Headquarters: Ontario, Canada (Remote)

Security Operations Engineer

About the Team

The Security Operations team plays a critical role in protecting CircleCI’s infrastructure, product, and customer data against an evolving threat landscape. From incident response to hardening our cloud and CI/CD environments, the team works closely with engineering to keep CircleCI secure, resilient, and ready for what’s next.

About the Role

As a Security Operations Engineer, you’ll play a key role in protecting CircleCI’s infrastructure, product, and customer data against an evolving threat landscape increasingly shaped by AI-driven attacks and AI-augmented defenses. This intermediate-level role offers the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of security challenges, work closely with Engineering as a trusted security partner, and expand your impact across the organization. You’ll contribute to our security roadmap while leveraging AI tooling to advance how we detect, respond to, and automate security threats across CircleCI.

What You’ll Do:

Threat Detection & Incident Response

Monitor, investigate, and respond to security threats across CircleCI’s cloud and application environments, using security and AI-assisted tooling to improve detection and triage.
Participate in security risk assessments, incident response, post-incident reviews, and rotating on-call support, turning findings into stronger controls and processes.

Security Engineering & Architecture

Build and maintain security tooling, controls, and automation across cloud, application, and CI/CD environments, following established security patterns and best practices.
Identify vulnerabilities and configuration risks, contribute to security runbooks and compliance requirements, and develop a growing understanding of CircleCI’s security architecture.

AI & Security

Incorporate AI-powered security tools into day-to-day workflows and help evaluate emerging technologies that can improve detection, response, and automation.
Stay current on AI-specific security threats and contribute to responsible approaches for using AI in security operations.

Cross-Team Partnership & Ownership

Partner with Engineering teams to understand security needs, provide practical guidance, and translate technical risks into clear, actionable recommendations.
Contribute to security roadmap planning, technology evaluations, and team documentation while building strong relationships across Security and Engineering.

What You’ll Bring:

3+ years of security engineering or security operations experience, or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
Hands-on experience with cloud, application, and CI/CD security, ideally in AWS, GCP, or Azure environments.
Experience with security incident response and common security tooling, including EDR, CNAPP, SASE, vulnerability scanners, and log analysis.
Ability to build and maintain security automation and tooling, with experience in languages or technologies such as Go, Python, or Terraform.
Strong security judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risk, make recommendations, and take action when information is incomplete.
Hands-on experience using AI/ML-powered security tools in a production environment, with an understanding of where AI can improve security workflows and where human judgment remains essential.

Bonus Skills (Nice to Have)

Familiarity with AI-specific threat categories (prompt injection, model supply chain risks, LLM abuse patterns).
Experience securing developer platforms, SaaS environments, or CI/CD infrastructure.
Relevant certifications: CEH, AWS Security Specialty, Security+, or equivalent.
Contributions to team process improvement, security runbook development, or internal knowledge sharing.

Canada Base Pay Range$127,500—$159,500 CAD

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

About CircleCI

CircleCI is the world’s largest continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) platform, and the hub where code moves from idea to delivery. As one of the most-used DevOps tools – processing more than 3 million jobs a day – CircleCI has unique access to data on how the most effective engineering teams work, and the tools to help software companies successfully leverage the power of AI into their commercial applications. Companies like Hinge, HuggingFace, and Samsung use us to improve engineering team productivity, release better products, and get to market faster.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in downtown San Francisco with a global, remote workforce, CircleCI is venture-backed by Base10, Greenspring Associates, Eleven Prime, IVP, Sapphire Ventures, Top Tier Capital Partners, Baseline Ventures, Threshold
Ventures, Scale Venture Partners, Owl Rock Capital, Next Equity Partners, Heavybit, and Harrison Metal Capital.

CircleCI is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

To apply: https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/circleci-security-operations-engineer

Career Guide for Security Operations Engineer at CircleCI

Job Overview

The Security Operations Engineer is responsible for safeguarding the infrastructure, products, and customer data of CircleCI from emerging threats. This role collaborates closely with engineering teams, leveraging both security expertise and AI tools to proactively manage security challenges in a cloud environment. As an intermediate-level position, it offers the chance to take ownership of security processes and contribute to the company’s evolving security landscape.

Key Responsibilities

Monitor and respond to security threats using AI-assisted tools.
Conduct security risk assessments and post-incident reviews.
Develop and maintain security automation and tooling.
Partner with engineering teams to implement effective security controls and recommendations.
Stay updated on AI-related security threats and innovations.

Required Skills and Knowledge

Technical Skills

3+ years of experience in security engineering or operations.
Hands-on experience with cloud security in AWS, GCP, or Azure.
Familiarity with security incident response and tools like EDR, CNAPP, and vulnerability scanners.
Ability to build and maintain security automation using languages like Go or Python.
Experience with AI/ML-powered security tools.

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving abilities.
Effective communication, especially in translating technical risks.
Collaboration skills for cross-team partnerships.

Tools and Technologies

Security tools: EDR, CNAPP, SASE, log analysis tools.
Automation technologies: Terraform, CI/CD platforms.

Certifications or Training

Certifications such as CEH, AWS Security Specialty, or Security+.
Training in AI security concepts and threat categories.

Interview Preparation

Common Interview Questions

Can you explain your experience with cloud security?

Advice: Provide specific examples, focusing on your actions and the outcomes achieved.

How do you handle security incidents when they arise?

Advice: Discuss your incident response process and any relevant experiences.

What tools do you find most effective in threat detection?

Advice: Be prepared to discuss specific tools and your reasons for their effectiveness.

Can you describe a time you built or improved security automation?

Advice: Highlight the problem, your solution, and the benefits of your approach.

How do you stay current with emerging security threats?

Advice: Mention resources, communities, or practices you follow to stay updated.

What is your experience with AI tools in security?

Advice: Talk about specific projects or tools and their impact on your work.

How do you assess the risk of a potential vulnerability?

Advice: Describe your risk assessment process and any frameworks you use.

Can you give an example of how you communicated technical risks to non-technical teams?

Advice: Focus on examples of clear communication and effective collaboration.

How do you prioritize security tasks in a high-pressure environment?

Advice: Discuss your methods for prioritization and time management.

What challenges have you faced in security operations, and how did you overcome them?

Advice: Share concrete examples, focusing on your solutions and their impact.

Important Topics to Review

Cloud security best practices.
Incident response frameworks.
AI technology in security.
Current security threat landscape, especially AI-driven threats.

How to Increase Your Hiring Chances

CV Improvement

Highlight relevant experience and achievements clearly.
Use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate your impact.
Include keywords from the job posting to align with the role.

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

Ensure your LinkedIn profile mirrors your CV for consistency.
Engage with and follow industry-related content.
Network with professionals in the security field.

Portfolio or Project Ideas

Create case studies of past security challenges you’ve tackled.
Contribute to open-source security projects to showcase your skills.
Document any security automation tools or scripts you’ve developed.

Learning Recommendations

Take courses on cloud security platforms and AI in security.
Participate in security-focused webinars or workshops.
Stay updated with industry publications and threat intelligence reports.

Career Growth

As a Security Operations Engineer, one can progress to higher roles such as Security Architect, Lead Security Engineer, or even CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). Valuable experience gained in this role provides a strong foundation for focusing on specialized areas of security, such as AI security consulting or incident management.

How to Apply

Apply for this position through the original job source:

Apply Here