Staff Security Engineer

Red Cup IT, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A Managed Service Provider is seeking a Staff Security Engineer who will provide high-level technical leadership across diverse client environments. Responsibilities include designing security standards, serving as an escalation point for complex issues, and mentoring engineering staff. The ideal candidate should have 8-12+ years of IT and security experience, expertise in cloud security, and proficient scripting skills in Python or PowerShell. Certifications such as CISSP are highly preferred.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of experience in IT and security.
• Mastery of EDR/XDR, SIEM, and firewalls.
• Proficiency in Python or PowerShell for automation.

Responsibilities

• Design security baselines for diverse clients.
• Act as a final escalation point for complex security issues.
• Mentor Junior and Senior Engineers.

Skills

EDR/XDR

SIEM

Cloud-native security tools

Python

PowerShell

Zero Trust architecture

Education

Relevant certifications (CISSP, CISM, CCSP)

Tools

Fortinet Firewalls

Palo Alto Firewalls

Azure AD/Entra ID

Job description

We are looking for a Staff Security Engineer at a Managed Service Provider (MSP) who is a high-level technical leadership role. Unlike a standard Security Engineer who might focus on a single organization’s perimeter, a Staff Engineer at an MSP must design, oversee, and scale security solutions across hundreds of diverse client environments.

They act as the "architect-in-chief," balancing deep technical execution with high-level strategy and mentorship.

Core Responsibilities

At the Staff level, the focus shifts from "doing the work" to "defining how the work is done" across the entire MSP fleet.

1. Security Architecture & Strategy

• Scalable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Design security baselines (NIST, CIS, or ISO 27001) that can be applied to clients ranging from small dental offices to mid-market enterprise firms.
• Tooling Selection: Evaluate and select the "MSP Stack"—SIEM/MDR platforms, EDR/XDR solutions, and automated vulnerability scanners—ensuring they support multi-tenancy.
• Product Development: Partner with the Product or Sales teams to build new "Security-as-a-Service" offerings (e.g., vCISO services or Managed Phishing Simulation).

2. High-Level Technical Leadership

• Tier 4 Escalations: Act as the final point of escalation for complex security breaches or persistent threats that Tier 1–3 analysts cannot resolve.
• Automation & Scripting: Write advanced scripts (Python, PowerShell, Bash) to automate threat hunting and remediation across thousands of endpoints simultaneously.
• Cloud Security Mastery: Secure multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP) for clients, ensuring proper identity management (MFA/Conditional Access) and data encryption.

3. Mentorship & Governance

• Team Upskilling: Mentor Junior and Senior Engineers, conducting code reviews and architectural deep-dives.
• Compliance & Auditing: Lead clients through regulatory audits (HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS) and ensure the MSP itself remains compliant (SOC2).

Required Skills & Qualifications

A Staff Engineer is expected to have 8–12+ years of experience in IT and Security.

• Technical Depth: Mastery of EDR/XDR, SIEM (e.g., Sentinel, Splunk), Firewalls (Fortinet, Palo Alto), and Identity (Azure AD/Entra ID).
• Cloud Expertise: Deep knowledge of cloud-native security tools and Zero Trust architecture.
• Development: Proficiency in Python or PowerShell for API integrations and security automation.
• Soft Skills: Ability to explain "zero-day" risks to non-technical business owners (CEOs/CFOs).
• Certifications: CISSP (highly preferred), CISM, CCSP, or advanced provider certs (AZ-500, PCNSE).