Security Automation & AI Engineer

Job Summary

As a Security Automation & AI Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining automated workflows and AI-driven solutions that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Novanta's global security operations. Working closely with the Security Operations team, you will develop SOAR playbooks, detection-as-code pipelines, and intelligent automation that accelerate threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management across the enterprise. You will also serve as a key liaison between Security and R&D Engineering, gaining deep understanding of CI/CD pipelines and software development workflows to embed security automation into the development lifecycle. Your goal is to reduce manual operational burden, improve detection coverage, and enable the security team to scale its capabilities in line with Novanta's growth, while maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our data and ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain security automation workflows and SOAR playbooks to streamline alert triage, enrichment, containment, and remediation processes.
• Build and maintain detection-as-code pipelines, enabling programmatic creation, testing, version control, and deployment of detection rules across SIEM and EDR platforms.
• Develop AI-assisted investigation tools and scripts that auto-correlate signals across security platforms (SIEM, EDR, DLP, IAM) to accelerate incident response.
• Automate vulnerability management workflows, including scan orchestration, prioritisation scoring, remediation tracking, and reporting to support the vulnerability management function.
• Serve as the security team's subject matter expert on R&D CI/CD pipelines (GitHub, Azure DevOps, build/release workflows), understanding how software is developed, tested, and deployed across Novanta's business units.
• Identify and implement opportunities to embed automated security checks and controls into CI/CD pipelines, shifting security left in the development lifecycle.
• Build and maintain API-level integrations between security tools and platforms, ensuring data flows efficiently without manual intervention.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with IT, R&D Engineering, Cloud, and DevOps teams to align security automation initiatives with broader technology strategies.
• Provide security automation expertise and communicate complex technical solutions to management and the leadership team.
• Contribute to the creation and continuous improvement of security automation documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures.
• Evaluate emerging AI and automation technologies for applicability to security operations, and lead proof-of-concept initiatives.
• Support the broader security operations team during incident response and threat hunting activities as needed.

Required Education, Experience & Knowledge

Education – Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Experience – 3–5 years of experience in security operations, security engineering, or DevSecOps, with a demonstrated focus on automation and tooling development.

Programming – Strong proficiency in Python; experience with PowerShell, Bash, or other scripting languages. Ability to write production-quality, maintainable code.

CI/CD & DevOps – Hands-on experience with CI/CD platforms (e.g., GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps Pipelines, Jenkins) and version control systems (Git). Understanding of software development lifecycle and DevOps practices.

Security Tooling – Experience with SIEM platforms, EDR solutions, and/or SOAR platforms. Familiarity with DLP and IAM tools is a plus.

Cloud & Infrastructure – Working knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and infrastructure-as-code concepts.

APIs & Integration – Strong experience building and consuming RESTful APIs for tool integration and data orchestration.

AI/ML Awareness – Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and their practical application in cybersecurity (e.g., anomaly detection, automated classification, LLM-based workflows). experience with AI frameworks or platforms is a plus.

Frameworks – Understanding of security frameworks such as NIST, MITRE ATT&CK, and CIS. Knowledge of GDPR and its impact on security across a global company.

Certifications (preferred) – Relevant certifications such as GIAC (GCSA, GMON), PCSAE (Palo Alto Certified Security Automation Engineer), AWS Security Specialty, or equivalent.

Skills

• Dealing with Ambiguity – Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; comfortable handling risk and uncertainty in fast-paced security environments.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Mindset – Approaches problems systematically; breaks down complex workflows into automatable components; uses data to drive decisions and measure the effectiveness of automation.
• Champions Customer Value Creation – Delivers innovative automation solutions that improve security outcomes for internal stakeholders. Seeks feedback from SOC analysts, threat hunters, and engineers to optimise workflows.
• Functional/Technical Skills – Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills to design, build, and maintain production-grade security automation at a high level of accomplishment.
• Collaboration & Communication – Works effectively across global, cross-functional teams. Can translate complex automation concepts into clear language for technical and non-technical audiences alike.
• Written Communications – Can write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles; produces high-quality technical documentation and runbooks.
• Continuous Learning – Demonstrates curiosity and a commitment to staying current with emerging security automation, AI, and DevSecOps trends and technologies.

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy. Please call Ver el número de teléfono en click.appcast.io if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.

Solving complex challenges, delivering innovations that matter! Novanta is a leading global supplier of core technology solutions that give medical, life science, and advanced industrial original equipment manufacturers a competitive advantage. We combine deep proprietary expertise and competencies in precision medicine, precision manufacturing, robotics and automation, and advanced surgery with a proven ability to solve complex technical challenges. This enables Novanta to engineer proprietary technology solutions that deliver extreme precision and performance, tailored to our customers' demanding applications. The driving force behind our growth is the team of innovative professionals who share a commitment to innovation, the Novanta Growth System, and our customers’ success. Novanta’s common shares are quoted on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "NOVT".