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Principal Security Engineer Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

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Principal Security Engineer information

See Arizona salary details

$69K

$137.2K

$198K

How much do principal security engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal security engineer in Arizona is $137,192.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $110,400.00 and $161,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal security engineer?

Principal Security Engineers are senior-level professionals responsible for overseeing the security architecture and strategy of an organization’s information systems. They lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of security protocols, ensuring compliance with industry standards and protecting against cyber threats. These engineers often mentor junior staff, conduct risk assessments, and collaborate with other departments to align security measures with business goals. Their expertise is critical for safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring the overall cybersecurity posture of the organization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal security engineer?

To excel as a Principal Security Engineer, you need deep expertise in cybersecurity principles, risk management, and network/system architecture, often backed by a degree in computer science or a related field and extensive industry experience. Familiarity with tools such as SIEM platforms, vulnerability scanners, incident response systems, and certifications like CISSP or OSCP is typically required. Exceptional problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills set individuals apart in this role. These skills ensure robust security strategies, effective team guidance, and the ability to address complex threats in dynamic enterprise environments.

What are some common challenges faced by principal security engineers in aligning security initiatives with business objectives?

Principal Security Engineers often encounter the challenge of balancing robust security measures with the need for business agility and growth. They must effectively communicate technical risks to non-technical stakeholders and advocate for security investments without hindering innovation or productivity. This role requires a proactive approach to integrating security early in the development lifecycle, collaborating closely with product, engineering, and executive teams to ensure that security strategies support overall business goals while mitigating threats.

What is the difference between Principal Security Engineer vs Security Architect?

AspectPrincipal Security EngineerSecurity Architect
Required CredentialsCertifications like CISSP, CISM, CEH; Bachelor's or Master's in Cybersecurity or related fieldsSimilar certifications; often holds CISSP, SABSA, or TOGAF; background in security design
Work EnvironmentHands-on security implementation, incident response, vulnerability assessmentsDesigning security frameworks, creating security architecture, strategic planning
Employer & Industry UsageUsed across tech, finance, healthcare; focuses on security operationsCommon in large enterprises, consulting firms; focuses on security design
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles, responsibilities, career pathsDesigning security solutions, architecture planning

While both roles require strong cybersecurity credentials and involve security strategies, the Principal Security Engineer is more hands-on with security operations and incident response. In contrast, the Security Architect focuses on designing security frameworks and architecture to protect organizational assets.

What job categories do people searching Principal Security Engineer jobs in Arizona look for?

The top searched job categories for Principal Security Engineer jobs in Arizona are:

Infographic showing various Principal Security Engineer job openings in Arizona as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $137,192 per year, or $66 per hour.

Principal Security Platform Engineer

Phoenix, AZ • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement

Re-posted 8 days ago


Job description

Job Title:
Principal Security Platform Engineer
Location:
Block 23
What you'll do:
As a Principal Engineer I you'll provide SME expertise in your respective domain as well as adjacent domains to ensure solutions are safe, secure, compliant, and reliable. You'll identify development and support needs as well as take on large and complex design responsibilities supporting project tasks. You'll also engage with project and business sponsors refining requirements and objectives of targeted solutions. As Principal Engineer I, you also facilitate dialogue and activities, and work to ensure team collaboration, including teams outside of your domain.
This role is being established as part of the Anthropic/Mythos response to stand up and operate the new SaaS-based defensive tooling the bank is adding to offset Mythos-era risk (e.g., SaaS Security Posture Management, Attack Surface Management, and adjacent cloud/SaaS security platforms). The Security Platform Engineer will own end to end onboarding, configuration, integration, and ongoing operations of 2-3 new SaaS platforms supporting the CISO Office and will flex into adjacent Mythos workstreams (cloud security hygiene, vulnerability remediation, segmentation tooling) as gaps emerge.
  • Build solution designs for SSPM, ASM, and adjacent SaaS security efforts that can be handed off to engineers and analysts for execution while promoting reuse of approved platforms, integration patterns, and enterprise standards where possible
  • Lead vendor onboarding, environment setup, SSO/Entra integration, role design, and production cutover for new SaaS security platforms (SSPM, ASM, and follow-on tools)
  • Design and implement baseline policies, detection rules, posture benchmarks, and attack-surface reduction configurations across all connected SaaS apps (M365, Workday, ServiceNow, Salesforce, etc.)
  • Build and maintain API/event-driven integrations between SSPM/ASM and SIEM, SOAR, ServiceNow, CMDB, and IAM (SailPoint, Entra) to operationalize findings end-to-end
  • Review technical plans developed by engineers and analysts to ensure designs are secure, scalable, operationally supportable, and aligned to the performance, volumetric, and risk objectives of business partners
  • Monitor platform health, manage upgrades/patches, tune alerting, triage incidents, and own vendor escalations to keep tooling stable and effective
  • Track, prioritize, and drive remediation of SaaS misconfigurations, and exposed assets identified in partnership with app owners
  • Flex into adjacent Mythos workstreams (cloud security hygiene, accelerated vulnerability remediation, EOS remediation, segmentation tooling support) as priorities shift across the 90-day plan and beyond
  • Build comprehensive dashboards that provide visibility into SaaS platform performance, security posture, remediation progress, control effectiveness, and operational outcomes for security leadership and business partners
  • Maintain runbooks/SOPs, contribute to KB articles, document physical and logical solution layouts with cross-reference to use cases, enforce architecture and operational standards, produce executive-level posture metrics, and support audit/regulatory evidence requests in partnership with the BISO and 2LOD
  • Collaborate with Infrastructure & Operations, IAM, Endpoint Engineering, SOC, GRC, and the BISO team to ensure SaaS security controls align with enterprise standards

What you'll need:
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information security, IT, or related field (or equivalent experience).
  • 8+ years of progressive experience in Information security engineering with a focus on cloud/SaaS security, posture management, or attack surface management.
  • Strong working knowledge of AWS, Azure, and Entra security models; Microsoft 365, Workday, Salesforce, and ServiceNow security configurations a plus.
  • Proficiency with APIs, Python (or PowerShell) scripting, and integration patterns (REST, webhooks, event-driven).
  • Experience integrating security tooling with SIEM/SOAR, ServiceNow, and IAM platforms (SailPoint/Entra preferred).
  • Advanced to expert knowledge of applicable regulatory and legal compliance obligations, rules and regulations, industry standards, and practices.
  • Advanced to expert experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple projects simultaneously with an established expertise with the ability to walk-through top-level process design. Capable of working with regulatory partners like the CFPB, OCC and FRB through audits and collaboration efforts as situations arise.
  • Familiarity with regulatory and risk frameworks relevant to banking (FFIEC, SOX, GLBA, NIST CSF).
  • Excellent written communication; able to translate technical posture findings into executive-level risk narratives.

Benefits you'll love:
We offer all the important things you'd want - like competitive salaries, an ownership stake in the company, medical and dental insurance, time off, a great 401k matching program, tuition assistance program, an employee volunteer program, and a wellness program. In addition, you'll have the opportunity to bolster your business knowledge, learning the ins and outs of how successful companies operate and manage their finances, giving you invaluable hands-on experience to help grow your career!
About the company:
Western Alliance Bank, Member FDIC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation. Serving clients nationwide, Western Alliance Bank includes six legacy bank brands - Alliance Association Bank, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank and Torrey Pines Bank - that remain part of the company's heritage, as well as AmeriHome Mortgage, a Western Alliance Bank Company.
Western Alliance Bancorporation is committed to equal employment and will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, color, religion, age, nation origin, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or genetic information. Western Alliance Bancorporation is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process and/or need an alternative method of applying, please email HR@westernalliancebank.com or call 602-386-2488. When contacting us, please provide your contact information and state the nature of your accessibility issue. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests that involve a reasonable accommodation in the application process.
© Western Alliance Bancorporation