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IT Security Engineer III

Woodward · Niles, IL · Full time

Posted Sep 16, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a security improvement you drove that users pushed back on. How did you get it done?

What they are checking: Whether they can make security changes stick by working with people, not just enforcing rules.

Tell me about a security incident you were part of. What did you learn from it?

What they are checking: Whether they have real incident experience and learn from it rather than just closing tickets.

How do you explain a security risk to leaders who care mostly about production and cost?

What they are checking: Whether they frame security in business terms so leaders can make informed investment decisions.

What would you do

You get an alert at 2 a.m. that a user account is logging in from two countries at once. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they follow an incident response process that contains first and investigates carefully.

An engineering team wants to use a new cloud tool for sharing files with customers. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they assess export control and data risks while helping the team find a safe option.

About the work

Walk me through how you'd harden a Windows server environment in a company that handles defense technical data.

What they are checking: Whether they know practical hardening like least privilege, patching and logging, in a CMMC or NIST 800-171 context.

What do you know about NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC, and how do they shape security work at a defense supplier?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the controls and evidence that DoD contractors must maintain.

How would you protect a manufacturing network where some machines run old operating systems that can't be patched?

What they are checking: Whether they understand OT segmentation and compensating controls instead of demanding impossible patching.

How do you decide which vulnerabilities to fix first when the scanner shows thousands?

What they are checking: Whether they prioritize by exploitability and exposure rather than just severity scores.

How would you set up identity and access management so people get access quickly but not too broadly?

What they are checking: Whether they can balance speed and least privilege with roles, reviews and automation.

What security tools have you built or tuned, such as SIEM rules or EDR policies?

What they are checking: Whether they have hands-on engineering skill and not just policy knowledge at this senior level.

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The full job description

As published by Woodward.

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards. We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future. Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Estimated annual base pay: $105,000(minimum) - $137,000(midpoint) - $168,000(maximum) All Levels are eligible for the benefits below: • All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity. • 401(k) match (4.5%) • Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%) • Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members • 12 paid holidays, including floating holidays • Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire • Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave • Paid parental leave • Adoption Assistance • Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits • Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life • Member referral bonus • Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending • Voluntary benefits, including: • Home / Auto Insurance discounts • Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave We are seeking an experienced Network Security Engineer with deep expertise in firewalls. This role will focus heavily on the deployment, management, tuning, and day-to-day operations of enterprise firewalls, while also providing expert-level leadership across VPN technologies, SASE architecture, and Network Access Control (NAC) solutions. The engineer will design, implement, and optimize network security controls and play a key role in driving broader security operations, incident response, and security program maturity across the organization Key Responsibilities: • Deploy, configure, manage, and tune enterprise firewall platforms to support secure and reliable network operations. • Lead day-to-day firewall administration, including policy management, rule reviews, logging, monitoring, and performance optimization. • Design, implement, and maintain VPN, SASE, and Network Access Control solutions to strengthen enterprise network security. • Support security operations and incident response activities by investigating alerts, analyzing traffic patterns, and recommending containment or remediation actions. • Partner with infrastructure, network, and security teams to improve security controls, reduce risk, and advance overall security program maturity. Key Skills: • Strong hands-on experience with enterprise firewalls, including policy design, troubleshooting, tuning, and lifecycle management. • Deep knowledge of network security technologies such as VPN, SASE, NAC, and related access control concepts. • Solid understanding of network protocols, routing, segmentation, and traffic analysis in enterprise environments. • Ability to analyze security logs, identify threats or misconfigurations, and support incident investigation and response. • Effective collaboration and communication skills with the ability to work across technical teams and influence security best practices. • Experience with firewall rule governance, including rule recertification, cleanup, and least-privilege access design. • Knowledge of security monitoring tools and log analysis platforms used to detect and respond to network threats. • Ability to document network security designs, procedures, and standards clearly for technical and non-technical audiences. • Familiarity with vulnerability management and how network security controls support risk reduction efforts. • Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex connectivity and security issues under pressure. Application window is anticipated to close 14 days from original posting date. This information is provided in compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and is the company’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation range and benefits offered for this position. The compensation offered to the successful applicant may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education, location, and other job-related reasons. This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee). Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local laws. #LI-Hybrid

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