IT Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois
IT Security Engineer jobs in Illinois are in strong and consistent demand, concentrated in financial services, healthcare, insurance, and enterprise technology firms, with openings at every level from entry-level analyst track to senior architect. Chicago anchors the market as one of the most active hiring metros in the country for this role, with Naperville and Schaumburg adding significant suburban volume through large corporate campuses. Well-established employers such as Allstate, Discover Financial Services, and Rush University Medical Center maintain ongoing security engineering teams across Illinois. Compliance-driven security, cloud security architecture, and identity and access management are among the most consistently requested specialties. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Position Overview
Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer that provides students, faculty and staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools, and retail services needed to successfully support the collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce campus stores across North America.
The Senior IT Security Engineer is responsible for designing and implementing protective and detective controls to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Follett data and ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory standards, regulations, laws, contractual requirements, and best practices. This position involves planning, design, implementation, enforcement, and audit of security controls, policies, and procedures. Maintains knowledge of trends and threats in information security, and recommends where additional tools, technologies, controls, policies, and procedures are required to appropriately manage Follett risk. Evaluates and recommends security products, services, and/or procedures to enhance productivity and effectiveness. Conducts proactive monitoring of Follett's security profile and works with Managed Security Service Providers to accomplish tasks as needed.
The Senior IT Security Engineer will be instrumental in managing, configuring, and ensuring compliance with our technical security systems. This includes, but is not limited to, CrowdStrike, Sentinel, Mimecast, Qualys, Illumio, and others as needed. They will also be responsible for the Engineering and oversight of identity management solutions, including privileged account management, multifactor authentication, and password vaulting solutions. A key part of the role will be to focus on ensuring Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance across our network security tools and practices, as well as NIST CSF and NIST 800-53.
Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and maintain enterprise security controls to protect company data, systems, and IT infrastructure.
- Manage and administer security technologies, including CrowdStrike, Microsoft Sentinel, Mimecast, Qualys, Illumio, and GlobalProtect.
- Ensure compliance with PCI DSS requirements, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and NIST 800-53 standards.
- Conduct security assessments, vulnerability analyses, compliance audits, and risk evaluations to identify and address security gaps.
- Engineer and maintain identity and access management solutions, including privileged access management, multifactor authentication (MFA), and password vaulting.
- Implement and maintain network security measures, including firewalls, network segmentation, secure connectivity, and Zero Trust principles.
- Support cloud security operations, including Azure native security controls and cloud security best practices.
- Monitor security environments, investigate potential threats, troubleshoot technical issues, and recommend remediation strategies.
- Develop and maintain security policies, procedures, and technical controls aligned with organizational and regulatory requirements.
- Prepare security reports, communicate risks, and recommend improvements to strengthen the organization's security posture.
- Collaborate with internal IT teams, business stakeholders, and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) to support security operations.
- 5-7 years of experience in information security, including at least 5 years in security engineering, network security, firewall administration, or compliance.
- Strong experience with enterprise security platforms, including CrowdStrike, Qualys, Microsoft Sentinel, or comparable technologies.
- Knowledge of network security architecture, firewall management, network segmentation, secure connectivity, and Zero Trust security models.
- Experience in securing cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- In-depth understanding of PCI DSS compliance requirements, security audits, and remediation processes.
- Familiarity with NIST CSF and NIST 800-53 security frameworks.
- Experience with identity and access management (IAM), privileged access controls, MFA, and role-based access management.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct security risk assessments, vulnerability management, and technical security troubleshooting.
- Experience collaborating with third-party security providers and supporting regulatory compliance initiatives.
Position Overview
Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer that provides students, faculty and staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools, and retail services needed to successfully support the collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce campus stores across North America.
The Senior IT Security Engineer is responsible for designing and implementing protective and detective controls to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Follett data and ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory standards, regulations, laws, contractual requirements, and best practices. This position involves planning, design, implementation, enforcement, and audit of security controls, policies, and procedures. Maintains knowledge of trends and threats in information security, and recommends where additional tools, technologies, controls, policies, and procedures are required to appropriately manage Follett risk. Evaluates and recommends security products, services, and/or procedures to enhance productivity and effectiveness. Conducts proactive monitoring of Follett's security profile and works with Managed Security Service Providers to accomplish tasks as needed.
The Senior IT Security Engineer will be instrumental in managing, configuring, and ensuring compliance with our technical security systems. This includes, but is not limited to, CrowdStrike, Sentinel, Mimecast, Qualys, Illumio, and others as needed. They will also be responsible for the Engineering and oversight of identity management solutions, including privileged account management, multifactor authentication, and password vaulting solutions. A key part of the role will be to focus on ensuring Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance across our network security tools and practices, as well as NIST CSF and NIST 800-53.
Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and maintain enterprise security controls to protect company data, systems, and IT infrastructure.
- Manage and administer security technologies, including CrowdStrike, Microsoft Sentinel, Mimecast, Qualys, Illumio, and GlobalProtect.
- Ensure compliance with PCI DSS requirements, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and NIST 800-53 standards.
- Conduct security assessments, vulnerability analyses, compliance audits, and risk evaluations to identify and address security gaps.
- Engineer and maintain identity and access management solutions, including privileged access management, multifactor authentication (MFA), and password vaulting.
- Implement and maintain network security measures, including firewalls, network segmentation, secure connectivity, and Zero Trust principles.
- Support cloud security operations, including Azure native security controls and cloud security best practices.
- Monitor security environments, investigate potential threats, troubleshoot technical issues, and recommend remediation strategies.
- Develop and maintain security policies, procedures, and technical controls aligned with organizational and regulatory requirements.
- Prepare security reports, communicate risks, and recommend improvements to strengthen the organization's security posture.
- Collaborate with internal IT teams, business stakeholders, and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) to support security operations.
- 5-7 years of experience in information security, including at least 5 years in security engineering, network security, firewall administration, or compliance.
- Strong experience with enterprise security platforms, including CrowdStrike, Qualys, Microsoft Sentinel, or comparable technologies.
- Knowledge of network security architecture, firewall management, network segmentation, secure connectivity, and Zero Trust security models.
- Experience in securing cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- In-depth understanding of PCI DSS compliance requirements, security audits, and remediation processes.
- Familiarity with NIST CSF and NIST 800-53 security frameworks.
- Experience with identity and access management (IAM), privileged access controls, MFA, and role-based access management.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct security risk assessments, vulnerability management, and technical security troubleshooting.
- Experience collaborating with third-party security providers and supporting regulatory compliance initiatives.
See All 8 IT Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find IT Security Engineer JobsIT Security Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
IT Security Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in IT security engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information security, or a closely related field
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or CompTIA Security+ certification strongly preferred
- Hands-on experience with SIEM platforms, endpoint detection, and network security tooling
- Proficiency in cloud security across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud environments
- Working knowledge of regulatory frameworks including HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and NIST
- Ability to hold or obtain clearance where financial or healthcare data environments require it
IT Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a it security engineer in Illinois?
Illinois does not issue a state license specific to it security engineers, so entry into the field runs through education and industry credentials. Most Illinois employers require at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or cybersecurity. From there, earning a vendor-neutral certification such as CompTIA Security+ or a professional designation such as CISSP substantially improves candidacy. Chicago's concentration of financial services and healthcare employers means familiarity with compliance frameworks like NIST and HIPAA is treated as a baseline expectation rather than a bonus.
How much do IT security engineers make in Illinois?
IT security engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $124,180 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $78,760 for the lowest 10% to over $172,830 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire it security engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring it security engineers in Illinois right now include Wolters Kluwer, Endeavor Health, and Woodward, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's mix of Fortune 500 headquarters, large health systems, and major insurers means demand is distributed across multiple industries rather than concentrated in a single sector.
Which Illinois cities have the most it security engineer jobs?
Chicago, Riverwoods, and Niles account for the most it security engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago drives the largest share through its dense concentration of financial institutions, consulting firms, and health systems, while Naperville and Schaumburg pull in significant volume from the corporate campus corridor along the I-88 and I-90 corridors, where major technology and insurance operations are headquartered.
Are there remote it security engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 86% of it security engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how much of the role centers on monitoring dashboards, policy configuration, and cloud-based tooling that travels well. Roles focused on threat analysis, security operations center work, and cloud architecture tend to be the most remote-eligible, while positions requiring physical access to on-premises infrastructure or hardware remain largely on-site.
How can I get hired as a it security engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a security analyst or IT support role at a large Illinois employer, then building toward the engineer title from the inside. Major health systems such as Northwestern Medicine and financial firms like Northern Trust run rotational IT programs and associate-level security operations positions that accept candidates without direct security experience. A CompTIA Security+ certification combined with a home lab portfolio or a capstone project from an accredited Illinois cybersecurity program signals hands-on ability when a resume lacks professional history. Adjacent roles in network administration, systems administration, and IT helpdesk are the most common lateral moves into security engineering.
Where can I find and apply to it security engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to it security engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across Chicago, the suburbs, and the rest of the state. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly from the listing.
See All 8 IT Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find IT Security Engineer Jobs