DTCC

Associate Director IT Security Engineering (Akamai WAF SME)

DTCC$120K — $150K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
  • Minimum 8 years in cybersecurity, focusing on network and perimeter security
  • 10+ years of hands-on cybersecurity engineering experience
  • Strong experience with Akamai WAF policy design and tuning
  • Solid understanding of cloud and SaaS security controls, especially Azure AD
  • Strong knowledge of network protocols and web architectures
  • Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams
  • Industry certifications such as CISSP are preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the architecture, deployment, and tuning of Akamai WAF solutions for web applications
  • Act as the Akamai WAF subject matter expert, overseeing key security capabilities
  • Own the end-to-end policy design and optimization for Akamai WAF
  • Develop custom WAF rules and strategies to address evolving threats
  • Drive secure onboarding of applications into the Akamai platform
  • Lead metrics and observability initiatives related to WAF performance
  • Collaborate with Security Architecture to address application security gaps
  • Identify automation opportunities to enhance operational efficiency

Benefits

  • Mentorship and leadership opportunities in the security engineering team
  • Exposure to advanced Akamai security tools and techniques
  • Chance to work in a highly regulated and secure environment
  • Opportunity to influence security policies and standards
  • Engagement with cross-functional security initiatives including Zero Trust implementations
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Impact you will have in this role:

Being a member of CISO team, as a Principal Security Engineer - Network & WAF, you will serve as the hands-on technical lead and subject-matter expert for Akamai edge security at DTCC. You will own the architecture, deployment, tuning, and ongoing optimization of Akamai WAF solutions protecting DTCC's internet-facing applications.

You will play a critical role in strengthening DTCC's Zero Trust Network Security posture, reducing application-layer risk, improving signal quality, and ensuring secure, scalable delivery of web services in a highly regulated environment.

This role is ideal for a senior-level engineer who thrives in deep technical ownership, complex problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration.

Your Primary Responsibilities:
  • Lead the architecture, deployment, lifecycle management, and advanced tuning of Akamai WAF solutions to protect DTCC web applications across on-prem and cloud environments.
  • Serve as the enterprise Akamai WAF subject matter expert, providing strategic and hands-on leadership for Kona Site Defender, Adaptive Security Engine, Bot Manager, API Security, and Client Reputation capabilities.
  • Act as the Akamai WAF technical lead and escalation point, owning end-to-end policy design, staging validation, production rollout, exception handling, and continuous optimization.
  • Design and maintain custom Akamai WAF rules, rate controls, bot mitigation strategies, and API protection policies to address evolving threat patterns while minimizing false positives.
  • Drive secure onboarding of applications into Akamai, including traffic profiling, baseline creation, phased enforcement, and post deployment tuning.
  • Lead WAF observability and metrics, including alerting strategy, log analysis, SIEM integration, and executive level reporting on risk reduction and control effectiveness.
  • Partner closely with Security Architecture and the Cyber Threat Fusion Center to:
    - Identify application and perimeter security gaps
    - Improve existing Akamai and network security controls
    - Design, implement, and operate Zero Trust aligned perimeter and edge security capabilities
  • Develop and maintain security standards, reference architectures, policies, procedures, and technical documentation related to Akamai WAF, IDS/IPS, and network perimeter security.
  • Analyze security alerts and events, perform deep root cause analysis, and recommend effective mitigation and remediation strategies across Akamai and network controls.
  • Identify and drive automation opportunities (Akamai APIs, CI/CD integrations, IaC, policy templates) to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual effort, and enhance detection and response.
  • Provide mentorship and technical leadership to security engineers, setting best practices for Akamai WAF operations and incident response.

**NOTE: The Responsibilities of this role are not limited to the details above. **

Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent experience
  • Minimum 8 years of Cybersecurity related experience with a strong focus on network and perimeter security

Talents Needed for Success:
  • 10+ years of hands-on cybersecurity engineering experience, with deep expertise in Network Security and Zero Trust architectures.
  • Strong, hands-on experience with Akamai, including:
  • WAF policy design and tuning
  • CDN and edge security concepts
  • Managing false positives and rule customization
  • Solid understanding of cloud and SaaS security controls, including Azure AD and Azure environments.
  • Strong knowledge of network protocols and web architectures, including DNS, TCP/IP, HTTP/S, and firewall technologies.
  • Experience working with SIEM tools, packet analysis, and security event investigation.
  • Proven ability to work independently as a senior technical lead while collaborating effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex security concepts clearly.
  • Industry certifications such as CISSP or other relevant cybersecurity certifications are preferred.


The salary range is indicative for roles at the same level within DTCC across all US locations. Actual salary is determined based on the role, location, individual experience, skills, and other considerations.

Learn more about Clearance and Settlement by clicking here.

About DTCC

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is a financial services company that provides clearing, settlement, and information services for the global financial industry. DTCC was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in New York City. The company operates through subsidiaries that provide services such as trade matching, risk management, and asset servicing. DTCC is owned by its users, which include broker-dealers, banks, and other financial institutions. The company is committed to reducing risk and increasing efficiency in the financial markets.
Learn more about DTCC
Size
4,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1973

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