Senior Cloud Security Specialist – Microsoft Azure

Location: Malvern, PA, Scottsdale, AZ, Charlotte, NC

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

The Senior Cloud Security Specialist will serve as a technical authority for securing Microsoft Azure environments. In this role, you will design, operate, and continuously improve cloud threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, with a strong focus on Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure-native security services, and CNAPP integrations.

You will work closely with Cloud Engineering, Security Operations, and Governance teams to ensure a resilient, compliant, and highly observable Azure security posture across enterprise-scale environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a subject matter expert for Azure cloud security, providing hands-on leadership across detection, investigation, and response activities

• Design, configure, and optimize Microsoft Defender for Cloud security controls, recommendations, and alerting

• Monitor and investigate security events using Azure Activity Logs, Entra ID logs, network flow data, and workload telemetry

• Design, implement, and tune Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) protections (Azure Application Gateway WAF and Azure Front Door WAF) to defend against OWASP Top 10 threats, bot activity, and application-layer attacks.

• Identify and analyze attack paths and exposure chains across Azure subscriptions, management groups, and hybrid environments

• Integrate Azure security telemetry with CNAPP, SIEM, and SOAR platforms to enable end-to-end threat visibility

• Assist in the development of automated response playbooks for identity, compute, and network-based incidents

• Lead cloud-native incident response, including triage, containment, eradication, and recovery

• Produce clear investigation reports, root cause analyses, and post-incident recommendations

• Provide architectural guidance on secure Azure design, including identity, networking, workload isolation, and data protection

• Partner with engineering teams to embed security controls into CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code workflows

Required Qualifications

• Deep hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure security architecture, including Entra ID (Azure AD), RBAC, Azure Policy, VNets, Private Endpoints, and Azure Monitor

• Expert-level knowledge of Microsoft Defender for Cloud, including CSPM, workload protection plans, secure score, and risk prioritization

• Experience with Azure-native protection services such as Defender for Servers, Containers, Storage, SQL, and Key Vault

• Strong investigation skills using cloud-native logs, behavioral analytics, and security telemetry

• Familiarity with CNAPP platforms (e.g., Wiz, Prisma Cloud, Orca) Knowledge of cloud security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK and CSA CCM

• Experience with regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., ISO 27001, GDPR, SOX) in cloud environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading or mentoring cloud security analysts or engineers

• Hands-on experience with ARM, Bicep, or Terraform

• Background in hybrid or multi-cloud security operations

• Azure security certifications (e.g., AZ-500, SC-100, SC-200)

• 7+ years experience in a cyber security, cyber investigations, cyber threat intelligence, or combination of these three roles.

• Undergraduate degree in Technical discipline, Computer Science or related field required. Graduate degree preferred.

• CISSP preferred

Special Factors

Sponsorship

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.