Cloud Security Engineer
The Cloud Security Engineer role focuses on implementing and maintaining security controls across cloud environments, monitoring for threats, managing identity and access, and supporting vulnerability assessments and incident response. This position offers early-career professionals the opportunity to work with leading cloud platforms and security tools to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with industry standards in diverse sectors.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
About the role
Confidential Client (via Careertakes) is building an early-career talent pipeline for Cloud Security Engineers. This full-time role supports client engagements across IT, finance, healthcare, SaaS, e-commerce, and other industries. Engagements may be onsite, hybrid, or remote depending on the client.
- Experience level: Entry — 0 to 3 years
- Location: Chicago, IL (based on client assignment)
- Salary range: $90,000–$130,000 per year (depends on client, location, experience, and qualifications)
What You’ll Do
- Assist in implementing and maintaining security controls across cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Monitor cloud infrastructure for security threats, suspicious activity, and vulnerabilities.
- Support Identity & Access Management (IAM) tasks: user permissions, roles, policies, and access reviews.
- Configure and tune cloud security services, policies, and monitoring tools.
- Assist with vulnerability assessments, security scans, and remediation tracking.
- Support security incident detection, investigation, documentation, and response efforts.
- Apply security best practices for cloud storage, networking, compute resources, and databases.
- Help enforce least-privilege access, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and secure authentication practices.
- Monitor security logs and alerts using cloud-native tools and centralized SIEMs.
- Assist implementing encryption for data at rest and in transit.
- Support network security configurations: firewalls, security groups, network ACLs, and private connectivity.
- Collaborate with DevOps, infrastructure, and development teams to integrate security into CI/CD pipelines.
- Assist with IaC security reviews (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
- Identify cloud misconfigurations and recommend corrective actions.
- Support compliance initiatives (NIST, CIS, SOC 2, ISO 27001) and maintain documentation.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a closely related field (or equivalent coursework/experience).
- 0–3 years of professional, internship, academic, or hands-on experience in cloud security, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, or related areas.
- Basic understanding of cloud computing concepts and shared-responsibility models.
- Familiarity with at least one cloud platform: AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
- Understanding of IAM, RBAC, and least-privilege principles.
- Basic networking knowledge: TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, VPNs, and firewalls.
- Understanding of security fundamentals: encryption, authentication, authorization, and vulnerability management.
- Comfort with Linux/Unix or Windows environments.
- Basic exposure to security monitoring, logging, alerting, and incident response.
- Familiarity with scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell, or similar).
- Experience using Git/version control and working with development workflows.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills.
- A demonstrated willingness to learn emerging cloud security technologies and industry best practices.
Skills That Strengthen Your Application
- AWS security (IAM, GuardDuty, Security Hub, CloudTrail, AWS Config)
- Azure security (Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Entra ID, Azure Policy)
- Google Cloud security (Security Command Center, Cloud Audit Logs)
- CSPM, SIEMs (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel), and centralized logging
- Vulnerability scanning and remediation tools
- Key & secrets management (AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, GCP KMS)
- Docker and Kubernetes security fundamentals
- Terraform, CloudFormation, or other IaC tools
- DevSecOps and CI/CD pipeline security
- Certifications: AWS Certified Security – Specialty, Microsoft Azure Security Associate, CompTIA Security+, or other entry-level cloud/security certs
Work Authorization
We welcome candidates who are:
- US Citizens or Green Card holders
- On F-1 OPT or STEM-OPT
- Eligible for or currently holding H-1B status
Work authorization and any sponsorship will depend on the specific client engagement.
Compensation & Benefits
- Target salary range: $90,000–$130,000/year (dependent on client, location, skills, and experience)
- Possible placement-provided health and wellness benefits (if offered by the client/employer)
- Paid Time Off (where applicable)
- Professional development and training opportunities
- Hands-on experience with cloud-native security tools, threat detection, and remediation
- Exposure to enterprise cloud security projects, compliance initiatives, and DevSecOps practices
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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