Senior Patch Research Engineer

About the role

Qualys is hiring a Senior Patch Research Engineer for its Patch Management product team to build and maintain a comprehensive, accurate patch catalog covering a wide range of third-party Windows software. Day-to-day work includes researching and authoring patch metadata, mapping vendor releases to structured schemas, documenting and validating silent installation parameters across MSI/NSIS/InnoSetup/WiX, researching Windows registry and file-based detection logic, and manually testing patch installations in sandbox environments. The role is based in Pune.

What you’ll do

• Research, author, and maintain patch metadata for third-party Windows applications across a broad software catalog
• Identify new software releases, security updates, and version changes from vendor sources, changelogs, and security advisories (CVE/NVD)
• Map vendor releases to structured metadata schemas, including version strings, download URLs, detection logic, and installation parameters
• Track software End-of-Life (EOL) dates and update catalog entries accordingly
• Document and validate silent installation parameters for diverse installer types (MSI, NSIS EXE, InnoSetup, WiX, etc.)
• Research and verify correct msiexec.exe flags, NSIS /S switches, and equivalent silent/unattended arguments per software
• Determine accurate reboot behavior (Yes / No / Maybe) per installer type and document exit codes (success, reboot-required)
• Manually test patch installation in sandbox environments and verify detection logic post-install

What you’ll bring

• 4-5 years of experience in Windows systems administration, patch management, or software packaging
• Strong understanding of Windows OS internals — registry structure, file system, user vs. system installation scopes, environment variables, and PATH management
• Hands-on experience with Windows patching tools (WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Ivanti, Qualys, Chocolatey, or equivalent)
• Experience with manual patch installation — running MSI/EXE installers, using msiexec.exe with switches, repackaging software
• Solid understanding of installer technologies: MSI/WiX, NSIS, InnoSetup, Squirrel, and their silent install mechanisms
• Familiarity with the Windows registry and the ability to trace installation artifacts to their registry keys
• Ability to research, author, and maintain patch metadata for third-party Windows applications across a broad software catalog
• Ability to identify new software releases, security updates, and version changes from vendor sources, changelogs, and security advisories (CVE/NVD)

Nice to have

• Experience building or maintaining a software patch catalog (Adaptiva, Chocolatey, ManageEngine, or similar)
• Experience with Windows Installer (MSI) internals — product codes, upgrade codes, component tables
• Knowledge of ARM64 Windows platform nuances and multi-architecture software distribution
• Good understanding of Windows Update infrastructure (WUA, WSUS, CBS/SFC)
• Scripting experience in Python or PowerShell

Skills