Senior Security Architect – Cloud & Enterprise Security

CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)•Hudson, WI

About The Position

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. We are seeking a Senior Security Architect – Cloud & Enterprise Security to join our growing technology team. The Security Architect is a hands-on technical leader within the IT Security Services team responsible for strengthening the firm’s security operations, cloud security, incident response, and operational automation capabilities. This role designs and implements practical, scalable security solutions while providing advanced technical guidance to security operations analysts, technology teams, business stakeholders, and third-party providers. In this role, you will: Work extensively with the Microsoft security ecosystem, including Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and related Azure security services. The position requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills, experience investigating complex security incidents, and the ability to translate technical risks into clear recommendations and business outcomes. Lead or contribute to technical security projects, develop automation and system integrations, create security standards and documentation, and use Microsoft Security Copilot or equivalent artificial intelligence capabilities to streamline investigations, enhance analysis, automate repeatable activities, and improve security operations.

Requirements

7 years of general IT experience required.
4 of which are with security of IT systems.
2 with security design/strategy.
Bachelor's degree is required. Combination of relevant experience, education, and training may be accepted in lieu of degree.

Nice To Haves

Experience conducting incident response, security investigations, threat hunting, or advanced security analysis.
Hands-on experience with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, or comparable enterprise security technologies.
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure. Relevant AWS security experience may also be considered.
Proficiency with PowerShell and experience working with Microsoft Graph, REST APIs, system APIs, or related integration technologies.
Experience developing security automations, scripts, integrations, or response workflows.
Experience using Microsoft Security Copilot, equivalent generative AI security tools, or AI-assisted workflows is preferred.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to evaluate incomplete or conflicting information.
Experience leading technical initiatives or projects involving multiple teams and stakeholders.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex security concepts clearly.
Ability to adapt to evolving technologies, threats, business requirements, and operational priorities.
Working knowledge of security frameworks and methodologies such as NIST, CIS Controls, and MITRE ATT&CK.
Professional certification such as CISSP, CCSP, or a comparable security, cloud, DevOps, or architecture credential.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, maintain, and improve security operations capabilities using Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and related technologies.
Lead or support complex security investigations, including evidence collection, data correlation, scope and impact analysis, root-cause determination, containment, remediation, and post-incident review.
Develop threat-hunting queries, detection logic, investigation procedures, response playbooks, and security monitoring standards.
Provide security architecture and operational guidance for Microsoft Azure environments, including identities, workloads, permissions, logging, monitoring, network controls, and cloud configurations. Support AWS or other cloud environments as needed.
Develop scripts, integrations, and automated workflows using PowerShell, Microsoft Graph, REST APIs, Azure services, and other automation platforms.
Use Microsoft Security Copilot or equivalent AI technologies to accelerate incident triage, summarize and correlate security information, develop or refine queries, assist with threat hunting, generate reports, and automate repeatable security workflows.
Evaluate AI-assisted security processes for accuracy, security, privacy, appropriate access, and effective human oversight before incorporating them into operational workflows.
Analyze security technologies, technical designs, integrations, and data flows to identify risks, control gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Create reusable security standards, architectural patterns, technical diagrams, procedures, and operational documentation.
Lead or support technical security projects by defining requirements, coordinating dependencies, tracking risks and milestones, validating outcomes, and transitioning solutions into ongoing operations.
Communicate security findings, technical risks, required controls, and recommended actions to technical and non-technical audiences.
Mentor team members and promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, standardization, and continuous improvement.