Information Security Principal Security Engineer

Ascensus; Pennsylvania; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascensus seeks a Principal Security Engineer to design, implement, and enhance security across the enterprise. You will lead major security initiatives, mentor engineers, and partner with SOC, threat intelligence and IT teams to advance security resilience. Deep expertise in NGFW, WAF, EDR, and IAM is required for this strategic role.

You will drive security automation, risk assessments, and compliance alignment while shaping security strategy and governance across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS/InfoSec or related field.
• 7+ years in security engineering, cybersecurity operations, or security architecture.
• Strong expertise in NGFW, WAF, EDR, IDS/IPS, DLP, SSO/MFA, IAM and SIEM.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize security solutions for enterprise assets.
• Provide technical guidance in evaluating and deploying security tools.
• Develop security automation using Python/PowerShell/Bash.
• Collaborate with SOC, threat intel, and IT teams on security initiatives.
• Lead risk assessments, threat modeling, and controls validation.
• Mentor engineers and drive security governance and documentation.

Skills

NGFW

WAF

EDR

IDS/IPS

DLP

SSO/MFA

SIEM

CASB/SWG/SASE

PAM

IAM

Zero Trust

Python

PowerShell

Bash

Cloud security

Networking

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

SIEM platforms

Job description

Ascensus is the leading independent technology and service platform powering savings plans across America, providing products and expertise that help nearly 16 million people save for a better today and tomorrow.

Section 1: Position Summary

As a Principal Security Engineer, you will be a key visionary within the security engineering team, responsible for designing, implementing, and enhancing security solutions across the enterprise.

You will play a crucial role in shaping security strategy, leading major security initiatives, and ensuring that security technologies and processes align with business objectives, industry standards, and compliance requirements.

This role requires deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to mentor junior engineers. You will collaborate with security teams (SOC, threat intelligence, architecture) and IT teams to drive security innovation and resilience across the organization.

Section 2: Job Functions, Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Security Architecture & Implementation: Design, implement, and optimize securitysolutions to protect enterprise assets, data, and systems.
• Technology Guidance: Provide technical guidance in evaluating, selecting, and deploying security tools and frameworks.
• Security Engineering & Automation: Develop and implement security automation and integration across security platforms using scripting languages (Python, PowerShell, Bash).
• Threat & Vulnerability Management: Work closely with the SOC and threat teams to identify, analyze, and remediate security risks.
• Compliance & Governance: Ensure security solutions align with regulatory requirements.
• Incident Response Support: Provide advanced security engineering support for security incidents and investigations, including root cause analysis and remediation strategies.
• Security Program Ownership: Lead and contribute to large-scale security projects and initiatives, ensuring proper documentation, risk assessments, and successful implementation.
• Research & Development: Stay ahead of emerging threats, security technologies, and industry trends to continuously enhance security posture.
• Mentorship & Training: Mentor security engineers and provide knowledge sharing through documentation, training sessions, and hands-on guidance.

Section 3: Experience, Skills, Knowledge Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in security engineering, cybersecurity operations, or security architecture roles.
• Strong expertise in security technologies, including:

• Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW)
• Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
• Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
• Single Sign-On (SSO) & Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Security Information & Event Management (SIEM)
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
• Privileged Access Management (PAM)
• Identity & Access Management (IAM)
• Network segmentation & Zero Trust architectures

• Deep knowledge of Networking, NGFW, WAF, macro segmentation, cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP) and modern security frameworks (e.g., Zero Trust, MITRE ATT&CK, NIST CSF, ISO 27001).
• Proven experience with automation and scripting (Python, PowerShell, Bash) for security engineering and threat detection.
• Strong experience in security architecture and solution design for enterprise environments.
• Experience with performing risk assessments, threat modeling, and security controls validation.
• Advanced knowledge of compliance.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical thinking, and communication skills, with the ability to translate security concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Professional security certifications preferred: CISSP, OSCP, CISM, CEH, GSEC, or equivalent.

For virtual remote positions, we require an uninterrupted workspace during business hours and an internet work speed of 25 Mbps or better. If you are unsure of your internet speed before applying, please check with your service provider.