Cyber Defense Analyst III

CME Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 104,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k)

Equity program

Education reimbursement

Paid time off

Mental health benefits

Job summary

CME Group is seeking a Cyber Defense Engineer III to monitor, detect, and validate complex security threats. The role bridges traditional monitoring and modern engineering practices, focusing on automated telemetry, DaC rules, and AI-assisted triage workflows.

Responsibilities include deep-dive analysis, automating tasks with Python and SOAR, and mentoring junior analysts. A strong foundation in MITRE ATT&CK, cloud telemetry, and CI/CD is preferred.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of dedicated SOC or cyber defense monitoring experience.
• Deep knowledge of network protocols, OS internals, and MITRE ATT&CK mappings.
• Proficiency in Python or PowerShell for REST APIs, JSON/XML parsing, and automation.
• Hands-on experience building or modifying playbooks in modern SOAR platforms.
• Familiarity with cloud environments (GCP/AWS) and cloud telemetry investigation.
• Experience with Git and CI/CD basics in monitoring workflows.
• Willingness to learn AI capabilities and test LLM prompts for investigations.

Responsibilities

• Perform deep-dive analysis and validation of complex security events across network, host, identity, and cloud telemetry.
• Provide highly contextualized, enriched alerts to Incident Response.
• Automate repetitive monitoring tasks via Python scripts or SOAR playbooks.
• Develop, test, tune, and deploy SIEM detection rules with Git/CI/CD pipelines.
• Collaborate with global engineering teams to validate AI-assisted workflows.

Skills

SOC experience

Python/PowerShell

SOAR platforms

Cloud telemetry

MITRE ATT&CK

CI/CD basics

Education

BA/BS in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Cortex XSOAR

Splunk SOAR

Torq

Tines

Job description

The Cyber Defense Engineer III

The Cyber Defense Engineer III position is responsible for monitoring, detecting, and validating complex security threats. As our Security Operations Center transitions toward an engineering and automation-first model, this role acts as a critical bridge between traditional cyber defense monitoring and modern development practices. You will take a leading role in deep-dive telemetry analysis while dedicating significant time to identifying process bottlenecks, developing automation scripts, and integrating security telemetry into our SOAR platforms. This position is ideal for candidates looking to evolve their career by applying an engineering mindset to everyday monitoring challenges, helping us eliminate manual toil, improve detection fidelity, and support the deployment of AI-augmented triage workflows.

Position Responsibilities

• Perform deep-dive analysis and validation of complex security events across network, host, identity, and cloud (GCP) telemetry to accurately identify malicious activity and reduce false positives.
• Ensure seamless handoffs to the Incident Response team by providing highly contextualized, enriched, and validated security alerts.
• Proactively identify manual, repetitive monitoring tasks within the SOC and write Python scripts or build SOAR playbooks to automate them.
• Support our transition to Detection-as-Code (DaC) by developing, testing, tuning, and deploying SIEM detection rules using version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Partner with our global engineering and automation teams to test, validate, and refine new AI-assisted workflows and agentic triage outputs to ensure high operational accuracy in our monitoring ecosystem.
• Conduct proactive, hypothesis-driven threat hunts and operationalize threat intelligence into new, automated detection mechanisms.
• Provide technical mentorship to junior monitoring analysts, fostering a culture of continuous learning, critical thinking, and automation within the SOC.
• Maintain detailed documentation of monitoring processes, playbook logic, and detection schemas within the Knowledge Management System.

Position Requirements

Experience & Technical Skills

• 4–6 years of dedicated experience in a Security Operations Center (SOC), Detection Engineering, or advanced Cyber Defense monitoring environment.
• Deep knowledge of network protocols, operating system internals (Windows/Linux/macOS), and adversary tactics mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
• Practical proficiency in Python or PowerShell, specifically for interacting with REST APIs, parsing JSON/XML, and automating daily security monitoring tasks.
• Hands‑on experience building, maintaining, or modifying playbooks within modern SOAR platforms (e.g., Cortex XSOAR, Splunk SOAR, Torq, or Tines).
• Familiarity with cloud environments (preferably GCP or AWS) and investigating cloud‑specific telemetry and identity abuse.
• Experience or strong interest in modern engineering practices, including version control (Git), Detection-as-Code, and basic CI/CD workflows.
• Willingness to learn and adapt to emerging AI capabilities, including testing and refining LLM prompts for security investigations.

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving mindset; naturally curious about how things work and how to make them more efficient.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of translating complex telemetry into clear, actionable summaries for Incident Response and engineering peers.
• Highly self‑directed, able to balance active alert analysis with long‑term automation and playbook development projects.
• Collaborative team player who enjoys mentoring peers and bridging the gap between monitoring operations and development teams.

Formal Education & Certifications

• BA/BS in Computer Science, Information Security, Engineering, or related field (non‑tech degrees acceptable with appropriate levels of Information Security job experience and/or certifications).
• Relevant industry certifications strongly preferred: SANS GCIA, GCFA, GCDA, or practical automation/cloud certs (e.g., SEC573, AWS/GCP Security).

The pay range for this role is $103,500-$172,500. Actual salary offered will be dependent on a wide array of factors including but not limited to: relevant experience, skills, education and comparison to internal employees (where relevant). Our compensation program also includes an annual target bonus opportunity for all employees, as well as the opportunity to become an owner in the company through our broad‑based equity program.

Through our benefits program, we strive to offer flexibility, value and choice. From comprehensive health coverage, to a retirement package that includes both a 401(k) and an active pension plan, to highly competitive education reimbursement provisions, paid time off and a mental health benefit, CME Group offers a holistic benefits package for our team and their dependents.

CME Group: Where Futures are Made CME Group is the world’s leading derivatives marketplace. But who we are goes deeper than that. Here, you can impact markets worldwide. Transform industries. And build a career by shaping tomorrow. We invest in your success and you own it – all while working alongside a team of leading experts who inspire you in ways big and small. Problem solvers, difference makers, trailblazers. Those are our people. And we’re looking for more. At CME Group, we embrace our employees' unique experiences and skills to ensure that everyone’s perspectives are acknowledged and valued.

As an equal‑opportunity employer, we consider all potential employees without regard to any protected characteristic.

For U.S. employment, CME Group is legally required to validate a new hire’s employment eligibility by having them complete an Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I‑9) companion with legally acceptable proof of identity and work authorization (as listed on the Form I‑9). CME Group uses E‑Verify, which is an online system operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to verify employment eligibility and validate social security numbers. Through participation in the E‑Verify program, information entered on Form I‑9 will be provided and compared to information available at both of these agencies.

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