--- title: 'Senior Software Engineer, Security Engineering at Bot Auto' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-security-engineering-bot-auto-houston-c9f8fe4dwpq3' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-16' --- # Senior Software Engineer, Security Engineering at Bot Auto - **Company:** Bot Auto - **Location:** Houston, TX - **Posted:** 2026-09-23 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/botauto/jobs/5433422008 ## Job description Company Introduction At Bot Auto, we are revolutionizing the transportation of goods with our cutting-edge autonomous trucks, enhancing the quality of life for communities around the globe. With the agility of a start-up and the wisdom of seasoned experts, Bot Auto boasts a team that has achieved numerous world-firsts and unparalleled innovations. United by a shared vision, we create miracles and propel the future of transportation. Join us and transform your dreams into reality. We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Software Engineer, Security Engineering to design, build, and operate security across Bot Auto's autonomous trucking stack. The proprietary technology that powers our autonomous driving system is our core intellectual property, and protecting it — along with the safety-relevant systems behind our fleet — is mission critical. In this role, you will work across onboard (in-vehicle) security as well as infrastructure and platform security. You will also help shape how Bot Auto adopts AI responsibly: understanding the security implications of large language models and agentic systems, and developing the protections that let us innovate quickly and safely. As a hands-on technical leader, you will embed security best practices into every layer of our systems, from the vehicle to the cloud. ## Key Responsibilities - Design and implement security controls for onboard (in-vehicle) systems, including secure boot, code signing, secrets and key management, secure over-the-air (OTA) updates, and hardening of the autonomous driving software stack. - Architect and operate security across infrastructure and platforms, spanning Kubernetes, public cloud (AWS), on-prem data centers, CI/CD pipelines, and internal developer platforms. - Develop protections for AI systems — assess the security implications of large language models and agentic workflows (prompt injection, data exfiltration, model and supply-chain risks) and build guardrails, sandboxing, and monitoring. - Build identity and access management, secrets management, and least-privilege authorization across services, devices, and the fleet. - Perform threat modeling, security design reviews, and risk assessments for new products and architectures, partnering with engineering teams to remediate findings. - Establish vulnerability management, dependency and supply-chain scanning, and a secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) across the organization. - Develop detection, logging, and incident response capabilities to identify and respond to security events across onboard and infrastructure environments. - Champion a security-first culture through tooling, automation, documentation, and mentorship. Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience - 5+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, with a strong focus on security - Strong software development skills in one or more languages: Python, Go, Rust, C/C++, or JavaScript/TypeScript - Solid understanding of applied cryptography, authentication and authorization, secure system design, and common vulnerability classes - Experience securing cloud infrastructure and/or distributed systems in production ## Preferred Qualifications - Experience with embedded, automotive, IoT, or other onboard/edge security (secure boot, TPM/HSM, code signing, OTA updates) - Familiarity with Kubernetes and cloud security (AWS), IaC security (Terraform, Pulumi), and CI/CD pipeline hardening - Knowledge of AI/LLM security: prompt injection, model supply chain, agent sandboxing, and AI guardrail frameworks - Experience with IAM, secrets management (e.g., HashiCorp Vault), and zero-trust architectures - Hands-on experience with security tooling: SAST/DAST, SBOM and dependency scanning, SIEM, and detection engineering - Familiarity with security standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO/SAE 21434, NIST, OWASP, SOC 2) - Experience with threat modeling and incident response ## About Bot Auto ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Bot Auto is a Houston, Texas-based autonomous trucking company developing Level 4 (L4) self-driving technology to operate a fleet of autonomous trucks and offer Transportation as a Service (TaaS) to major shippers and 3PLs. - **Entity Type**: Private (Seed Stage) - **Headquarters**: Houston, Texas, United States - **Founded**: 2023 - **Founders**: Dr. Xiaodi Hou (CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary Industry**: Freight and Package Transportation / Autonomous Trucking - **Target Customers**: B2B — Enterprise shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) seeking dedicated autonomous trucking capacity. - **Mission Statement**: To make a lasting positive impact on humanity by revolutionizing the transportation industry with autonomous trucks, reducing environmental impact, and improving the quality of life for communities worldwide. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/about) ## Products & Services - **Autonomous Trucking Fleet (TaaS)**: Bot Auto operates a fleet of L4 autonomous trucks on Texas roads, providing a "Transportation as a Service" model. They target real shippers who need goods moved immediately, as well as transportation brokers looking for a dedicated carrier partner. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/) - **Cost Per Mile (CPM) Framework**: A publicly available benchmarking standard developed in partnership with Boston Consulting Group to measure operational efficiency for autonomous trucking companies, helping stakeholders make data-driven decisions. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available. - **Key Metric — Total Funding**: **$20.0M** in a single Seed round closed on September 26, 2024, backed by 9 investors. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bot-auto) - **Notable Customers**: J.B. Hunt, Ryan Transportation, Steves & Sons. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/) - **Growth Signals**: Employs 68 people with a 39.3% year-over-year headcount increase (+24 people); active job postings are up 60% year-over-year; the company has successfully deployed self-driving vehicles in Texas. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bot-auto) ## Competitive Advantages - **Leadership & Talent**: Founded by Dr. Xiaodi Hou, a recognized industry leader in autonomy. The engineering team is heavily staffed from top talent pools, including 23 former employees of TuSimple, along with engineers from NVIDIA, Waymo, Lucid Motors, and Motional. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bot-auto) - **Safety-First Foundation**: The company explicitly states "Safety isn't a feature — It's our foundation," positioning safety and operational rigor as the core differentiator. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/) - **Operational Focus**: Bot Auto employs a pure TaaS model with real shippers, proving commercial viability today rather than waiting for hypothetical future demand. Their CPM Framework provides transparency into the economics of autonomous trucking. - **Customer Backing**: Already hauling freight for major names like J.B. Hunt, indicating trust and validation from established industry players. ## Strategic Focus - **Scaling Commercial Operations**: Expanding fleet operations and autonomous capacity for shippers and 3PLs. - **Technology Execution**: Continuing to deploy and refine L4 autonomous driving technology, with all development and engineering centered in Houston, Texas. - **Talent Acquisition**: Aggressively hiring across engineering (software, machine learning, autonomy), operations (fleet maintenance, dispatch), and business functions (internships for MBA/Business roles). [Greenhouse](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/botauto) ## Why Work Here - **Real Impact**: Bot Auto's autonomous trucks are actively operating on Texas roads today, offering engineers the chance to work on deployed technology that is "actually driving today." [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/career) - **Culture of Excellence**: The team is described as "the best of the best" — industry leaders who know how to execute AI transformation, with a supportive environment encouraging continuous learning. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/career) - **Work Arrangement**: Multiple roles are listed as "Houston, TX preferred, open to remote," offering flexibility. The company is headquartered in Houston (15310 Park Row Blvd) with a presence in the San Francisco Bay Area and Canada. [Greenhouse](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/botauto) - **Growth Trajectory**: With 39% annual headcount growth, a 60% increase in job postings, and a mission-driven focus on transforming transportation, the company offers significant career development opportunities. - **Notable Perks**: The team benefits from hands-on work with cutting-edge computing, direct impact on product commercialization, and a mission with concrete economic and societal benefits. ## Sources 1. [bot.auto](https://bot.auto/) 2. [bot.auto/about](https://bot.auto/about) 3. [bot.auto/career](https://bot.auto/career) 4. [Greenhouse - Bot Auto Jobs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/botauto) 5. [LinkedIn - Bot Auto Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bot-auto) ## Other roles at Bot Auto - [Software Engineer, Core Platforms](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-core-platforms-bot-auto-houston-mj7edzhj9krp) — Houston, TX - [Planning & Control Engineer, Early Career](https://feeny.ai/job/planning-control-engineer-early-career-bot-auto-houston-atqz7nbnhng2) — Houston, TX - [Onboard Infrastructure Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/onboard-infrastructure-engineer-bot-auto-houston-8m2m7q61acgn) — Houston, TX - [Software Engineer, Security Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-security-engineering-bot-auto-houston-9pv59m5089fs) — Houston, TX - [IT Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/it-operations-manager-bot-auto-houston-pw993a7pdm0x) — Houston, TX - [Intern, IT Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-it-specialist-bot-auto-houston-qx2nt72tay52) — Houston, TX - [Intern, Software Engineer AI Agents (Fall/Winter 2026)](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-software-engineer-ai-agents-fall-winter-2026-bot-auto-houston-w3k81wxm0pn8) — Houston, TX - [Senior Software Engineer, Core Platforms](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-core-platforms-bot-auto-houston-7shhm5790wv0) — Houston, TX - [Senior Software Engineer, Applied AI](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-applied-ai-bot-auto-houston-j1tgznvt7t4s) — Houston, TX / San Francisco Bay Area - [Senior Functional Safety Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-functional-safety-engineer-bot-auto-houston-c2kr45m4344m) — Houston, TX