Lead Cloud Security Engineer

About the role

Cognizant’s Cloud, Infrastructure, and Security Services Practice (CIS) is all about embracing digital transformation by driving core modernization holistically across layers. We help customers transform infrastructure and workplace to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the digital era. Our holistic approach delivers key results for our customers by achieving cloud driven modernization and workplace and operational transformation to run the business in a secure environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement automated containment workflows across SIEM, SOAR, endpoint, identity, network, and cloud security platforms.
• Develop incident response playbooks for endpoint isolation, account restriction, malicious IP blocking, credential containment, and cloud workload quarantine.
• Define automation eligibility criteria, approval requirements, rollback procedures, exception handling, and human-in-the-loop controls.
• Architect and implement an agentic SOC roadmap, including custom security agent patterns, orchestration workflows, and MCP integrations.
• Build integrations between security platforms, AWS services, case-management systems, and enterprise APIs using Python and secure API patterns.
• Validate automated response and containment workflows through testing, Purple Team exercises, and incident response simulations.
• Develop cloud-native security automation solutions using AWS, EKS, Terraform, and related platform services.
• Collaborate with Cyber Defense, SOC, Incident Response, Cloud Security, IAM, and infrastructure teams to operationalize response capabilities.
• Create operational metrics and dashboards to measure automation coverage, response times, containment success, exceptions, and operational effectiveness.
• Develop architecture documentation, containment playbooks, runbooks, support procedures, and knowledge-transfer materials for transition into BAU operations.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in Cybersecurity Engineering, Security Operations, Cloud Security, Incident Response, or Security Automation.
• Strong hands-on expertise in AWS security services, cloud-native architecture, and security operations within enterprise environments.
• Experience designing automated incident response and containment workflows across SIEM, SOAR, EDR, IAM, network, and cloud platforms.
• Strong programming and automation skills using Python, APIs, and event-driven integration patterns.
• Hands-on experience with Terraform and Infrastructure as Code for deploying secure and repeatable cloud solutions.
• Experience with AWS EKS, containerized workloads, Kubernetes security, and cloud workload containment strategies.
• Understanding of agentic SOC architectures, AI-enabled security workflows, MCP integrations, and human-in-the-loop automation controls.
• Experience using Git-based development and CI/CD tools such as Bitbucket or equivalent platforms.
• Strong knowledge of incident response, Purple Team testing, approval controls, rollback mechanisms, and exception-management processes.
• Excellent architecture, troubleshooting, documentation, stakeholder communication, and operational transition skills.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Pay

The annual salary for this position is between $114,500 and $134,000, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.