Verizon Communications

Principal Security Engineer

Verizon Communications • $120K — $231K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
  • Six or more years of relevant experience in security engineering or operations.
  • Strong technical knowledge of PKI protocols and standards.
  • Solid experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) administration.
  • Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.

Responsibilities

  • Lead operational execution for PKI Vendor Platform Migration.
  • Serve as the primary technical contact for enterprise customer teams.
  • Support the full client communication lifecycle through ticketing platforms.
  • Facilitate software delivery and interoperability testing for clients.
  • Maintain customer-facing SLAs and operational KPIs for service delivery.
  • Develop AI-driven tools for automating workflows and certificate management.
  • Oversee end-to-end operational readiness for all PKI environments.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness options including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Matched 401(k) savings plan and up to 8 company-paid holidays per year.
  • Paid parental leave and adoption assistance.
  • Tuition assistance for continued education.
  • Up to 15 days of vacation per year, increasing with service.
Full Job Description
What you'll be doing...

As a member of the Security Engineering & Operations team, you will be responsible for the end-to-end administration, maintenance, and day-to-day operation of Verizon’s enterprise Public/Private Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Identity & Access Management (IAM) systems. In this role, you will act as a primary operational subject matter expert, interfacing directly with enterprise customer teams to integrate, support, and maintain fully functional, highly available PKI services while driving key forward-looking security initiatives.

You will handle all operational duties necessary to keep our PKI infrastructure operating smoothly—including certificate lifecycle automation, key management, system upgrades, and platform health monitoring—while acting as a customer-oriented operations engineer who excels at bridging technical infrastructure with client integration needs. You bring strong technical knowledge of PKI protocols, solid Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) administration skills, and a practical approach to troubleshooting end-to-end service workflows. You will thrive in this role by combining direct customer technical support with modern engineering tools, RHEL systems administration, Python scripting, and operational AI tools/agents to develop solutions for PKI and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), automate routine maintenance, streamline incident response, proactively manage vulnerabilities, and deliver seamless security operations.


Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:


PKI Vendor Platform Migration & Customer Support

  • Leading operational execution and defining end-to-end test plans for the PKI Vendor Platform Migration.
  • Serving as a primary technical point of contact for enterprise customer teams, guiding them through application cutovers, front-end customization, and back-end integration with the new vendor platform.
  • Supporting the full client communication lifecycle: logging, tracking, and prioritizing technical queries through ticketing platforms (e.g., Jira), troubleshooting customer integration issues, conducting root-cause analysis, and delivering patches/hotfixes to meet customer needs.
  • Facilitating software delivery and interoperability testing for clients PKI-enabling their custom applications to ensure compliance with specifications and security policies.
  • Maintaining customer-facing SLAs and operational KPIs for service delivery while leveraging customer query databases to build knowledge books and improve service readiness.
  • Replicating customer-reported issues in a test lab environment to validate bug fixes and execute corrective operational actions.

AI & Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Tooling Development

  • Developing AI-driven tools, custom algorithms, and intelligent agents to automate diagnostic workflows, customer query triage, log analysis, and certificate management for PKI and PQC systems.
  • Building and deploying automated software solutions to prepare enterprise security platforms for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) readiness and migration.
  • Administering and supporting RESTful APIs used by customers for automated certificate enrollment and infrastructure integration.
  • Authoring, updating, and maintaining operational runbooks, systems engineering documentation, and customer integration guides to ensure service consistency.

Full-Lifecycle PKI Infrastructure & Systems Engineering

  • Overseeing end-to-end operational readiness for all PKI environments, ensuring all core Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), and Key Management systems remain fully functional.
  • Installing, configuring, maintaining, and supporting enterprise Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).
  • Managing complete certificate lifecycles—including automated issuance, discovery, renewal, revocation, and deployment across client applications, APIs, cloud environments (AWS), servers, and network devices.
  • Executing routine system patching, OS maintenance, capacity planning, and proactive vulnerability remediation across PKI host servers.
  • Participating in an on-call rotation to provide rapid tier-3 operational support, incident triage, and escalation resolution for critical service disruptions.

What we're looking for...

You are a customer-oriented operations engineer who excels at bridging technical infrastructure with client integration needs. You bring strong technical knowledge of PKI protocols, solid RHEL administration skills, and a practical approach to troubleshooting end-to-end service workflows. You thrive in environments where you can combine direct customer technical support with smart automation, scripting, ticketing workflows, and AI tools to deliver seamless security operations and advance PQC readiness.


You'll need to have:

  • Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
  • Six or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
  • Willingness to travel up to 25% or less of the time.

Even better if you have one or more of the following:

  • Strong background in customer-facing technical support, troubleshooting custom application integrations, managing tickets (e.g., Jira), and maintaining service SLAs/KPIs.
  • Hands-on operational experience with core PKI protocols and standards: X.509, PKCS, OCSP, TLS/SSL, S/MIME, IPsec, and LDAP.
  • Demonstrated experience administering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments in a production setting.
  • Hands-on experience developing AI tools, scripts, or agents (e.g., Python AI/ML libraries, LLM APIs, automated diagnostic agents) to build custom solutions and tools for PKI or security operations.
  • Experience with RESTful API integration, management, and troubleshooting for client environments.
  • Proficiency in writing and modifying operational scripts for task automation using Python, Shell/Bash, Java, or PHP.
  • Ability to participate in scheduled on-call coverage (including evenings/weekends during assigned rotation).
  • Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
  • Familiarity or experience with Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards, algorithms, and transition strategies.
  • Background or experience in Systems Engineering principles (e.g., infrastructure design, reliability, capacity planning, system architecture).
  • Hands-on experience or familiarity with cloud security and infrastructure platforms, specifically Amazon Web Services (AWS) (e.g., Cloud HSMs, AWS Private CA, KMS, IAM, EC2).
  • Familiarity with enterprise ticketing, incident tracking, and project management tools such as Jira, ServiceNow, or Confluence.
  • Knowledge of or hands-on experience with modern PKI platform engines and certificate management platforms such as EJBCA, Keyfactor, DigiCert, RSA, OpenXPKI, or Microsoft CA.
  • Practical experience deploying, managing, and supporting Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) such as Entrust (nShield), Thales/Luna, or Utimaco.
  • Experience with system monitoring, performance metrics, and alerting tools such as Nagios, Zabbix, or Prometheus.
  • Experience with web servers/containers (Apache, Tomcat, Nginx) and Windows Server administration.
  • Working knowledge of database management for operational triage (Oracle, SQL, PostgreSQL).
  • Relevant industry certifications such as Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), AWS Certified Security / SysOps, CISSP, CISA, or ITIL v3/v4.

If Verizon and this role sound like a fit for you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every “even better” qualification listed above.

Where you’ll be working
In this hybrid role, you'll have a defined work location that includes working from home and a minimum of three days per week in the office, which will be set by your manager. Employees are responsible for maintaining compliance with hybrid work policies.

Scheduled Weekly Hours
40

Benefits and Compensation

Our benefits are designed to help you move forward in your career, and in areas of your life outside of Verizon. From health and wellness benefit options including: medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, AD&D insurance, identity theft protection, pet insurance and group home & auto insurance. We also offer a matched 401(k) savings plan, up to 8 company paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year, paid parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition assistance, plus other incentives, we’ve got you covered with our award-winning total rewards package. Depending on the role, employees have the opportunity to receive compensation in the form of premium pay such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc. Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service. For part-timers, your coverage will vary as you may be eligible for some of these benefits depending on your individual circumstances.

The salary will vary depending on your location and confirmed job-related skills and experience. This is an incentive based position with the potential to earn more. For part-time roles, your compensation will be adjusted to reflect your hours.

The salary range for the location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $120,500.00 - $231,000.00.

About Verizon Communications

MCIS delivers wireless links, turn-key systems, broadband leases, and system maintenance.

Verizon Communications Careers

Join the vibrant team at Verizon Communications, a global leader in technology and communications, where innovation meets purpose. Our diverse and inclusive culture champions forward-thinking and offers a plethora of job opportunities that cater to enhancing your professional growth and career trajectory. Work You’ll Do At Verizon Communications, you will be part of a dynamic team that is at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the telecommunications industry. Our commitment to diversity and innovation is not just about staying competitive but fostering an environment where all employees can thrive. Lead with Innovation Embrace the opportunity to work on groundbreaking projects that redefine how people connect. Verizon is not just a company; it's a community of leaders and innovators. With over tens of thousands of employees worldwide, our leadership is committed to providing a platform where skills and ideas converge to create impactful solutions. Join Our Inclusive Team Verizon’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is integral to our company’s ethos. We believe in empowering our team members by providing them with the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed. This includes comprehensive benefits, diversity training, and opportunities for professional development. Explore Career Opportunities Whether you’re looking for a full-time position, an internship, or a leadership role, Verizon offers a range of employment options to match your career ambitions. Our team is hiring creative and solution-driven professionals who are eager to learn and grow. Networking and Professional Growth Advance your career with Verizon’s unmatched opportunities for professional growth. Engage in networking events, leadership programs, and training sessions designed to hone your skills and expand your industry knowledge. Internship Programs Kickstart your career with a Verizon internship. Gain hands-on experience, work with seasoned professionals, and understand the inner workings of one of the world’s leading tech companies. Our internships offer a unique insight into our company culture and operations, setting a solid foundation for your career. Benefits and Culture At Verizon, we prioritize the well-being of our team members. Enjoy a comprehensive package of benefits that supports both your professional and personal life. Our culture promotes work-life balance, employee wellness, and continuous learning. Stay Connected Join Our Team Explore the various job opportunities at Verizon Communications and find the position that best suits your skills and interests. We are looking for passionate, curious, and innovative team players. Keep Up to Date Stay informed with the latest career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights—all from the people who work here. Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Verizon Communications. Join Verizon Communications today and be part of a team that values leadership, innovation, and diversity. Shape your future in an environment where your work makes a real impact.
Learn more about Verizon Communications
Size
118,400 employees
Market Cap
$164.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$17.8 billion
Founded
1983
5 Year Trend
+1.2%
Revenue
$128.2 billion
NASDAQ

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