Sr. Security Engineer

California Water Service; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

California Water Service seeks a Senior Security Engineer to design, implement, and continuously improve security controls across enterprise environments, with a focus on SaaS integrations and third-party risk. This consulting role will be payrolled through a third-party vendor, emphasizing proactive threat hunting and incident response.

You will work with CrowdStrike, Okta, Varonis, Nessus, AlienVault, Palo Alto, and Zscaler to strengthen defenses, while embedding security into system design

Qualifications

• 9+ years of experience in cybersecurity or security engineering.
• Hands-on experience with CrowdStrike, Okta, Varonis, Nessus, AlienVault, and Palo Alto/Zscaler.
• Proven ability to monitor, triage, and investigate security events.
• Experience with threat hunting and incident response.
• Strong scripting and automation skills (Python, PowerShell).
• CISSP certification is required.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement security solutions across enterprise environments.
• Evaluate and integrate security controls for third-party SaaS platforms.
• Partner with IT, infra, and applications teams to embed security into design and deployment.
• Drive improvements aligned to Zero Trust and least privilege.
• Independently review security logs and perform alert triage and investigation.
• Conduct proactive threat hunting and respond to incidents.
• Perform red team exercises and provide defense recommendations.
• Administer and monitor platforms (CrowdStrike, Okta, Varonis, Nessus, AlienVault, Palo Alto/Zscaler).
• Develop scripts and automation to streamline security operations.
• Communicate risks to stakeholders and support audits and assessments.

Skills

Threat hunting

Incident response

Scripting (Python/PowerShell)

Automation

Security analytics

Communication

Education

CISSP certification

Tools

CrowdStrike

Okta

Varonis

Nessus

AlienVault

Palo Alto Firewall

Zscaler

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Security Engineer with strong hands-on experience across modern enterprise security platforms and architectures. This role will be responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving security controls to strengthen both internal and external security posture, with a focus on SaaS integrations and third-party risk. The ideal candidate is technical, proactive, and capable of independently identifying, analyzing, and mitigating security risks. This is a consulting role and will be payrolled through our third party vendor.

Key Responsibilities

Security Engineering & Architecture

• Design and implement security solutions across enterprise environments, including endpoint, identity, data protection, and vulnerability management
• Evaluate and integrate security controls for third-party SaaS platforms
• Partner with IT, infrastructure, and application teams to embed security into system design and deployment
• Drive improvements aligned to Zero Trust and least privilege principles

Security Operations & Threat Management

• Independently review and analyze security logs across multiple platforms
• Perform alert triage, investigation, and escalation as needed
• Conduct proactive threat hunting activities to identify suspicious or malicious behavior
• Identify, validate, and respond to security incidents with minimal oversight

Offensive Security / Red Teaming

• Perform red team / adversary simulation exercises to test detection and response capabilities
• Identify gaps in controls, detections, and processes
• Experience monitoring and analyzing dark web and underground forums for threat intelligence, including credential exposure, data leaks, and targeting of critical infrastructure or enterprise assets.
• Provide actionable recommendations to strengthen defenses based on findings

Platform Ownership & Operations

• Administer and optimize:
• CrowdStrike (EDR/XDR)
• Okta (Identity & Access Management)
• Varonis (Data Security / Governance)
• Nessus (Vulnerability Management)
• AlienVault
• Palo Alto Firewall / Zscaler
• Monitor, analyze, and remediate vulnerabilities and security findings
• Maintain secure configurations and operational procedures

Automation & Scripting

• Develop scripts and automation to streamline security operations
• Integrate workflows across security tools to improve efficiency and response times

Collaboration & Communication

• Communicate risks, findings, and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Provide guidance to internal teams on secure design and implementation
• Support audits, compliance efforts, and security assessments

Work Environment

• Onsite role in San Jose, CA
• Standard business hours: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM PST
• Fast-paced environment supporting critical infrastructure

Required Qualifications

• 9+ years of experience in cybersecurity or security engineering
• Strong hands-on experience with:
• CrowdStrike
• Okta
• Varonis
• Nessus
• AlienVault
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• Proven ability to independently monitor, triage, and investigate security events
• Experience performing threat hunting and incident response
• Experience conducting red team or offensive security activities
• Strong scripting and automation skills (e.g., Python, PowerShell)
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• CISSP certification (required)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated environments (e.g., utilities / critical infrastructure)
• Familiarity with NIST CSF, NIST 800-171, and Zero Trust Architecture
• Experience with SaaS and cloud security environments

You must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.