Freelance Data Security Engineer Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

At Cetera, our Information Security organization is responsible for protecting sensitive client, advisor, and enterprise data across a complex hybrid environment that includes on premises infrastructure, SaaS platforms, and public cloud services. 
We are seeking a Senior Security Engineer with strong experience in data discovery, classification, and protection to lead the implementation and operation of modern data security posture management (DSPM) and data loss prevention (DLP) platforms. This role is highly technical and hands-on, with direct ownership of tools that provide enterprise-wide visibility into data risk and exposure.

What will you do:

    Lead the design, implementation, and day to day operation of DSPM and DLP solutions.
o    Discover and classify sensitive, regulated, and business critical data
o    Continuously assess data exposure, access paths, and misconfigurations
o    Identify and prioritize data security risks across cloud, SaaS, and enterprise systems
o    Policy design aligned to data classification and regulatory obligations
o    Integration with endpoint, email, cloud, and SaaS enforcement points
o    Alert tuning, investigation workflows, and response support

    Partner closely with cloud security, IAM, application security, and infrastructure teams to:
o    Reduce unnecessary data exposure
o    Eliminate overly permissive access and legacy data paths
o    Implement secure data handling patterns by design

    Support audit, compliance, and risk management efforts, including:
o    FINRA, SEC, and internal control requirements
o    Evidence collection and reporting related to data protection
o    Validation of data ownership, access controls, and classification accuracy
    Develop and maintain:
o    Data security standards, implementation patterns, and architecture diagrams
o    Operational runbooks, escalation paths, and support documentation
o    Reference designs that support consistent data security controls across environments
    Act as a data security subject matter expert, advising leadership on:
o    Data exposure trends and systemic risks
o    Control effectiveness and gaps
o    DSPM and DLP roadmap enhancements

What you will have:

    5+ years of experience in information security engineering, with a strong focus on data security, data protection, or cloud security
    Hands on experience implementing or operating one or more modern DSPM, data discovery, or data classification platforms.
    Experience implementing or supporting enterprise DLP solutions, including:
o    Endpoint, email, SaaS, and/or cloud data controls
o    Policy tuning to reduce false positives while maintaining strong coverage
    Solid understanding of:
o    Structured and unstructured data types
o    Data classification schemes and sensitivity levels
o    Data lifecycle risks (creation, access, sharing, storage, and deletion)
    Experience securing data across:
o    Public cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure)
o    SaaS applications
o    Enterprise file systems and data repositories
    Familiarity with security and regulatory frameworks, including:
o    NIST CSF and NIST 800-53
o    FINRA and SEC requirements
o    Data protection and privacy control expectations
    Demonstrated ability to translate technical findings into risk-based remediation priorities
 

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About Us

What we give you in return:

Not many teams can say that they support people's dreams coming to life. We happen to do that every day. And as important as we know your career is, we recognize that there's a whole lot more to life. To ensure that our employees can make the most of their time outside of working hours, we offer a competitive salary and for full-time roles, a benefits package including:

• Inclusive health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans built to support diverse lifestyles, offer preventative care, and protect against hardship.
• Easy access to mental health benefits to meet our team members and their families where they are.
• 20+ days of paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and 2 paid wellness days to give our employees the time they need to stay close with their loved ones, recharge, and give back to their communities.
• 401(k) savings plan with a generous company contribution (up to 5%), and access to a financial professional to offer our employees the opportunity to plan-ahead for a strong financial future well beyond their working years.
• Paid parental leave to support all team members with birth, adoption, and fostering.
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Account options to help you save money on healthcare, daycare, commuting, and more.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP), LifeLock, Pet Insurance and more.
• Paid caregiver leave to provide time away from work when caring for an ill or recovering family member.
• Additional benefits such as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), identity theft protection (LifeLock), pet insurance, and other voluntary benefits to provide extra peace of mind

About Cetera

Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a leading network of independent retail broker-dealers and registered investment advisers empowering the delivery of objective financial advice to individuals, families, and company retirement plans across the country through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions. Cetera is one of the largest independent financial advisor networks in the nation and a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions.

Advisor support resources offered through Cetera include award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, practice management support, and innovative technology.

Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a network of independent retail firms, including those that are members of FINRA/SIPC: Cetera Advisors LLC; Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (formerly known as Cetera Advisor Networks); Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors); and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Entities registered as investment advisers with the Securities and Exchange Commission include Cetera Investment Management LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera's principal office is located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101. Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. is an SEC registered investment adviser within the Aretec Group, Inc. (dba Cetera Holdings, an affiliate of Cetera). All the referenced entities are under common ownership.

Cetera Financial Group is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. For us, this is the only acceptable way to do business. Accordingly, all employment decisions at Cetera Financial Group, including those relating to hiring, promotion, transfers, benefits, compensation, and placement, will be made without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic characteristics, religion, religious dress and/or grooming, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, U.S. military status, political affiliation, or any other class protected by state and/or federal law.

Agencies please note: this recruitment assignment is being managed directly by Cetera's Talent Acquisition team. We will reach out to our preferred agency partners in the rare instance we require additional talent options. Your respect for this process is appreciated.

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