Principal Security Engineer

The Role

As Alkira continues to scale its cloud-native networking platform, security remains a foundational component of our success. We are seeking a Principal Security Engineer to serve as a senior technical leader responsible for shaping and driving security strategy across cloud, infrastructure, platform, application, and operational security domains. This role sits in Platform Engineering and reports to the Director of Platform Engineering. Platform Engineering builds the foundational layer every other engineering team depends on.

This role is ideal for a highly experienced security professional who combines deep technical expertise with strong architectural leadership. You will partner closely with engineering, platform, infrastructure, and executive stakeholders to influence security direction, guide the design of secure systems, and establish scalable security practices across the organization. The ideal candidate brings extensive experience securing Kubernetes-based environments, distributed systems, and modern cloud-native platforms while demonstrating the ability to lead complex initiatives and drive security outcomes at organizational scale.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the long-term security architecture and strategy across cloud, infrastructure, application, platform, and operational security domains.

• Own the bug bounty program for Alkira on HackerOne: triage, severity assessment, coordination of remediation with owning teams, and researcher communication.

• Serve as a technical authority for Kubernetes, container, Linux, and cloud security, influencing security decisions across engineering organizations.

• Lead security architecture reviews and establish standards for secure design, implementation, and deployment of cloud-native systems.

• Drive enterprise-wide risk reduction initiatives through threat modeling, vulnerability management, and proactive security assessments.

• Build detection engineering and security monitoring on our observability stack (Coralogix), and lead security investigations, incident response, and post-incident improvements across complex distributed environments.

• Design and implement scalable security controls, automation, and engineering frameworks that improve security posture and operational efficiency.

• Lead security investigations, incident response efforts, and post-incident improvements across complex distributed environments.

• Partner with senior engineering and business leaders to align security initiatives with company objectives and platform growth strategies.

• Mentor security and engineering teams while establishing security best practices, governance models, and technical standards.

• Participate in the on-call rotation that handles security alerts and incoming threats

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, security engineering, infrastructure security, or cloud security roles.

• Deep expertise securing large-scale cloud-native environments, distributed systems, and modern application platforms.

• Advanced expertise with Kubernetes security, including workload protection, container security, platform hardening, and runtime security.

• Expert-level Linux administration, hardening, automation, troubleshooting, and system-level security experience.

• Ability to write production-quality automation and tooling in Go, Python, or a comparable language. This is an engineering role as much as an advisory one.

• Proven experience across multiple security disciplines, including cloud security, application security, infrastructure security, identity and access management, and security operations.

• Extensive experience performing threat modeling, risk assessments, vulnerability management, and security architecture reviews.

• Demonstrated ability to lead technical strategy, influence executive stakeholders, and drive security outcomes across large engineering organizations.

Preferred

• Experience securing large-scale SaaS, cloud infrastructure, networking, or platform engineering environments.

• Strong understanding of DevSecOps, software supply chain security, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) security, and CI/CD security controls.

• Experience designing cloud security architectures across AWS, GCP, and Azure environments.

• Experience building advanced security automation, detection engineering, monitoring, and incident response capabilities.

• Knowledge of security frameworks and regulatory standards including SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, CIS, and related frameworks.

• Experience leading cross-functional security programs and large-scale security transformation initiatives.

• Relevant industry certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, GIAC, CKS, CKS, or cloud security certifications.

• Master's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Security, or a related technical discipline.

About Alkira

Alkira, a Lumen company, is building the future of enterprise networking: one programmable platform to connect, secure, and operate every cloud, site, partner, data center, and AI workload. Founded by Amir and Atif Khan, the creators of Viptela and pioneers of the SD-WAN market, Alkira was built to radically simplify how enterprises deploy and manage network infrastructure. Today, as part of Lumen, we are bringing that cloud-native operating model to a global network foundation trusted by the world’s largest enterprises.

Our platform helps customers move faster without managing hardware, stitching together providers, or operating fragmented cloud networks. Teams can build and scale connectivity on demand, apply consistent security and segmentation, and gain visibility across distributed environments from one place.

At Alkira, you’ll help shape the next chapter of networking: cloud-like consumption, private-network performance, and total control across the enterprise. We move fast, solve hard problems, and build technology that changes how global businesses connect.

Join us and help build the future of networking.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $ 132,232- $ 242,425 USD. Your actual base salary and level will be determined on a case by case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge, skills, experience, education and location. The interview process will include a coding challenge, screening with the hiring manager and technical interviews.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer-sponsored visa (e.g., H-1B) now or in the future. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position at this time.

Life at Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution

Life at Alkira is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solutionand how we live into the Lumen 8, please visit:

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

Privacy Notice

Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data.

To review Alkira's Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit:

Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Please be advised that Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution, they are not for employment with us but may relate to another company with a similar name.