Incident Response Engineer - Cyber Defense

Career Techniques; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Career Techniques is seeking an experienced Incident Response Lead to execute end-to-end IR lifecycle with AI-assisted tooling and threat intel. You will act as both hands-on responder and incident leader, coordinating cross-functional teams to rapidly mitigate incidents and improve detection fidelity and response speed.

The role requires 6+ years in security operations, strong Microsoft ecosystem experience, and proficiency with KQL.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in Cybersecurity Operations / Incident Response.
• Strong experience within Microsoft Security Ecosystem.
• Proven experience investigating incidents across cloud, identity, endpoint, and email.
• Demonstrated experience integrating or leveraging AI/automation in security operations.
• Strong proficiency in KQL for threat hunting and investigation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including executive-level reporting.
• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity/IT or related field (or equivalent).
• Certifications: CISSP, CISM, CISA, or SANS GIAC.

Responsibilities

• Act as Incident Commander for high-impact security incidents, coordinating cross-functional response efforts.
• Lead the full Incident Response lifecycle with focus on rapid detection and containment.
• Leverage MITRE ATT&CK and Cyber Kill Chain to guide investigations and response.
• Lead real-time decision-making during active incidents and communicate risk clearly.
• Utilize AI-assisted platforms to pre-triage alerts and prioritize high-risk activity.
• Drive AI-based correlation and context aggregation across SIEM/XDR and threat intel sources.
• Conduct deep-dive investigations across endpoints, identities, email, network, and cloud.
• Perform host forensics, log analysis, and malware triage to determine scope and persistence.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior analysts.
• Collaborate with IT, Legal, HR, and business stakeholders during investigations.
• Deliver executive-ready incident reports with impact assessments and actions.
• Conduct post-incident reviews and root cause analysis to improve controls.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity/Information Technology or related field

CISSP/CISM/CISA or SANS GIAC certifications

Tools

Microsoft Security Ecosystem

Azure

AWS

Job description

About the Role

This role is responsible for the end-to-end execution of the Incident Response lifecycle, leveraging AI-assisted tools, automation, and threat intelligence to accelerate detection, triage, investigation, and containment. You will operate as both a hands-on technical responder and incident leader, driving rapid mitigation actions while improving detection fidelity, response speed, and operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Act as Incident Commander for high-impact security incidents, coordinating cross-functional response efforts and driving containment, eradication, and recovery actions
• Execute the full Incident Response lifecycle (detect, triage, investigate, contain, remediate, recover) with a focus on reducing time-to-detect and time-to-contain
• Leverage frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain to guide investigations and response strategies
• Lead real-time decision-making during active incidents, ensuring business risk is clearly understood and mitigated
• Utilize AI-assisted platforms to pre-triage alerts, enrich incidents, and prioritize high-risk activity in the response queue
• Drive the adoption of AI-based correlation and context aggregation across SIEM/XDR, case management, and threat intelligence sources
• Conduct deep-dive investigations across endpoint, identity, email, network, and cloud environments
• Perform host forensics, log analysis, and malware triage to determine scope, impact, and persistence mechanisms
• Drive operational efficiency by reducing manual touchpoints and enabling automated containment and remediation actions
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior and mid-level analysts, elevating team capability and consistency
• Collaborate with IT, Engineering, Legal, HR, and business stakeholders during investigations and incident response activities
• Serve as a key contributor across multiple concurrent initiatives, including tool enablement, process improvement, and security strategy
• Deliver clear, concise, and executive-ready incident reports, including impact assessments and recommended actions
• Conduct post-incident reviews and root cause analysis, driving improvements to detection, response, and prevention controls

Requirements and Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on experience in Cybersecurity Operations / Incident Response
• Strong experience within Microsoft Security Ecosystem
• Proven experience investigating incidents across cloud (Azure/AWS), identity, endpoint, and email platforms
• Demonstrated experience integrating or leveraging AI/automation in security operations (e.g., security copilots, ML-based detections, automated triage)
• Strong proficiency in KQL (Kusto Query Language) for threat hunting and investigation
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to operate under pressure
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level reporting
• Ability to lead incidents, influence stakeholders, and drive rapid decision-making
• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Certified in one or more of the following: CISSP, CISM, CISA, SANS GIAC Security Certifications.