Application Guide
How to Apply for Security Engineer
at Openhomefoundation
🏢 About Openhomefoundation
The Open Home Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Switzerland that develops and supports the open-source Home Assistant ecosystem. It is uniquely community-driven and focused on privacy, local control, and interoperability, offering a chance to work on a widely used platform that impacts millions of users globally.
About This Role
This role is pivotal in safeguarding the Home Assistant ecosystem by managing security vulnerability intake, coordinating fixes with maintainers, and strengthening CI/CD and release security. You'll directly reduce risk for millions of users and contribute to the security of a leading open-source smart home platform.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start by reviewing new security reports in the GitHub Security Advisories inbox, triaging and reproducing issues. Midday, you could coordinate with maintainers on fix timelines and backport plans, then spend the afternoon improving CI/CD security by integrating dependency scanning or hardening release signing. You'd also participate in community discussions on security best practices.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Openhomefoundation Is Looking For
- Experienced in security incident handling, vulnerability triage, and responsible disclosure processes.
- Proficient with CI/CD security, including securing build pipelines, dependency scanning, and release signing.
- Comfortable working with open-source communities, reviewing code, and coordinating with remote maintainers.
- Knowledgeable about common web and IoT security issues, and familiar with tools like GitHub Security Advisories.
📝 Tips for Applying to Openhomefoundation
Highlight any experience with Home Assistant or smart home security in your resume and cover letter.
Showcase specific examples of vulnerability triage and coordination, including use of GitHub Security Advisories.
Demonstrate your ability to work with open-source communities by linking to contributions or security advisories you've handled.
Emphasize experience with CI/CD security improvements, such as implementing SAST/DAST or dependency scanning.
Tailor your application to the non-profit, remote-first culture by mentioning your alignment with open-source values.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your passion for open-source and the Home Assistant mission.', 'Specific experience in security issue intake and coordination.', 'Ability to drive timely remediation and work with distributed teams.', 'Your proactive approach to security improvements in CI/CD and release processes.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read the Home Assistant security documentation and understand their current disclosure policy.
- → Explore the Home Assistant GitHub repository, especially recent security advisories and release notes.
- → Learn about the Open Home Foundation's structure, funding, and community governance.
- → Review the company blog or forums for any recent security-related announcements or challenges.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying without any mention of open-source or community security experience.
- Focusing only on penetration testing without addressing vulnerability coordination or CI/CD security.
- Ignoring the remote-first, non-profit culture in your application (e.g., not showing alignment with open-source values).
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Openhomefoundation!