Network Security Engineer

About the team

The TikTok USDS network security team safeguards U.S. user data, end-users, and the internal corporate environment by architecting a strict, zero-trust digital perimeter. They continuously monitor network traffic to proactively detect and neutralize cyber threats across the organization. Additionally, the team engineers robust network infrastructure to support complex operational needs and designs highly secure access architectures that safely connect approved external partners.

As a network security engineer, you will act as a primary escalation point for complex network security incidents and take ownership of critical infrastructure. This role requires a forward-thinking engineer with hands-on expertise in cloud security architectures and network AI automation, utilizing machine learning-driven threat detection and automated remediation playbooks to scale our defensive capabilities.

Responsibilities

-Cloud Network Security: Design, deploy, and maintain secure network architectures across multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, and/or GCP), including VPCs, Transit Gateways, Network Security Groups, and Cloud-Native Firewalls.

-AI-Driven Automation: Develop and integrate AI-enhanced Network Automation and SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) playbooks to automate threat containment, routine firewall provisioning, and anomalous traffic mitigation.

-AIOps Integration: Leverage AIOps platforms and machine learning analytics to identify behavioral anomalies, reduce alert fatigue, and predictively route network degradation or security events.

-Infrastructure Defense: Manage and optimize Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS), and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) / Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions.

-Incident Response & Escalation: Serve as a Level 2 escalation point for network security incidents, conducting deep-dive packet analysis, threat hunting, and post-incident forensic reviews.

-Continuous Compliance: Ensure all cloud and on-premise network security configurations adhere to industry frameworks (e.g., CIS, NIST, SOC 2) and perform regular automated vulnerability assessments.

-Mentorship & Documentation: Maintain highly accurate, up-to-date documentation of network topologies, automation scripts, and incident response procedures. Mentor Tier 1 SOC and NOC analysts.

Minimum Qualifications

-3+ years of dedicated experience in network security engineering, architecture, or tier-2 operations.

-Cloud Security Expertise: Proven hands-on experience securing infrastructure in major public clouds (AWS, Azure, or GCP). Deep understanding of cloud networking constructs, IAM, and micro-segmentation.

-Automation & Scripting: Strong proficiency in scripting languages (Python, Go, or Bash) and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools (Terraform, Ansible) to build security automation pipelines.

-AI/SOAR Experience: Hands-on experience with SOAR platforms (e.g., Palo Alto Cortex XSOAR, Splunk Phantom) and AI-driven network analytics/threat detection tools (e.g., Darktrace, Vectra, or cloud-native ML security hubs).

-Core Networking: Deep understanding of TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, IPsec/SSL VPNs, DNS, and packet-level analysis (Wireshark, tcpdump).

-Firewall Proficiency: Advanced administration experience with enterprise firewalls (e.g., Palo Alto, Fortinet, Check Point).

Preferred Qualifications

-Industry Certifications: CCNP Security, PCNSE, AWS Certified Security - Specialty, Azure Security Engineer Associate, or CISSP.

-Zero Trust Architecture: Experience deploying and managing SASE platforms (e.g., Zscaler, Prisma Access, Netskope).

-DevSecOps Familiarity: Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and integrating network security checks into the software development lifecycle.