STEM OPT Security Engineer Jobs
Security Engineer roles fall squarely within STEM OPT eligibility, giving you up to 24 months of extended work authorization beyond your initial OPT period. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and your degree in computer science, information security, or a related STEM field must align with the role's CIP code to qualify.
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The Enterprise Protection Program - Account Misuse Team (EPP-AM) is seeking a Security Engineer to lead the identification, investigation, and mitigation of insider threats to Amazon through advanced data analysis and threat hunting techniques.
We seek a security professional who thrives on "diving deep" into complex data challenges and enjoys the technical aspects of threat hunting. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical and investigation skills with innovative thinking to develop "think big" solutions that advance our security capabilities. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on Amazon's security posture while working with innovative tools and technologies in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
Key job responsibilities
Threat Investigation & Analysis:
- Lead daily investigations into active insider threats using data from internal and external sources
- Build sophisticated queries and process large datasets to identify and pursue potential insider threat activity
- Apply deep analytical skills to uncover complex security patterns and anomalies
Innovation & Tool Development:
- Develop proactive, innovative projects that leverage technical expertise to create innovative solutions
- Design and implement tools for detection, mitigation, and prevention of insider threat activity
- Drive security process improvements to strengthen Amazon's internal threat protection capabilities
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Partner effectively with HR, legal, engineering, analytics, and prevention teams to execute security initiatives
- Deliver results both independently and through collaborative efforts across multiple partner teams
- Contribute to team knowledge sharing
Leadership & Impact:
- Take ownership of complex security challenges
- Contribute to strategic security planning and process optimization
- Participate in on-call responsibilities (typically one week every two months)
A day in the life
Drive High-Impact Security Solutions: You'll tackle complex insider threat cases and spearhead strategic projects that directly reduce risk across Amazon's global operations. Each day brings unique challenges as you analyze threat patterns, investigate security incidents, and develop innovative approaches.
Collaborate Across the Enterprise: Your day involves dynamic interactions with internal security stakeholders, engineering teams, and service partners across both Amazon and AWS. You'll facilitate cross-functional meetings, provide security expertise to diverse teams, and build relationships that enable effective threat mitigation.
Lead Innovation and Process Development: You'll spend time designing and developing tools that streamline insider threat detection and response; identifying gaps in current processes and architect scalable solutions.
About the team
Diverse Experiences
Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Why Amazon Security?
At Amazon, security is central to maintaining customer trust and delivering delightful customer experiences. Our organization is responsible for creating and maintaining a high bar for security across all of Amazon’s products and services. We offer talented security professionals the chance to accelerate their careers with opportunities to build experience in a wide variety of areas including cloud, devices, retail, entertainment, healthcare, operations, and physical stores.
Inclusive Team Culture
In Amazon Security, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Ongoing DEI events and learning experiences inspire us to continue learning and to embrace our uniqueness. Addressing the toughest security challenges requires that we seek out and celebrate a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices.
Training & Career Growth
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, training, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
- 3+ years of troubleshooting systems issues, analyzing logs, or automating basic tasks using command line tools (non-internship) experience
- 3+ years of scripting, programming, and security code review in a common programming language (non-internship) experience
- Experience working with global teams and diverse partners
- 4+ years of fraud investigation, abuse, cyber-crimes, or equivalent experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with AWS products and services
- 2+ years of any combination of the following: threat modeling experience, secure coding, identity management and authentication, software development, cryptography, system administration and network security experience
- Knowledge of command line tools to troubleshoot protocols, analyze log outputs, or automate basic tasks
- Experience in running SQL queries and data mining
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
LOCATION
USA, VA, Herndon - 159,300.00 - 202,400.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 159,300.00 - 202,400.00 USD annually
DESCRIPTION
The Enterprise Protection Program - Account Misuse Team (EPP-AM) is seeking a Security Engineer to lead the identification, investigation, and mitigation of insider threats to Amazon through advanced data analysis and threat hunting techniques.
We seek a security professional who thrives on "diving deep" into complex data challenges and enjoys the technical aspects of threat hunting. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical and investigation skills with innovative thinking to develop "think big" solutions that advance our security capabilities. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on Amazon's security posture while working with innovative tools and technologies in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
Key job responsibilities
Threat Investigation & Analysis:
- Lead daily investigations into active insider threats using data from internal and external sources
- Build sophisticated queries and process large datasets to identify and pursue potential insider threat activity
- Apply deep analytical skills to uncover complex security patterns and anomalies
Innovation & Tool Development:
- Develop proactive, innovative projects that leverage technical expertise to create innovative solutions
- Design and implement tools for detection, mitigation, and prevention of insider threat activity
- Drive security process improvements to strengthen Amazon's internal threat protection capabilities
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Partner effectively with HR, legal, engineering, analytics, and prevention teams to execute security initiatives
- Deliver results both independently and through collaborative efforts across multiple partner teams
- Contribute to team knowledge sharing
Leadership & Impact:
- Take ownership of complex security challenges
- Contribute to strategic security planning and process optimization
- Participate in on-call responsibilities (typically one week every two months)
A day in the life
Drive High-Impact Security Solutions: You'll tackle complex insider threat cases and spearhead strategic projects that directly reduce risk across Amazon's global operations. Each day brings unique challenges as you analyze threat patterns, investigate security incidents, and develop innovative approaches.
Collaborate Across the Enterprise: Your day involves dynamic interactions with internal security stakeholders, engineering teams, and service partners across both Amazon and AWS. You'll facilitate cross-functional meetings, provide security expertise to diverse teams, and build relationships that enable effective threat mitigation.
Lead Innovation and Process Development: You'll spend time designing and developing tools that streamline insider threat detection and response; identifying gaps in current processes and architect scalable solutions.
About the team
Diverse Experiences
Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Why Amazon Security?
At Amazon, security is central to maintaining customer trust and delivering delightful customer experiences. Our organization is responsible for creating and maintaining a high bar for security across all of Amazon’s products and services. We offer talented security professionals the chance to accelerate their careers with opportunities to build experience in a wide variety of areas including cloud, devices, retail, entertainment, healthcare, operations, and physical stores.
Inclusive Team Culture
In Amazon Security, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Ongoing DEI events and learning experiences inspire us to continue learning and to embrace our uniqueness. Addressing the toughest security challenges requires that we seek out and celebrate a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices.
Training & Career Growth
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, training, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
- 3+ years of troubleshooting systems issues, analyzing logs, or automating basic tasks using command line tools (non-internship) experience
- 3+ years of scripting, programming, and security code review in a common programming language (non-internship) experience
- Experience working with global teams and diverse partners
- 4+ years of fraud investigation, abuse, cyber-crimes, or equivalent experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with AWS products and services
- 2+ years of any combination of the following: threat modeling experience, secure coding, identity management and authentication, software development, cryptography, system administration and network security experience
- Knowledge of command line tools to troubleshoot protocols, analyze log outputs, or automate basic tasks
- Experience in running SQL queries and data mining
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
LOCATION
USA, VA, Herndon - 159,300.00 - 202,400.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 159,300.00 - 202,400.00 USD annually
See all 466+ STEM OPT Security Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Security Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Security Engineer
Verify your CIP code matches the role
Check that your degree's CIP code aligns with the Security Engineer position before applying. O*NET lists the typical education requirements for this occupation, which you can cross-reference against your I-20 to confirm STEM OPT eligibility.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Ask recruiters directly whether the company is enrolled in E-Verify before you reach the offer stage. Many smaller security firms or government contractors operate under subcontracting arrangements where the legal employer, not the worksite, must hold the E-Verify enrollment.
Target companies with active LCA filings in cybersecurity
Search Migrate Mate to find employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and LCA filing history for security roles. This filters out companies that verbally claim sponsorship readiness but lack a track record of filing for STEM OPT or H-1B visa workers.
Build your I-983 training plan around security competencies
Work with your DSO and hiring manager to map your Security Engineer duties to concrete STEM learning objectives on Form I-983. USCIS scrutinizes training plans that list generic IT tasks rather than specific security engineering skills tied to your degree field.
Apply 90 days before your OPT end date
Submit your STEM OPT extension application to USCIS no later than 90 days before your current EAD expires. Filing inside that window lets you keep working without a gap even if USCIS processing extends past your end date.
Check prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Look up the wage level for your Security Engineer role using the OFLC Wage Search before finalizing compensation. Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the applicable prevailing wage, so knowing the floor protects you from offers that would block the filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a computer science or information technology degree qualify for STEM OPT as a Security Engineer?
Yes, degrees in computer science, computer engineering, information security, and closely related STEM fields typically qualify, provided the CIP code on your I-20 maps to the STEM Designated Degree Program List. Your DSO can confirm whether your specific degree program is listed. If your degree is in a borderline field like management information systems, verify the CIP code before applying for the extension.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my Security Engineer employer during STEM OPT?
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify at the worksite where you perform your job duties, not just at their headquarters. If you're placed at a client site through a staffing arrangement, E-Verify enrollment must apply to the legal employer named on your I-983, not the client company. Verify enrollment status directly with HR before signing any offer.
What should the I-983 training plan include for a Security Engineer role?
Your I-983 must connect your day-to-day security engineering duties to specific STEM learning goals tied to your degree field. List concrete objectives such as threat modeling, vulnerability assessment, or security architecture design rather than broad IT support tasks. USCIS has rejected training plans that read as standard job descriptions without an educational rationale linking the work to your degree program.
How does cap-gap protection apply if my employer files an H-1B petition while I'm on STEM OPT?
If your STEM OPT EAD expires while an H-1B petition filed on your behalf is pending or approved for October 1, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30. You don't need a new EAD for this period. Keep your current EAD, your employer's H-1B receipt notice, and your OPT approval as documentation of your continued authorization during the cap-gap window.
Where can I find Security Engineer jobs where employers are already set up for STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate filters Security Engineer listings by employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and LCA filing history, so you can focus on companies that have already navigated the STEM OPT process. This saves time compared to filtering manually after submitting applications, especially important when your OPT timeline limits how long you can afford to spend in a drawn-out hiring process.