Cybersecurity Engineer, Lead

independencepetgroup; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Parental leave

Paid time off

Pet friendly office

Retirement plan

Commuter benefits

EAP

Professional training

Job summary

Independence Pet Holdings in Chicago is seeking a Lead Cybersecurity Engineer to drive cloud security across our enterprise. You will implement protection for Azure, 365, and on-prem systems, aligning with CIS, NIST, and internal policies.

You will collaborate with DevOps, IT, and risk teams to integrate security into CI/CD, manage vulnerability programs, data governance, and incident response. This role requires strong communication and a track record in financial services or insurance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• 10+ years in cybersecurity engineering or security architecture with enterprise Microsoft experience; 5+ years in financial services or insurance preferred.
• Certifications such as CISSP, CEH, CISM, or GIAC desirable.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft security technologies (Azure Defender, Defender for Cloud, Defender for Endpoints, XDR, Sentinel, Purview) and Azure/M365 security architecture; AWS/GCP a plus.
• Experience with NYDFS Part 500, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2 compliance and DevSecOps.
• IAM/CIAM configuration (Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity) and secure coding practices.

Responsibilities

• Implement, configure, and enforce security solutions across cloud and legacy environments per CIS, Microsoft baselines, and policy.
• Manage data governance across collaboration and email tools.
• Perform vulnerability scans and coordinate remediation with IT teams.
• Operate and optimize SIEM, threat intel, and cloud security platforms; build automations.
• Integrate security into CI/CD pipelines to support secure development and deployment.
• Develop and test disaster recovery procedures for compliance needs.
• Support data privacy requirements and IAM initiatives.
• Maintain security documentation and participate in audits and metrics reporting.
• Stay current with cybersecurity trends and tools to keep defenses effective.

Skills

Azure security

Security architecture

DevSecOps

IAM/CIAM

Threat intel

SIEM & DLP

Regulatory compliance

Cloud security

Endpoint protection

NIST ISO CIS

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT

Tools

Defender for Cloud

Defender for Endpoints

Azure Sentinel

Microsoft Purview

Ping Identity

IAM tools

Job description

Established in 2021,Independence Pet Holdingsis a corporate holding company that manages a diverse and broad portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, pet education, lost recovery services, and more throughout North America.

We believe pet insurance is more than a financial product and build solutions to simplify the pet parenting journey and help improve the well-being of pets. As a leading authority in the pet category, we operate with a full stack of resources, capital, and services to support pet parents. Our multi-brand and omni-channel approach include our own insurance carrier, insurance brands and partner brands.

We are seeking a talented and experienced Lead Cybersecurity Engineer to join our team, reporting directly to the Head of Cyber Security Engineering. This role involves implementing and managing strong cloud security standards, such as vulnerability scanning, endpoint protection, email security, and network security. This role will support our unified enterprise security system across multiple Operating Companies as well as manage the security transformation of some legacy systems into the unified system.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of network protocols, operating systems, security principles, and strong communication and problem-solving skills. In addition, relevant cybersecurity certifications, familiarity with security frameworks, and advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Azure and 365 security features are required.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Security Engineering team to implement, configure, and enforce robust security solutions across cloud and legacy environments based on the enterprise security architectures, CIS Benchmarks, Microsoft security baselines, and internal company policy requirements.
• Manage the security of and enforce proper data governance rules across collaboration and email tools.
• Effectively manage vulnerability scans, perform security assessments of applications and systems, and collaborate with IT teams to effectively resolve vulnerability findings in a timely manner.
• Manage, configure, and optimize key cybersecurity tools and technologies such as SIEM, threat intelligence, and cloud security platforms, and develop automations and integrations between systems to improve visibility and response efficiency.
• Collaborate with DevOps and Engineering teams to integrate security measures into the CI/CD pipeline, promoting the principles of DevSecOps to ensure secure application development and deployment.
• Contribute to the development and testing of disaster recovery procedures that meet business and compliance needs.
• Support and implement the enforcement of data privacy requirements and regulations, as needed.
• Support identity and access security initiatives with conditional access, MFA, PIM, and just-in-time access across Entra ID, Active Directory, and/or Ping Identity to uphold least-privilege principles.
• Maintain professional security documentation such as diagrams, data flows, and procedures.
• Participate in audits, assessments, and continuous improvement activities to define, measure, visualize, and improve key cybersecurity metrics.
• Stay current with emerging cybersecurity trends, tools, and technologies to ensure the organization's security capabilities remain effective and up to date.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field,
• At least 10 years of experience in cybersecurity engineering, security architecture, or infrastructure protection, with primary experience in enterprise Microsoft environments, 5 of these years within financial services or insurance industry highly preferred.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CEH, CISM, or GIAC is highly desirable.
• Practical knowledge of security frameworks, standards, and best practices (e.g., NIST, ISO, CIS, OWASP).
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft security technologies such as Defender for Cloud, Defender for Endpoints, XDR, Sentinel, and Purview, with a deep understanding of Azure and Microsoft 365 security architecture. AWS and GCP similar expertise are a plus.
• Strong experience with common security tools and technologies, such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), SIEM systems, email security & data loss prevention (DLP) tools, cloud security tools, endpoint protection, encryption, and vulnerability scanners.
• Experience supporting regulatory and compliance programs such as NYDFS Part 500, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2 through control implementation, evidence collection, and audit readiness.
• Experience with DevSecOps and understanding of security considerations in DevOps environments, including familiarity with automation tools and secure coding practices.
• Experience with IAM and CIAM configuration and best practices, particularly in Microsoft Entra ID and/or Ping Identity.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to adapt to changing threats and requirements.
• Advanced knowledge of the Windows operating system and a working understanding of Linux and MacOS.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex security concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Detail-oriented and proactive in identifying and resolving problems.

Join our team of cybersecurity experts and contribute to the protection of critical assets in an ever-changing digital landscape.

All of our jobs come with great benefits including healthcare, parental leave and opportunities for career advancements. Some offerings are dependent upon the location of where you work and can include the following:

• Comprehensive full medical, dental and vision Insurance
• Basic Life Insurance at no cost to the employee
• Company paid short-term and long-term disability
• 12 weeks of 100% paid Parental Leave
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Retirement savings plan
• Personal Paid Time Off
• Paid holidays and company-wide Wellness Day off
• Paid time off to volunteer at nonprofit organizations
• Pet friendly office environment
• Commuter Benefits
• Group Pet Insurance
• On the job training and skills development
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)