Lead IT Network Security Engineer

CenterPoint Energy • Houston, TX

3d

About The Position

CenterPoint Energy is seeking an experienced Network Security Engineer to provide technical and team leadership and strengthen the security of its network infrastructure and web applications. The role designs, implements, maintains, and supports security controls that protect the organization from cyber threats, application attacks, and bot abuse. It provides expertise across network and web application security technologies, develops and troubleshoots security policies, and ensures solutions align with organizational security standards and requirements. The engineer works closely with Network, Security Architecture, DevOps, application, infrastructure, and other technology teams to translate requirements into secure, supportable solutions.

The role also supports change management, incident response, vulnerability remediation, technology lifecycle management, audits, and continuous security improvement. It monitors platform health, reports on key performance indicators, maintains operational documentation and configuration baselines, and serves as a subject-matter expert for firewall practices and regulatory requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in cybersecurity or IT.
• Hands-on experience with next-generation firewalls and web application firewalls.
• Hands-on experience with network, operating system, and application security.
• Experience tuning WAF rulesets, managing false positives, and maintaining policy hygiene.
• Experience with Azure and GCP cloud applications and services.
• Experience with Zero Trust, SASE, network segmentation, DLP, and cloud security architectures.
• Experience supporting highly available, business-critical, or customer-facing applications and network security services.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with DevOps, IT, and Network Security teams.
• Familiarity with change management processes and maintaining configuration documentation.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of networking protocols and cybersecurity frameworks.
• Understanding of information technology and its impact on network-environment security.

Nice To Haves

• CISSP or other relevant security certifications in next-generation firewalls, web application firewalls, or cloud security.
• Knowledge of SOX, HIPAA, and NERC regulations.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and subject-matter expertise in network and web application security.
• Design, implement, maintain, and troubleshoot security controls for network infrastructure, applications, and internet-facing services.
• Develop and maintain firewall, WAF, threat prevention, URL filtering, remote access, and application security policies.
• Protect web applications from application-layer threats, automated attacks, malicious bots, and abuse.
• Manage and support enterprise security technologies, including next-generation firewalls, Prisma Client VPNs, and WAFs, where applicable.
• Analyze security events, alerts, and traffic patterns to identify threats, vulnerabilities, policy issues, and opportunities to strengthen controls.
• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex network and application security incidents and service-impacting issues.
• Collaborate with Security Architecture, Network Engineering, DevOps, application teams, and infrastructure teams to design and implement secure solutions.
• Review proposed infrastructure and application changes for alignment with cybersecurity policies, architecture, and standards.
• Maintain security configurations, standards, procedures, diagrams, operational documentation, change records, and configuration baselines.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and serve as an escalation point for complex security issues.
• Support change management, incident response, vulnerability remediation, lifecycle management, and continuous security improvement initiatives.
• Monitor platform health and maintain KPI reporting on coverage, rule effectiveness, and incident trends.
• Implement automation scripting to improve firewall and WAF operations and services.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert for firewall best practices, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Support internal and external audits and interface with technical vendors regarding security issues and recommended solutions.
• Develop firewall security standards and architecture designs.
• Author technical documentation and perform infrastructure and web application vulnerability assessments.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Paid training
• Benefits eligibility begins on the first day
• Transit subsidies
• Flexible work schedule
• Paid holidays and paid time off
• Fitness club discounts
• Access to an on-site wellness center at the Houston headquarters
• Professional growth and development programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• 401(k) Savings Plan with a dollar-for-dollar company match up to 6% and a company contribution of 3% regardless of employee contribution

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior