Security Engineer

JR Recruiting is partnering with one of Chicago's largest mission-driven nonprofit organizations — a human-services institution operating dozens of locations across the region and supporting well over a thousand staff — to hire a Senior Director of Cybersecurity.

This is a hands-on leadership role, and we want to be clear about what that means. You will personally own the organization's security platforms and operations — not direct a large team that does it for you. You'll set direction, run the tooling, lead incident response, and build the metrics leadership takes to the board. You'll report to a technology executive with a deep cybersecurity background who built the current Zero Trust architecture and will be a genuine partner, not just an approver.

If you've spent years as a senior security engineer or security manager and you're ready for the title, the scope, and the seat at the table — without giving up the technical work you're good at — this is that role.

What you'll own

• Administration, monitoring, and continuous improvement

of the security stack: endpoint protection, identity security, cloud security, SIEM/SOAR, and threat detection

• Enterprise vulnerability management, AI-driven

penetration testing, security assessments, and remediation across servers, endpoints, mobile, cloud, and infrastructure

• Hands-on security operations: threat monitoring,

incident response, investigations, cyber-recovery planning, and coordination with managed security providers, auditors, and IR partners

• Partnership with infrastructure, applications, help

desk, data, and business teams to implement controls, meet compliance requirements, and secure new initiatives

• Security metrics, operational dashboards, risk

reporting, and remediation tracking that give leadership and the board real visibility — and a clear case for future investment

• Risk-based recommendations and technical guidance to IT

leadership

The environment

• Microsoft-centered: Azure security services, Microsoft

365 Security, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Defender

• Endpoint and network security platforms including

CrowdStrike and Zscaler

• SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and vulnerability management tooling;

24x7 managed SOC/MDR partnership

• A Zero Trust architecture already in place — you'll

mature it, not build it from zero

• A distributed footprint: many locations, a large and

varied user population, and real-world operational stakes

Who does well here

​

• A player-coach. You want to lead and you want to

keep your hands on the keyboard. You'd be bored in a pure oversight role.

• Calm under incident. You've run a response, made

decisions with incomplete information, and written the post-mortem.

• A translator. You can explain risk to a CFO and

a board as clearly as you can to an engineer.

• Mission-motivated. You want your work to protect

an organization that serves people who need it. The client is a faith-affiliated nonprofit; candidates of all backgrounds are welcome, and genuine respect for the mission matters.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, IT, Computer

Science, Information Systems, or related field

• 10+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience,

including 5+ years leading security programs, operations, or teams

• Hands-on depth in vulnerability management, penetration

testing, identity security, cloud security, and incident response

• Direct experience with Microsoft Azure and M365

security, Entra ID, and enterprise EDR/SASE platforms (CrowdStrike and Zscaler experience strongly preferred)

• Experience with SIEM, SOAR, and security monitoring

platforms

• Clear written and verbal communication with technical

and non-technical audiences

Preferred

• Master's degree; experience in nonprofit, healthcare,

social services, or mission-driven organizations

• Experience implementing NIST CSF or CIS Controls;

managing audits, compliance assessments, and third-party risk

• Executive metrics and board-level reporting; AI-driven

security tools and automated penetration testing

• Certifications such as CISM, CCSP, GIAC, Microsoft

Cybersecurity Architect Expert, Azure Security Engineer Associate, CrowdStrike or Zscaler

Benefits

What's offered

• $140,000–$150,000 base salary

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage;

employer-paid life and disability insurance

• Paid parental leave; generous PTO, sick time, and 15

paid holidays

• Retirement savings plan; tuition reimbursement and

professional development support

• Hybrid schedule; a stable, well-established

organization; and work that matters