Northern Trust

Senior Lead, Security Engineering and Operations

Northern Trust • $114K — $194K *
Chicago, IL 60629In-Person
Information Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 12+ years in IT, cybersecurity, or platform engineering with enterprise-scale experience.
  • Ability to balance security, reliability, usability, and compliance in technical decisions.
  • Hands-on experience with at least one SSE/SASE platform, particularly ZTNA and secure web gateways.
  • Knowledge of next-gen firewalls and intrusion prevention systems.
  • Strong fundamentals in networking protocols and technologies.
  • Familiarity with identity solutions like SAML/OIDC and Entra ID.
  • Scripting and API integration skills in Python and PowerShell.

Responsibilities

  • Contribute to security platform engineering and operational governance.
  • Design and manage tools across zero-trust and network vulnerability domains.
  • Develop and implement operational standards for security tool adoption.
  • Measure compliance and assurance through maturity models and metrics.
  • Coordinate with cross-functional teams on security initiatives.
  • Maintain platform health, upgrades, and lifecycle management.
  • Support audits by ensuring rigorous control design and documentation.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • 401k and pension retirement plans.
  • Paid time off, including parental and caregiver leave.
  • Life and accident insurance, with additional voluntary benefits.
  • Discretionary bonus program, potentially with equity components.
Full Job Description
The Senior Lead, Security Engineer is an experienced individual contributor responsible for engineering and operationalizing enterprise security platforms across Northern Trust. This role combines hands-on platform delivery with technical ownership for reliable, auditable and scalable security capabilities. It suits an engineer who can work across architecture discussions, implementation planning, operational support and deep technical troubleshooting while partnering effectively with engineering, infrastructure, application and risk stakeholders.

What You'll Do

Security Platform Engineering Across Key Domains
  • Contribute technical expertise to security platform engineering decisions and operational governance.
  • Design, engineer and operate security tools spanning zero-trust, SASE/SSE, network, vulnerability & exposure management, AI guardrails, and SaaS.
  • Apply engineering patterns, implementation standards and operational runbooks that support consistent adoption across business units and technology teams.
  • Develop maturity models and metrics to measure assurance and compliance.
  • Partner with engineering, infrastructure and application teams on cross-functional security initiatives

Key Deliverables
  • Design, Engineer, Coordinate and Operate:
    • Intrusion prevention(IPS) across next-gen firewalls
    • Vulnerability scanning platforms and unified vulnerability management(UVM) layer
    • Enterprise SASE / SSE security platforms
    • Secure web gateway, CASB, and cloud access protection
    • SaaS application protection and monitoring
    • Secure remote access and internet traffic inspection
    • Browser isolation and modern web threat prevention
    • AI gateway controls that govern how users and applications consume LLMs and AI services
    • ServiceNow integrations (Vulnerability Response, ITSM, CMDB)

  • Support technical outcomes for platform health, upgrades, capacity, resilience, lifecycle management and vendor escalations across the stack.
  • Define and publish metrics on coverage, control effectiveness, SLA adherence, tool health, control performance and measurable risk reduction.
  • Support audits and regulatory exams (PCI-DSS, SOX, GLBA, OCC/FFIEC) by ensuring controls are designed for evidence quality, traceability and repeatable operation.
  • Author runbooks and executive-ready documentation that can be used by engineering, operations, risk and audit stakeholders.
  • Evaluate new capabilities, proofs of concept and tool rationalization opportunities, with recommendations based on risk reduction, operational fit, cost and control outcomes.

What You'll Bring

  • Typically 12+ years of experience in information technology, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, network security or platform engineering, with hands-on experience supporting enterprise-scale security platforms.
  • Ability to operate as an experienced technical contributor: making sound tradeoffs across security, reliability, usability and compliance while helping drive alignment on technical decisions.
  • Deep hands-on experience with at least one SSE/SASE platform, including ZTNA, secure web gateway policy, segmentation, connector architecture and operating model design.
  • Working knowledge of IPS/next-gen firewall platforms and signature tuning.
  • Strong networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, routing, DNS, TLS/PKI, proxies and tunneling (IPsec/GRE), and segmentation.
  • Experience with vulnerability management tooling.
  • Familiarity with identity integration: SAML/OIDC, Entra ID, conditional access.
  • Scripting and API skills (Python, PowerShell, REST/JSON).
  • Experience integrating security tools with ServiceNow, SIEM platforms and enterprise reporting workflows.
  • Strong communication skills, including the ability to document technical decisions, support audit inquiries and collaborate with stakeholders across engineering, operations, risk and audit.
  • Experience working in a regulated environment with control evidence, operational resilience, risk acceptance, issue management and audit/regulatory response expectations.

Nice to Have

  • Exposure to AI/LLM security controls:
  • AI gateways
  • Prompt-injection defenses
  • OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications
  • MITRE ATLAS
  • ServiceNow Vulnerability Response or USEM implementation experience.
  • Low-code automation or Terraform/IaC.


Salary Range:
$114,500 - 194,700 USD

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust is a global leader in delivering innovative investment management, asset and fund administration, and fiduciary and banking solutions to corporations, institutions, and affluent individuals. They have evolved with the changing needs of their clients and their world.

Northern Trust Careers

Joining Northern Trust means becoming part of a global financial services institution that is dedicated to providing expert guidance and innovative solutions to its clients. At Northern Trust, we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of leadership, diversity, and innovation, which makes us a premier destination for career growth in the financial industry.

Work You’ll Do

At Northern Trust, you will collaborate with some of the most talented professionals in the financial sector. Our team is committed to excellence and equipped with a diverse range of skills that contribute to our dynamic environment. Here, you will have the opportunity to lead projects that transform our services and drive significant value for our clients across the globe.

Explore Job Opportunities and Internships

Whether you are starting your career or looking to make a significant impact in the financial industry, Northern Trust offers a variety of job opportunities and internships that will help you achieve your professional goals. From entry-level positions to leadership roles, our company is actively hiring individuals who are passionate, curious, and driven to excel.

Innovative Work

Northern Trust is at the forefront of financial innovation. Our employees are encouraged to think creatively and leverage cutting-edge technologies to solve complex problems. By joining our team, you will work on pioneering solutions that redefine the standards of financial services.

Be Part of a Great Team

Our team at Northern Trust is more than just a group of employees – we are a community. We value collaboration, and our culture is built on mutual respect and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Working with us, you will experience a supportive network that is passionate about sharing knowledge and ideas.

Future-Proof Your Career

Northern Trust is dedicated to your professional development. We offer comprehensive benefits, diversity training, and numerous resources to help you grow your career. With our support, you can expand your skills, gain valuable experience, and achieve professional certifications that will enhance your career trajectory.

Stay Connected

Join Our Team

Discover the perfect role for you at Northern Trust by exploring our current job openings that match your skills and interests. We are looking for professionals who are solution-driven and eager to contribute to our legacy of financial excellence.

Keep Up to Date

Stay informed with the latest career tips, industry insights, and professional growth opportunities—all available through our careers blog. At Northern Trust, we ensure that our team members are always ahead in the industry.

Job Alert Emails

Customize your experience by subscribing to job alerts and insider tips tailored to your preferences. At Northern Trust, exciting and rewarding opportunities are always on the horizon, and we are eager to see where your talents can take us. Join Northern Trust today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and a diverse and inclusive workplace. Here, every position is a chance to contribute to something bigger and to turn your job into a meaningful career.
Learn more about Northern Trust
Size
21,100 employees
Market Cap
$18.1 billion
Industry
Finance & Insurance
Net Income
$1.2 billion
Founded
1889
5 Year Trend
+4.9%
Revenue
$6.1 billion
NASDAQ
NTRS
* Ladders Estimates

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