Cybersecurity Engineer II

Kirkland & Ellis is hiring a Cybersecurity Engineer II to design, implement, and optimize security technologies and controls to protect systems, data, and users in an onsite role in Austin, TX.

Responsibilities

• Own the digital certificate lifecycle: discovery, issuance, renewal, monitoring, revocation, and automation; administer Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
• Administer enterprise encryption key management platforms and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), covering secure generation, storage, rotation, archival, and destruction of keys
• Design, implement, maintain, and continuously improve network, endpoint, cloud, and identity security controls using monitoring, tuning, and automation
• Optimize security tooling to improve visibility and response effectiveness, including EDR, SIEM, DLP, CASB, and related platforms
• Identify security gaps, control weaknesses, and misconfigurations; lead remediation and implement long-term solutions to strengthen the security posture
• Contribute as a lead on security initiatives by partnering with IT, architecture, product, and project teams to support secure onboarding and integration
• Improve secure endpoint and identity practices with infrastructure and business teams to better protect critical systems and data
• Develop and maintain security standards, engineering patterns, and baselines aligned with NIST and CIS
• Strengthen security operations through scripting, workflow automation, telemetry optimization, and continuous process improvement
• Support team growth with mentoring, documentation, reusable solutions, and technical guidance for less experienced engineers
• Serve as an escalation point for complex security issues; contribute to incident response readiness, runbooks, and on-call support processes
• Research emerging security technologies and recommend solutions to improve operational efficiency and reduce organizational risk

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required
• Preferred certifications: CompTIA Security+, CISSP, OSCP, SC-200, AZ-500
• 5–8+ years of IT experience, including 3–5+ years in cybersecurity engineering or a closely related security-focused role
• Advanced experience with digital certificate lifecycle management, PKI, Microsoft AD CS, encryption key management platforms, and HSMs
• Strong knowledge of EDR, SIEM, threat detection, threat hunting, and incident response processes
• Hands-on experience with: CrowdStrike, Microsoft Sentinel, Google SecOps, Netskope, Cisco Umbrella, BeyondTrust, Cribl, DigiCert, CyberArk Certificate Management (formerly Venafi), Microsoft Entra
• Deep understanding of authentication, federation, conditional access, privileged access management, and modern identity platforms
• Experience implementing and supporting cloud security controls, especially Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Entra, including knowledge of Zero Trust and secure architecture practices
• Ability to improve security operations through automation using PowerShell, Python, and Kusto Query Language (KQL)
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical and security issues across multiple systems, platforms, and teams
• Ability to translate technical concepts into actionable insights and influence stakeholders across technical and non-technical teams
• Customer-focused approach balancing security, risk management, and business objectives while managing multiple priorities

Technologies

• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
• Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
• NIST, Center for Internet Security (CIS)
• PowerShell, Python, Kusto Query Language (KQL)
• CrowdStrike, Microsoft Sentinel, Google SecOps, Netskope, Cisco Umbrella
• BeyondTrust, Cribl, DigiCert
• CyberArk Certificate Management (formerly Venafi), Microsoft Entra
• Microsoft Azure, Zero Trust
• CompTIA Security+, CISSP, OSCP, SC-200, AZ-500

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare
• Paid time off
• Retirement
• Personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities

Compensation

• USD 133,000 - 166,000 per yearly (Chicago)

How to Apply

• Click “Apply Now.”