Security Operations Engineer
Arlington, VA
Posted
Security Operations Engineer
If you're a security professional who likes getting into the technology, solving problems, and owning more than one narrow piece of the stack, this is an opportunity to have real impact across a growing security environment.
District Partners has been engaged by an established professional organization to identify a Security Operations Engineer who will have meaningful ownership across security operations, cloud, identity, endpoint protection, automation, and infrastructure security. This is a small, highly technical environment where your work is visible, your ideas matter, and you'll have the opportunity to directly influence how the organization's security capabilities continue to evolve.
The ideal candidate built their foundation in systems administration, infrastructure, networking, or IT operations before moving deeper into cybersecurity. Security operations and DevSecOps will be the primary focus, but you need to understand how the technology underneath the security tools actually works. You'll troubleshoot, investigate, script, automate, and get into the weeds.
This is also a true small-shop environment. There are no layers of specialized teams to hand work off to. You need to be someone who will take on whatever needs to get done, whether that's a complex security investigation or a straightforward IT issue. No task is beneath the role.
Why You'll Actually Care
You'll have broad ownership across CrowdStrike, Cloudflare, Azure security, identity, endpoint protection, vulnerability management, zero trust, incident response, automation, and infrastructure security. Current initiatives include identity and zero-trust modernization, security automation, AI governance, security awareness, and continued investment across the security stack.
The strongest career progression will often look something like:
IT Operations / Systems Administration / Infrastructure → Security Operations / Cybersecurity
This is not a narrowly siloed enterprise security role. The right person is technically curious, resourceful, and comfortable moving between deep security work and fundamental IT operations. You should be equally willing to investigate a security event, troubleshoot a networking or endpoint issue, work through an integration, or handle a relatively simple technical problem because it needs to get done.
If you're accustomed to owning only one piece of the technology stack and handing everything else to another team, this probably isn't the right environment. If you like having broad ownership, getting into the weeds, and being the person who figures things out, you'll have plenty of opportunity to do that here.
What You'll Be Owning
Monitor, investigate, and respond to security events and incidents
Work extensively within CrowdStrike and Cloudflare
Support Azure security and Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Entra ID, and Conditional Access
Drive vulnerability identification, remediation, and ongoing vulnerability management
Support identity, authentication, endpoint security, and zero-trust initiatives
Troubleshoot issues across networks, endpoints, operating systems, cloud, and infrastructure
Use PowerShell, Python, APIs, scripting, and automation to improve security operations and integrations
Partner across IT to identify and remediate security risks
Support security awareness, governance, risk, audit, and policy initiatives
Jump into broader IT and infrastructure needs when necessary
Proactively identify and own problems rather than waiting for work to be assigned
What You Bring to the Table
2-5 years of relevant hands-on experience across cybersecurity and IT operations
Experience working in a small or lean IT environment where you personally owned problems across multiple technical areas
Strong foundation in systems administration, infrastructure, networking, or IT operations
Practical, hands-on cybersecurity experience with security operations as a primary focus
CrowdStrike and Cloudflare experience strongly preferred, or meaningful experience with comparable enterprise security platforms
Experience supporting security within Microsoft Azure
Knowledge of Defender, Sentinel, Entra ID, Conditional Access, or related Microsoft security technologies
Strong understanding of networking, TCP/IP, DNS, operating systems, endpoints, identity, and enterprise infrastructure
Experience with incident response, vulnerability management, endpoint security, and cloud security
Experience with PowerShell, Python, APIs, scripting, automation, or orchestration
Ability to independently troubleshoot technical problems from the infrastructure layer through the security layer
Ability to step into the existing environment and contribute without extensive training on fundamental IT or security concepts
Willingness to take ownership of both complex and routine technical work
Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly and specifically explain your own technical work, projects, troubleshooting approach, and decisions
Preferred Qualifications
Direct CrowdStrike and Cloudflare experience
Fortinet and zero-trust experience
DevSecOps or security automation exposure
Identity security / IAM experience
Security+, CISSP, SC-200, AZ-500, or similar certifications
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Compensation: $102,000-$120,000 depending on experience
Onsite 5 days per week for the first 3 months
Potential to work from home up to 2 days per week after the first 3 months
