. * (Nice-to-have) Experience building or working within AI/ML-integrated stacks. * (Nice-to-have) Exposure to optimization algorithms, operations research, or scheduling systems. About UP.Labs: UP.Labs builds high-growth tech startups that enable faster, cleaner, and smarter movement of people and goods. Our unique approach combines meaningful equity for team members, scalable software built from the ground up, and deep corporate partnerships with industry leaders invested in the outcome. We focus on the first year of a venture’s lifecycle - from ideation to MVP and beyond.