Security Lead Software Engineer

McMaster-Carr•Chicago, IL

3d•$235,000 - $310,000

About The Position

McMaster‑Carr is a leading e‑commerce company that industrial customers have trusted for more than 120 years. Our products help customers restore manufacturing lines quickly, keep operations running smoothly, and prototype the next generation of innovative products. We earn that trust by offering the right products, making them easy to find, and delivering them fast--so customers can solve problems with speed, precision, and confidence. This role is a pathway to senior engineering management and technical leadership—your growth is determined by your impact, not by tenure. Our Culture We intentionally cultivate a culture focused on clear execution and long‑term growth. We are responsible for securing systems that endure for decades and support the company’s long-term growth. That responsibility means engineering work starts with a deep understanding of the problem and its impact, grounded in clear ownership, open communication, and direct feedback. Our teams are trusted to make thoughtful decisions about how work gets done, balancing a high bar for quality with practical execution. How You’ll Make an Impact Our security engineering team protects the entirety of our IT and OT infrastructure: thousands of end-user devices across multiple facilities, automation equipment in distribution facilities, network devices and servers in company data centers, and our customer-facing eCommerce experience. You’ll identify, define and lead work to reduce the risks we face as a company. As a Lead Security Engineer, you’ll work on projects like: Detection, Response, and Risk Prioritization: Building and improving detection and response capabilities and assessing vulnerabilities in context-- understanding which issues pose real risk in our environment and prioritizing remediation accordingly. Security Engineering & Automation: Developing custom security tooling, automation, and response playbooks that improve response speed and reduce operational noise. Designing scalable, maintainable security workflows that integrate cleanly with existing engineering systems. Cloud & Infrastructure Security: Designing and implementing scalable cloud security controls as we migrate and modernize our infrastructure, and researching and evaluating new security solutions. Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Experimenting with LLM-driven workflows for security analysis and automation.

Requirements

Hands-on experience in security operations, including detection, response, and vulnerability management.
A thoughtful, analytical approach to prioritizing real-world risks.
Experience with both offensive and defensive security techniques
A strong foundation in network security, server administration or vulnerability management.
Scripting ability in PowerShell or Python

Responsibilities

Detection, Response, and Risk Prioritization: Building and improving detection and response capabilities and assessing vulnerabilities in context-- understanding which issues pose real risk in our environment and prioritizing remediation accordingly.
Security Engineering & Automation: Developing custom security tooling, automation, and response playbooks that improve response speed and reduce operational noise. Designing scalable, maintainable security workflows that integrate cleanly with existing engineering systems.
Cloud & Infrastructure Security: Designing and implementing scalable cloud security controls as we migrate and modernize our infrastructure, and researching and evaluating new security solutions.
Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Experimenting with LLM-driven workflows for security analysis and automation.