Sr. Security Engineer - Chicago - Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff

Description

Who We Are

At Benesch we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations and building trust not only with our clients but with our employees – Benesch's #1 asset. Committed to providing not only the highest level of legal service to our clients, Benesch also aspires to create a positive work environment for our employees. Our Firm continues to earn placement on Chicago and Cleveland's Top Workplaces list, along with Cleveland's NorthCoast 99 Top Workplaces rankings. We also continue to advance on the AmLaw 150 list, placing us among the top 150 law firms in the country.

Benesch is proud to be recognized for being a Firm that attracts and retains top talent – making Benesch a great place to work. We offer a hybrid schedule, career development and growth, transparent and visible leadership teams, and a place where diversity, equity and inclusion is celebrated. In addition, the Firm offers a full array of benefits which can be viewed at

Working with Us - Come and "Be Benesch"

We are one of the fastest growing firms in the nation, and have offices in Chicago, Columbus, San Francisco, New York City, and Wilmington. We continue to expand our geographic footprint and value the talent that comprises each of our locations. If you are someone who champions a First in Service approach and are ready to be part of an exciting and growing Firm, we would invite you to apply to join our team.

Want to know more? To hear from some of our team, click here:

Sr Security Engineer (Cleveland)

This position is hybrid and has work from home flexibility.

Position Summary

Do you have a passion for security engineering? Do you thrive on designing, building, and maintaining secure IT infrastructure? Does building secure, resilient systems from the ground up and configuring firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security tools? Then you may be interested in our Sr. Security Engineer position. This role is perfect for the individual looking to play a crucial role in Benesch's security initiatives.

The Senior Security Engineer leads and supports a wide array of security initiatives across the Firm. This role plays a pivotal part in strengthening the Firm's cybersecurity posture, with a strong focus on cloud security and providing expert guidance on security engineering projects. This position requires deep technical expertise, a risk‑based approach to prioritization, and proven experience in building and enhancing security disciplines across complex environments. The Senior Security Engineer demonstrates strategic thinking, strong collaboration skills, and a commitment to driving continual security innovation and organizational resilience.

Responsibilities

Cloud Security & Architecture

• Reviews secure cloud architectures across AWS, Azure, and/or GCP, identifies risks, and provides recommendations.
• Develops and enforces cloud security policies, standards, and best practices.

Security Engineering & Projects

• Drives end-to-end execution of diverse security projects including:
  • Identity & Access Management (IAM) enhancements.
  • Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) deployments.
  • Network segmentation and Zero Trust implementations.
  • Security automation and orchestration initiatives.
  • System hardening and baseline creation, implementation, and auditing.
• Evaluates and implements new security technologies and tools to strengthen the enterprise security posture.

Threat Detection & Incident Response

• Monitors and analyzes security events using SIEM and other detection platforms.
• Leads investigations and coordinates response efforts for security incidents.
• Develops and maintains incident response runbooks and conducts regular tabletop exercises.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Evaluates existing security posture and provides risk‑based recommendations for improvement.
• Supports internal and external audits, risk assessments, and compliance initiatives (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2).
• Maintains documentation for security controls and processes.
• Collaborates with governance and risk teams to align technical controls with policy requirements.

Data Protection & CASB

• Leads deployment and tuning of DLP and CASB solutions to safeguard sensitive data across endpoints, cloud services, and email platforms.
• Monitors and responds to data exfiltration attempts and policy violations.
• Conducts regular reviews of data access and usage patterns to identify anomalies.

Qualifications

• The Senior Security Engineer should hold a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field, with a master's degree preferred. A minimum of five years of experience in security engineering, particularly focused on cloud environments, is required.
• Prior hands‑on experience with Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and other cloud‑native security tools, along with a strong understanding of major cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and their associated security services is essential.
• Demonstrated expertise in incident response activities and proficiency in scripting and automation using tools such as Python or PowerShell.
• A solid familiarity with frameworks including NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, ISO 27001, and CIS Benchmarks, along with the ability to align the organization's security program with these frameworks is essential.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, AWS Security Specialty, or GIAC are highly desirable.
• Preferred skills include experience with Zero Trust architecture, strong analytical and communication capabilities, effective project management skills, and the ability to mentor junior analysts and engineers while leading cross‑functional security initiatives.

The salary range for this position is $155K to $187K.

Please note that quoted salary ranges are based on Benesch's good faith belief at the time of the job posting and are not a guarantee of what final salary offers may be. Base pay is based on market location and may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Base pay is only one part of the Total Rewards that Benesch provides to compensate and recognize our staff professionals for their work. Full‑time positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and a comprehensive benefits package.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Benesch is an equal‑opportunity employer. We strongly value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability (where applicant is qualified to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations), medical condition, protected veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Applicants who are interested in applying for a position and require special assistance or an accommodation during the process due to a disability should contact the Benesch Human Resources Department by phone at or email Christine Watson at

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities