Jobs › Northern Trust

Sr Lead, Cloud Security Engineering

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $114,500–$194,700 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 22, 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

How do you work with security champions in application teams to get them to own cloud security?

What they are checking: Whether they can scale security through partnership, which the posting calls out directly.

Tell me about a time you mentored a junior engineer through a hard security problem.

What they are checking: Whether they teach well and grow others, which is part of being a technical leader here.

What would you do

Your CSPM tool reports thousands of findings across accounts. How do you decide what to fix first?

What they are checking: Whether they prioritize by real exposure and impact instead of drowning teams in alerts.

A development team wants an exception to a security policy to meet a deadline. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can grant controlled, time-bound exceptions with compensating controls rather than just saying yes or no.

About the work

Walk me through how you have implemented Policy as Code in a cloud environment. What tools did you use, and what did the policies enforce?

What they are checking: Whether they have built preventive guardrails in practice, which the posting puts at the center of the role.

How do you build security checks into Infrastructure as Code pipelines so problems are caught before deployment?

What they are checking: Whether they shift security left into Terraform or similar pipelines rather than relying on post-deploy scans.

How do you design identity and access controls in the cloud so workloads have least privilege without breaking developers?

What they are checking: Whether they understand cloud IAM deeply and balance tight access with usability.

What are the most common cloud misconfigurations that lead to breaches, and how would you prevent each?

What they are checking: Whether they know real-world attack paths like public storage, exposed keys and over-broad roles.

How would you secure a multi-cloud setup that also uses third-party and open source tools?

What they are checking: Whether they can keep consistent controls across different platforms rather than securing each in isolation.

How do you show auditors and regulators that cloud controls are working at a bank?

What they are checking: Whether they can produce evidence of control effectiveness, which matters in a regulated financial firm.

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The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Role description The Sr Lead Cloud Security Engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring the security, compliance, and resilience of cloud environments, with a focus on supporting Policy as Code (PaC) and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices. This role involves implementing security controls, utilizing security tooling for Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), and collaborating with application developers’ security champions. As a technical leader you will also mentor junior Engineers Responsibilities • Design, implement and support security measures for cloud platforms (3rd Party, Open Source, native), with a specific emphasis on Azure and AWS • Develop PaC and IaC through Terraform, maintaining security policies and procedures aligned with industry-standard frameworks such as CIS and NIST 800-53 • Utilize and Implement CSPM tools such as Wiz and Microsoft Defender for Cloud to continuously assess, monitor, and enforce security controls • Work closely with security champions in various business units, providing guidance and support for their specific security needs • Contribute to cloud security roadmap to further enhance cloud security practices • Conduct regular security assessments, audits, and reviews of cloud configurations • Investigate and respond to security incidents, conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions • Mentor junior team members Skills • Minimum of 3 years working in public cloud as an engineer or developer role • Minimum of 5 years working as an Engineer, Developer, or Architect in Information Technology preferably Cybersecurity, at least 8-12 years of total experience in IT. • Strong Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) expertise using Terraform • Proficiency in Python or familiarity with Python-based DevOps tooling and automation frameworks • Expertise with Git-based version control CI/CD processes and technologies (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitHub Package Repository) • Deep understanding of cloud security principles and the integration of security into development workflows • Practiced knowledge of cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and cloud-native architectures • Experience with privileged access management and identity systems (e.g., Azure Entra, Okta, Ping) is a plus • Hands-on proficiency with integrated testing tools • Effective written and verbal communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams • Desired certifications such as Azure Security Engineer Associate certification, and AWS-certified security – Specialty, CISSP and CCSP • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Management, or related field preferred Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa) 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. Work Authorization Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa). Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities. Reasonable Accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

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