Security Automation Engineer

empower; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Empower is seeking a Security Automation Engineer to design, build, and maintain Python-based automation that strengthens cybersecurity and improves operational efficiency. You will work with governance, risk, threat management, and cloud security teams to transform requirements into reliable, scalable automation across tools and platforms.

The role emphasizes AI-enabled security automation using large language models and MCP, with emphasis on governance, secure integrations, and guardrails.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on software development or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, deploy, monitor, and maintain Python-based security automation solutions that improve cybersecurity capabilities and operational efficiency.
• Partner with cybersecurity teams to understand operational challenges, clarify ambiguous requirements, document solution designs, align with stakeholders, and validate delivered functionality.
• Build reliable Python applications, services, APIs, workflows, internal tools, integrations, and reusable libraries using maintainable software engineering practices.
• Develop API-driven integrations across security tools, cloud platforms, authentication systems, source code platforms, third‑party services, and internal technologies, including systems without native integrations.
• Build security and compliance automation that collects, compares, validates, and acts on data, including validation of cloud resources against required security tooling and configuration standards.
• Develop and support AI‑enabled security automation using large language models and Model Context Protocol (MCP), including secure integrations, AI governance controls, and usage guardrails.
• Contribute to agentic security capabilities, including automated analysis of source code for security vulnerabilities, exposed secrets, and compliance with infrastructure standards.
• Use AI‑assisted development tools for coding, debugging, automated testing, documentation, and refactoring while independently reviewing and validating generated output.
• Troubleshoot issues across application code, APIs, identity and authentication, cloud infrastructure, data flows, and automation runtime environments, independently investigating unfamiliar technologies and resolving blockers.
• Collaborate through code reviews, operational support, shared tooling, reusable modules, engineering documentation, and development practices that improve security, reliability, maintainability, compliance, and governance.

Skills

Python

API integration

Git

CI/CD

AI-assisted development

Large language models

MCP

Cloud platforms

IaC

Debugging

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Cloud SDKs

Job description

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT.

The Security Automation Engineer builds and supports automation solutions that strengthen the company's cybersecurity capabilities and improve operational efficiency. This role partners with teams across the cybersecurity organization, including governance, risk and compliance, threat and vulnerability management, application security, network security, security architecture, and other security functions.

The role is primarily focused on Python development and security automation. The Security Automation Engineer works with internal partners to understand operational needs, clarify incomplete or ambiguous requirements, and design, build, test, deploy, document, monitor, and continuously improve practical automation solutions.

The role also has a significant focus on AI‑enabled security automation. The engineer applies hands‑on experience with large language models and Model Context Protocol (MCP) capabilities to support AI governance, secure AI integrations, and agentic security tooling.

What You Will Do

• Develop, test, deploy, monitor, and maintain Python-based security automation solutions that improve cybersecurity capabilities and operational efficiency.
• Partner with cybersecurity teams to understand operational challenges, clarify ambiguous requirements, document solution designs, align with stakeholders, and validate delivered functionality.
• Build reliable Python applications, services, APIs, workflows, internal tools, integrations, and reusable libraries using maintainable software engineering practices.
• Develop API-driven integrations across security tools, cloud platforms, authentication systems, source code platforms, third‑party services, and internal technologies, including systems without native integrations.
• Build security and compliance automation that collects, compares, validates, and acts on data, including validation of cloud resources against required security tooling and configuration standards.
• Develop and support AI‑enabled security automation using large language models and Model Context Protocol (MCP), including secure integrations, AI governance controls, and usage guardrails.
• Contribute to agentic security capabilities, including automated analysis of source code for security vulnerabilities, exposed secrets, and compliance with infrastructure standards.
• Use AI‑assisted development tools for coding, debugging, automated testing, documentation, and refactoring while independently reviewing and validating generated output.
• Troubleshoot issues across application code, APIs, identity and authentication, cloud infrastructure, data flows, and automation runtime environments, independently investigating unfamiliar technologies and resolving blockers.
• Collaborate through code reviews, operational support, shared tooling, reusable modules, engineering documentation, and development practices that improve security, reliability, maintainability, compliance, and governance.

What You Will Bring

• Degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 3+ years of hands‑on software development or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in Python, including experience developing, testing, debugging, and maintaining reliable production‑quality code.
• Experience building API‑driven applications and integrations, including authentication, pagination, error handling, retries, and logging.
• Experience with software engineering practices including Git, CI/CD, automated testing, code review, dependency management, and maintainable software design.
• Experience using AI‑assisted development tools for coding, debugging, testing, documentation, and refactoring, including independently validating generated output.
• Hands‑on experience working with large language models and experience understanding or developing Model Context Protocol (MCP)‑based capabilities.
• Experience building or supporting automation in one or more cloud platforms, with an understanding of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and cloud‑native development concepts.
• Ability to work effectively with incomplete or ambiguous requirements and independently investigate unfamiliar tools, APIs, and tech