Senior Software Development Manager, Security and Intel – Google – Waterloo, ON
At the intersection of global-scale infrastructure and cutting-edge security, Google is looking for a Senior Software Development Manager, Security and Intel to join its Google Ads team in Waterloo, Ontario. This is a senior leadership role focused on protecting one of the most visible and business-critical platforms in the world — the Google Ads ecosystem — against sophisticated, evolving threats.
This role goes far beyond traditional security work. You’ll be guiding a talented team of engineers, shaping the technical strategy for threat detection and enforcement, and building massive-scale systems that keep billions of advertisers and users safe. If you’ve spent your career at the crossroads of software engineering, security, and leadership, this is the kind of challenge that puts all of it to work.
About the Role: Senior Software Development Manager, Security and Intel
As a Software Engineering Manager at Google, you won’t just write and review code — you’ll set the direction for how your teams approach security architecture, platform design, and real-time threat response at enormous scale. You’ll lead engineers across multiple teams, manage a significant product budget, and oversee the deployment of large-scale systems internationally. The Google Ads platform supports billions of users globally, and your work directly safeguards that ecosystem from ads abuse, malware distribution, cloaking, and content manipulation.
Collaboration is central to this position. You’ll work closely with security teams across Google, partner with product teams to embed proactive security into advertising products, and champion secure-by-design principles across the entire ads platform stack. You’ll also leverage Google’s infrastructure and machine learning capabilities to build fault-tolerant services for threat intelligence, detection, and mitigation.
Benefits and Salary
The Canada base salary range for this full-time position is CAD $260,000–$267,000, in addition to a bonus, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package. Individual compensation within the range is determined by work location, skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Google offers a well-known suite of employee benefits — visit Google’s benefits page for full details.
Job Details
📌 Job Type: Full-Time
🏢 Company: Google
📍 Location: Waterloo, ON, Canada
⏱️ Level: Advanced
💰 Pay: CAD $260,000–$267,000 base salary + bonus + equity + benefits
Responsibilities
In this role, you’ll be accountable for both the strategic direction and hands-on execution of security and threat intelligence solutions within Google Ads. Day to day, you’ll balance technical leadership with people management — guiding engineers, making key architecture decisions, and ensuring the team delivers reliable, high-impact outcomes at scale.
- Drive the security strategy against evolving threats, leading technical decision-making and overseeing the design and operation of massive-scale detection and enforcement services
- Build next-generation platforms for security, quality, and speed that allow the Ads Safety organization to detect and respond to threats in real time
- Lead and develop a team of security and software engineers, fostering collaboration with security teams across Google globally
- Define and enforce secure-by-design principles across ads platforms, embedding proactive security practices directly into products
- Partner with product teams to integrate security solutions that minimize friction for legitimate advertisers while maximizing disruption for bad actors
- Leverage Google’s infrastructure and ML capabilities to build highly available, fault-tolerant software services for threat intelligence, detection, and mitigation
Requirements / Skills
Google is seeking a technically deep and people-focused leader who has spent significant time in both software development and security domains. The ideal candidate brings a track record of managing high-performing engineering teams in complex organizations, paired with hands-on experience building security systems at scale.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in a relevant field (Master’s or PhD in Computer Science preferred)
- 8+ years of software development experience with a strong engineering foundation
- 7+ years building security-focused software, such as application security, malware analysis, or threat intelligence systems
- 5+ years in a technical leadership role, making architectural decisions and guiding engineering direction
- 5+ years of people management or team leadership experience
- Experience in matrixed organizations (5+ years preferred), navigating cross-functional collaboration effectively
- Familiarity with threat detection, anomaly analysis, or adversarial tactics such as cloaking, content abuse, or malware distribution is a strong asset
- Experience applying machine learning or AI to security problems, including working with large-scale data systems
How to Apply
To apply, visit the official Google job posting using the link below. Make sure your resume is up to date and tailored to highlight your security and engineering leadership experience before submitting.
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Job Summary & Tips for Applying
Quick Summary & What to Highlight: This Senior Software Development Manager, Security and Intel role at Google in Waterloo is perfect for candidates who excel in security engineering leadership, threat detection system design, and people management at scale. On your resume, emphasize any experience with large-scale detection and enforcement platforms, application security, and managing cross-functional engineering teams. If you’ve previously worked in ads security, cybersecurity, or machine learning applied to threat intelligence, make sure to highlight specific achievements and responsibilities that align with this position.
Resume & Application Tips: Before applying, tailor your resume to match the job description. Include keywords like threat detection, secure-by-design, and malware analysis that appear in the posting. Quantify your achievements where possible (e.g., “managed a team of 15 engineers across 3 sites” or “reduced false positive rate in threat detection by 30%”). Write a brief cover letter expressing your genuine interest in Google and why you’re excited about this opportunity in Waterloo. Double-check your application for spelling errors and ensure your contact information is current.
Interview Preparation: If selected for an interview, research Google‘s values, the Google Ads ecosystem, and the company’s approach to ads safety and trust. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to demonstrate your technical leadership, security architecture decisions, and team management. Common questions may include scenarios about responding to emerging threats, balancing engineering velocity with security requirements, and coaching underperforming engineers. Dress appropriately for a technology environment, arrive 10-15 minutes early, and bring copies of your resume. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team’s current security priorities, how success is measured in this role, and opportunities for growth. After the interview, send a thank-you email within 24 hours reiterating your interest in the position.