Application Security Engineer - Data Security

Application Security Engineer - Data Security Location: Plano, Texas (Hybrid) Pay Rate: $60.00 – $62.00 per hour Position Overview Our client, a major food and beverage organization, is seeking an Application Security Engineer specializing in data security for a hybrid, six-month contract engagement based in Plano, Texas. The role protects enterprise applications and the sensitive data flowing through them. This position suits a security engineer who is comfortable working alongside development teams rather than reviewing from a distance, and who can balance risk reduction against delivery reality. The hybrid arrangement combines onsite collaboration with remote flexibility. Key Responsibilities You will assess and improve the security posture of enterprise applications, performing security design reviews, threat modelling, and architecture assessments with a particular focus on how sensitive data is collected, transmitted, stored, and retired. You will implement and support data protection controls including encryption at rest and in transit, tokenization, masking, key management practice, and data loss prevention configuration, working with platform and application teams to embed controls effectively. You will run and interpret application security testing including static and dynamic analysis and dependency scanning, triage findings to remove false positives, prioritize genuine risk, and work with development teams to drive remediation to closure rather than simply logging defects. You will support secure development practice by integrating security tooling into CI/CD pipelines, defining secure coding standards and guardrails, advising engineering teams on secure design patterns, and contributing to incident response and vulnerability management activity when application or data issues arise. You will contribute to security standards and reference architecture for data handling across the application estate, defining what good looks like for classification, retention, access control, and encryption so that teams have a clear target rather than case-by-case rulings. You will also support security assessments of third-party applications and integrations, evaluating vendor security posture where enterprise data will be exposed. Requirements Prior application security engineering experience is required, including hands-on work with application security testing tooling and direct engagement with development teams on remediation. You must have practical data security experience covering encryption, key management, tokenization or masking, and data classification, together with a solid understanding of common application vulnerability classes such as those in the OWASP Top Ten. Working knowledge of secure development lifecycle practice, CI/CD pipeline integration, and cloud application security is essential. Scripting or development capability sufficient to automate and to read application code is required, and the role requires onsite presence in Plano, Texas on a hybrid schedule. Preferred Qualifications Security certifications such as CISSP, CSSLP, GWAPT, or OSCP are preferred. Experience with cloud platforms including AWS, Azure, or GCP and their native data protection services is highly valued. Familiarity with privacy and compliance obligations such as GDPR, CCPA, or PCI DSS is advantageous, along with experience in a large enterprise environment, exposure to API security, and hands-on work with DLP or data governance platforms. Experience with container and Kubernetes security, infrastructure-as-code scanning, and secrets management platforms is valued. Familiarity with threat modelling frameworks such as STRIDE, experience running a bug bounty or coordinated disclosure process, and prior work embedding security champions within development teams are all advantageous. Compensation and Benefits This engagement pays an hourly rate in the range of $60.00 to $62.00, based on experience and certifications held, across a six-month contract with a defined end date. The hybrid schedule provides a balance of onsite collaboration and remote working flexibility. You will work within a mature enterprise security function on applications at genuine scale, building experience that transfers strongly across industries, with extension possible subject to performance and organizational need. This is a contract engagement placed through our recruiting team. We work closely with our contract professionals throughout the assignment, from onboarding and first-week check-ins through to end-of-contract planning, and we actively look for the next opportunity for people who deliver well. Many of our contract placements lead to extensions, repeat assignments, or permanent conversion. We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available during the application and interview process on request. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for the duration of the engagement.