QA Security Engineer
Ensuring application security through vulnerability testing and integrating security checks into QA processes
QA Security Engineer is a role in the QA Engineering family. It has 55 skills across 5 levels (from Junior to Principal). 140 skills are mandatory. Key domains: Programming Fundamentals, Backend Development, Database Management.
Skill Matrix
55 skills × 5 levels. Click on a cell for details.
AI-Assisted Development
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | A | W | A | E | E |
| Cursor IDE | A | W | A | E | E |
| ChatGPT / Claude | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prompt Engineering for Code | A | W | A | E | E |
API & Integration
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| GraphQL Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| API Documentation | A | W | A | E | E |
| API Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
Architecture & System Design
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Design Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
Backend Development
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redis | A | W | A | E | E |
Cloud & Infrastructure
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker | A | W | A | E | E |
| Container Security Scanning | A | W | A | E | E |
| Kubernetes Core | A | W | A | E | E |
| AWS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Network Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
Database Management
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | A | W | A | E | E |
DevOps & CI/CD
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions / GitLab CI | A | W | A | E | E |
Observability & Monitoring
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Logging | A | W | A | E | E |
| ELK Stack | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prometheus & Grafana | A | W | A | E | E |
| OpenTelemetry | A | W | A | E | E |
Programming Fundamentals
7 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithms & Complexity | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Structures | A | W | A | E | E |
| OOP & SOLID Principles | A | W | A | E | E |
| Design Patterns | A | W | A | E | E |
| Multithreading | A | W | A | E | E |
| Async Programming | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Quality & Refactoring | A | W | A | E | E |
Security
14 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWASP & Application Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| SAST/DAST | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secure Coding Practices | A | W | A | E | E |
| Threat Modeling | A | W | A | E | E |
| Dependency Vulnerability Scanning | A | W | A | E | E |
| Network Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| Cloud Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| Kubernetes Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| JWT / OAuth2 / OIDC | A | W | A | E | E |
| RBAC / ABAC Authorization | A | W | A | E | E |
| GDPR / 152-FZ Compliance | A | W | A | E | E |
| PCI DSS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Incident Response Process | A | W | A | E | E |
| Vulnerability Management | A | W | A | E | E |
Testing & QA
10 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Pyramid & Strategy | A | W | A | E | E |
| TDD & BDD | A | W | A | E | E |
| Property-Based Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Unit Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Integration Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| E2E Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Load Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Security Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Test Data Management | A | W | A | E | E |
| Test Environment Management | A | W | A | E | E |
Version Control & Collaboration
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git Advanced | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Review | A | W | A | E | E |
| Documentation as Code | A | W | A | E | E |
FAQ
What skills are needed for the QA Security Engineer role?
The QA Security Engineer role requires 55 skills, of which 140 are mandatory. Skills are distributed across 5 levels: from Junior to Principal. See full matrix.
How to advance to the next level in the QA Security Engineer role?
Use the Grade Calculator to assess your current level and get personalized recommendations. The system will show which skills need to be developed for the next level.
How does the community define requirements for the QA Security Engineer role?
Role requirements are shaped by the community through a proposal system. Any member can suggest changes that go through voting and expert review.