Principal Information Security Engineer

The Company: Cognex Corporation

Cognex is the world’s leading provider of vision systems, software, sensors, and industrial barcode readers used in manufacturing automation. Cognex vision helps companies improve product quality, eliminate production errors, lower manufacturing costs, and exceed consumer expectations for high quality products at an affordable price. Typical applications for machine vision include detecting defects, monitoring production lines, guiding assembly robots, and tracking, sorting and identifying parts.

Cognex serves an international customer base from offices located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and through a global network of integration and distribution partners. The company is headquartered close to Boston in Natick, Massachusetts

The Team: Information Security Team

The Information Security Team at Cognex is responsible for establishing and maintaining enterprise application and product security policies, processes, and best practices to ensure enterprise applications and products are designed and implemented securely for company and customer data.  It partners with multiple business units to create and develop applications and products throughout active lifecycles.  This position is part of the Information Security Team under the IT department.

The Role:

As a Principal Information Security Engineer, you will be responsible for the strategic development, implementation, and maintenance of security systems and protocols. You will work closely with senior management to develop security strategies and roadmaps that align with the organization's overall objectives. You will work with the team to identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and design and implement solutions to mitigate them.  You will collaborate, solution, and engineer information security for all functions across the enterprise, conveying options and costs for Information Security solutions.  You will work closely with the IT and Engineering/Development teams to ensure that security is integrated into all aspects of the organization's systems and applications.

Essential Functions:

• Lead functional teams or projects with moderate resource requirements, risk, and/or complexity

• Lead the strategic development and implementation of security policies and procedures

• Lead the strategic development, configuring, maintaining, and monitoring security tools and technologies, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, access control, encryption, vulnerability management, security information and event management (SIEM) and endpoint security systems

• Conduct security assessments and risk analyses

• Lead the strategic development of vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify security weaknesses and develop mitigation strategies

• Stay up to date on emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and security technologies

• Mentoring security engineers and providing technical guidance

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including IT, legal, and compliance to ensure security requirements are integrated into the development lifecycle

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Advanced knowledge of:

• Information security principles, practices, and technologies

• Regulatory and compliance requirements such as ISO 27001, OWASP, IEC 62443, CIS, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR

• Network security architecture, including LAN, WAN, VPN, and cloud networking

• Security risk assessment and management methodologies

• Security incident and event management (SIEM) and intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS)

• Identity and access management (IAM) principles and technologies

• Secure software development practices and DevOps methodologies

• Emerging threats and vulnerabilities and the ability to implement mitigations to address them

• Security assessment and testing methodologies, including vulnerability scanning and penetration testing

• Encryption technologies including encryption algorithms, protocols, key management, and technologies. Ability to implement encryption solutions to protect data in transit and at rest

Advanced skills include:

• Vulnerability Management and Threat Hunting

• Applying strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Managing and leading technical teams

• Prioritizing and managing multiple projects and tasks simultaneously

• Strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and precision in sensitive deliverables

• Capable of working autonomously while contributing effectively within cross-functional teams

• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders across the organization

• A high level of proficiency in project management and planning

Advanced abilities:

• Clearly conveys complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Ability to document security designs, configurations, and procedures effectively

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to staying current with emerging cybersecurity trends, technologies, and industry certifications. Proactively engages in professional development and consistently seeks out relevant training opportunities to deepen expertise and maintain technical edge

• Security Policy Development: Develops and enforces information & cyber security policies and procedures. Experience in creating and maintaining security documentation, including security standards, guidelines, and configuration baselines

• Develops and implements information security strategies and programs

• Designs and implements secure network and system architectures

• Analyzes and evaluates security risks and develops appropriate mitigations

• Leads incident response and manage security incidents and breaches

• Conducts security audits and assessments

• Monitors and reports on security metrics and compliance with policies and standards

• Maintains clarity, focus, and poise during high-pressure situations, including security incidents and breaches. Responds with sound judgment and disciplined execution to ensure swift resolution and minimize disruption

Education and work experience required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Cybersecurity, or related field or equivalent experience (Master’s a plus)

• 5+ years of experience in information security engineering or related field

• Strong knowledge of information security technologies and standards and frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001)

• Experience with information security incident response and management at an enterprise level

• Ability to develop and implement information security strategies and roadmaps

• Excellent communication and leadership skills

• Industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or GSE are a plus

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cognex is an equal opportunity employer. Cognex evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.