Patch Research Engineer

About the Role

Join Qualys' Patch Management product team. This detail-oriented position focuses on building and maintaining a comprehensive patch catalog for third-party Windows software to support critical security missions.

Patch Catalog Research & Authoring:

• Research, author, and maintain metadata for third-party Windows applications across a broad software catalog.
• Identify new releases, updates (CVE/NVD), and version changes from vendor sources like changelogs and security advisories.
• Map vendor releases to structured schemas including version strings, download URLs, detection logic, and installation parameters.
• Track End-of-Life (EOL) dates for software entries.

Windows Patching & Installation Knowledge:

• Document and validate silent installation parameters for MSI, NSIS EXE, InnoSetup, WiX, etc.
• Research correct flags/switches (e.g., msiexec.exe) per software type.
• Determine reboot behavior requirements post-installation.
• Manually test patch installations in sandbox environments and verify detection logic.

Detection Logic & Registry Research:

• Research registry keys (Uninstall hive, vendor-specific) used for version detection.
• Identify file-based detection paths via FileVersion/ProductVersion attributes.
• Understand 32-bit vs. 64-bit registry views and apply correct architecture logic.

Backend Patch Tool Understanding:

• Understand how enterprise platforms (Qualys, SCCM/Ivanti/Adaptiva) discover patches using detection-before-install logic.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Experience: 4-5 years in Windows systems administration or patch management.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of Windows OS internals, registry structure, file system scopes, and PATH management.
• Tools: Hands-on with WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Ivanti, Qualys, Chocolatey; MSI/WiX, NSIS, InnoSetup installer technologies.
• Testing: Ability to manually run installers and trace artifacts to registry keys.