Staff Level Security Engineer/Okta/AWS/Risk

Motion Recruitment; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Remote; USD 160,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid vacation and time off

Stock options or equity participation

Professional development and relevant

Job summary

Motion Recruitment is seeking a Staff Security Engineer to join a fully remote, full-time team. The role focuses on shaping security architecture across AWS, Okta, IAM, and enterprise security strategy while mentoring engineers and driving risk-based decisions.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with business-aware risk management, able to translate complex security concerns into actionable strategies that support innovation and scalable growth.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in security engineering, cloud security, or enterprise security architecture.
• Hands-on security for AWS environments including IAM, networking, logging, encryption, and monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of Okta, including SSO, SAML, OAuth 2.0, MFA, lifecycle management, and identity governance.
• Strong understanding of identity and access management, least-privilege, privileged access, and Zero Trust security.
• Experience conducting security risk assessments, identifying control gaps, and developing mitigation strategies.
• Knowledge of NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, CIS Benchmarks, and SOC 2.
• Experience with cloud security posture management, vulnerability management, threat modeling, and incident response.
• Ability to partner cross-functionally with engineering, IT, compliance, and executives.
• Strong communication skills translating risks into business guidance.

Responsibilities

• 40% AWS & Cloud Security — Secure cloud infrastructure, improve configurations, guardrails, and architecture.
• 25% Identity & Access Management — Enhance Okta, SSO, MFA, privileged access, lifecycle controls, Zero Trust.
• 20% Security Risk & Architecture — Conduct risk assessments, develop mitigation plans, influence design decisions.
• 15% Security Engineering & Automation — Build automation, improve monitoring, detect, integrate security into engineering workflows.

Skills

Security engineering

Cloud security

AWS IAM

Okta IAM

Zero Trust

Risk assessment

NIST CSF

Threat modeling

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

We are seeking a Staff Security Engineer to join an innovative, technology-driven company fully remote, on a full-time basis. This is a high-impact opportunity to help shape and scale the company's security architecture across a modern cloud environment, with a focus on AWS, Okta, cloud security, identity and access management (IAM), security risk management, and enterprise security strategy. The ideal candidate is a senior-level security engineer who combines deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to strengthen security posture, reduce risk, and enable the business to innovate securely.

We're looking for a hands-on technical leader who can think beyond individual tools, connect security decisions to business risk, and build scalable solutions that grow with the organization. You'll have the opportunity to shape cloud security strategy, modernize identity controls, influence architecture decisions, and mentor engineers while remaining close to the technology. If you're excited by solving complex security challenges, owning meaningful projects, and having a voice in the company's long-term security direction, this role offers the opportunity to make a measurable impact.

Required Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in security engineering, cloud security, or enterprise security architecture.
• Strong hands-on experience securing AWS environments, including IAM, networking, logging, encryption, and security monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of Okta, including SSO, SAML, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, MFA, lifecycle management, and identity governance.
• Strong understanding of identity and access management, least-privilege principles, privileged access, and Zero Trust security.
• Experience conducting security risk assessments, identifying control gaps, and developing risk mitigation strategies.
• Knowledge of security frameworks and controls, such as NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, CIS Benchmarks, and SOC 2.
• Experience with cloud security posture management, vulnerability management, threat modeling, and incident response.
• Ability to partner cross-functionally with engineering, infrastructure, IT, compliance, and executive stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical risks into actionable business recommendations.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience in a Staff, Principal, or senior technical leadership role.
• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation) and security automation.
• Experience with SIEM platforms, centralized logging, detection engineering, and security observability.
• Knowledge of container security, Kubernetes, and modern application security practices.
• Experience implementing security controls within CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps workflows.
• Familiarity with endpoint detection and response (EDR), secrets management, and data protection technologies.
• Experience supporting security audits, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk management programs.
• Relevant certifications such as AWS Certified Security – Specialty, CISSP, CCSP, or Okta certifications.

What You Will Be Doing Tech Breakdown

• 40% AWS & Cloud Security — Secure cloud infrastructure, improve configurations, implement guardrails, and strengthen cloud security architecture.
• 25% Identity & Access Management — Enhance Okta, SSO, MFA, privileged access, identity lifecycle controls, and Zero Trust capabilities.
• 20% Security Risk & Architecture — Conduct risk assessments, develop mitigation plans, perform threat modeling, and influence security design decisions.
• 15% Security Engineering & Automation — Build automation, improve monitoring and detection, integrate security into engineering workflows, and reduce operational risk.

Daily Responsibilities

• 40% Hands-On Engineering — Design, implement, and improve security controls across AWS, Okta, and the broader enterprise environment.
• 30% Architecture & Risk Leadership — Drive security initiatives, assess emerging risks, establish technical standards, and guide remediation priorities.
• 20% Team Collaboration — Partner with engineering, IT, infrastructure, compliance, and leadership to embed security into day-to-day operations.
• 10% Mentorship & Strategic Planning — Mentor engineers, influence technical direction, and help define the organization's evolving security roadmap.

The Offer

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience.
• Bonus eligible.
• Opportunity to influence enterprise security strategy and architecture.
• High degree of ownership, autonomy, and technical leadership.
• Collaborative environment with opportunities for professional growth and continued learning.
• Work-life balance and flexibility, depending on business and team needs.

You Will Receive the Following Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid vacation and time off.
• Stock options or equity participation, subject to company eligibility and plan terms.
• Opportunities for professional development and relevant certifications.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis now and in the future.

Posted By: Shawna Dunleavy