Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for GCP Security Engineer

💰 $140,000 - $190,000

Cloud SecurityGoogle Cloud PlatformCybersecurityITEngineering

🎯 Role Definition

A GCP Security Engineer is a highly specialized cybersecurity professional responsible for safeguarding an organization's cloud infrastructure within the Google Cloud Platform. This role is pivotal in designing, implementing, and maintaining a robust security posture across all GCP services. As a subject matter expert, the GCP Security Engineer acts as the primary guardian of cloud assets, ensuring that data, applications, and networks are protected from threats, compliant with regulations, and aligned with industry best practices. You'll be at the forefront of cloud innovation, embedding security into the fabric of the company's technology landscape and enabling teams to build and scale securely.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Cloud Engineer (with a security focus)
  • Cybersecurity Analyst or Engineer
  • DevOps / Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)

Advancement To:

  • Principal Cloud Security Engineer
  • Cloud Security Architect
  • Cybersecurity Manager or Director

Lateral Moves:

  • DevSecOps Engineer
  • AWS/Azure Security Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design, implement, and manage a secure cloud architecture for applications and infrastructure deployed within Google Cloud Platform, ensuring resilience against modern threats.
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive set of security standards, policies, and guardrails for core GCP services such as GKE, Cloud SQL, BigQuery, IAM, and Cloud Storage.
  • Proactively identify and remediate security weaknesses by conducting regular security assessments, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing on GCP environments.
  • Automate security controls, compliance checks, and remediation workflows using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools, with a strong emphasis on Terraform.
  • Configure, manage, and optimize GCP-native security tooling, including Security Command Center, Cloud Armor, VPC Service Controls, and Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP).
  • Implement and govern Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, strictly enforcing the principle of least privilege across all GCP projects and resources.
  • Act as a key stakeholder and technical lead during cloud security incidents, developing and refining incident response playbooks specific to GCP environments.
  • Monitor cloud infrastructure for security threats, anomalous activity, and policy violations using SIEM, logging, and monitoring solutions like Google Chronicle or Splunk.
  • Champion DevSecOps principles by collaborating closely with DevOps and engineering teams to integrate security seamlessly into the CI/CD pipeline.
  • Ensure and demonstrate compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA) by implementing and auditing necessary security controls.
  • Perform in-depth threat modeling for new and existing cloud-based applications to proactively identify potential risks and design effective mitigations.
  • Define and manage the organization's cloud encryption strategy, including key management with Cloud KMS, data-in-transit encryption, and data-at-rest encryption.
  • Evaluate, onboard, and manage third-party security solutions to augment native GCP capabilities and enhance the overall security posture.
  • Create and maintain meticulous documentation for security architectures, standard operating procedures, and incident response plans.
  • Provide expert security guidance, training, and mentorship to development and operations teams on secure cloud design patterns and best practices.
  • Stay current with the ever-evolving landscape of cloud security threats, vulnerabilities, and industry trends to continuously fortify the organization's defenses.
  • Design and implement secure cloud network architectures, including VPCs, subnets, Shared VPCs, firewall rules, and private connectivity (e.g., Cloud Interconnect, VPN).
  • Develop custom security automation scripts using languages like Python or Go to automate threat detection, response actions, and policy enforcement.
  • Lead formal security reviews and provide expert consultation for all new cloud projects, services, and third-party integrations.
  • Secure containerized environments using Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), focusing on cluster security hardening, pod security policies, network policies, and workload identity.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory security data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader cybersecurity strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate security needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the security engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep expertise in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and its native security services (IAM, VPC Service Controls, Security Command Center, Cloud Armor, IAP).
  • Strong proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for automating security controls, with a primary focus on Terraform.
  • Solid understanding of containerization and orchestration, particularly the security aspects of Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).
  • Advanced scripting and automation skills using languages such as Python or Go for security use cases.
  • Hands-on experience integrating security tools and processes into CI/CD pipelines (DevSecOps).
  • Expert-level knowledge of cloud networking principles, including VPC design, firewalls, routing, and hybrid connectivity.
  • Experience with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems like Chronicle, Splunk, or other similar platforms for threat detection and analysis.
  • In-depth familiarity with compliance frameworks and their application in the cloud (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA).
  • Practical experience with vulnerability management, configuration scanning, and penetration testing tools and methodologies.
  • Strong command of Identity and Access Management (IAM) concepts, including federated identity, RBAC, and Single Sign-On (SSO).

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking
  • Clear and Concise Communication (Written & Verbal)
  • Collaborative Spirit and Strong Teamwork Ethic
  • Meticulous Attention to Detail
  • High Degree of Adaptability & a Passion for Continuous Learning
  • Strong Sense of Ownership & Accountability

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent practical industry experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree in Cybersecurity or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Information Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5-8 years of experience in a cybersecurity role, with a minimum of 3 years specifically focused on cloud security engineering (preferably with GCP).

Preferred:

  • Holding relevant industry certifications such as Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer, CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), or CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional).
Explore More Careers