Cloud Security Analyst (contract)

Please note that this is a contract role providing services to Hilton through Talent Solutions. If you are selected for this role, you will be employed by Talent Solutions and will not be an employee of Hilton. Contract workers are not employees of Hilton or any of its subsidiaries, nor will they be eligible for Hilton benefits.

***Preference for a candidate in Dallas, TX - Hybrid 2 days/week. Will consider remote working CST hours**

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and hands-on cloud security professional to join our team, bringing deep cloud infrastructure expertise and proven experience operating Cloud Security Posture Management and Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform solutions. This role blends platform administration, cloud security architecture, and direct remediation ownership, requiring someone who can not only identify risks but see findings through to resolution. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in complex, multi-account enterprise environments, communicates effectively across technical and non-technical teams, and continuously looks for ways to improve security posture and operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Onboard cloud accounts and workloads; manage platform configuration, policies, alerts, and coverage; troubleshoot permissions, connectivity, and data collection issues.
• Investigate misconfigurations, excessive IAM permissions, public exposure, and vulnerabilities; implement approved fixes and collaborate with application and infrastructure owners to validate closure.
• Contribute to secure cloud architecture and review infrastructure changes and DevSecOps pipelines for security gaps.
• Support cloud workload protection, container security, and threat detection across virtual machines, Kubernetes, and serverless workloads; coordinate incident response with security operations teams.
• Automate onboarding, reporting, and remediation workflows using APIs, scripts, and infrastructure as code; support integrations with Splunk and ServiceNow.
• Align security policies with organizational standards, CIS Benchmarks, and NIST guidance; tune alerts to reduce false positives and prioritize actionable risks.
• Produce dashboards and reports on coverage, security posture, vulnerabilities, and remediation progress.
• Independently coordinate across teams and vendors, maintain runbooks, share practical guidance, and drive continuous improvement of operational processes.

Skills

• Strong hands-on knowledge of AWS services spanning IAM, networking, compute, storage, logging, and encryption.
• Practical experience implementing, administering, or supporting a CSPM or CNAPP platform and remediating findings within the underlying cloud environment.
• Working knowledge of Linux, containers, Kubernetes, vulnerability management, and least-privilege access principles.
• Proficiency with Python or PowerShell, REST APIs, and infrastructure as code tools such as Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Strong troubleshooting and communication skills with the ability to work independently and drive remediation efforts across diverse teams.
• Preferred experience with Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud or Prisma Cloud, including onboarding, policy management, workload protection, integrations, or platform migration.
• Preferred experience in enterprise environments with multiple cloud accounts and compliance reporting requirements.

Qualifications:* 3 + years of hands-on cloud engineering or security experience in an enterprise environment. * Demonstrated experience administering or supporting a CSPM or CNAPP platform with direct ownership of finding remediation. * Experience working across cross-functional teams including application owners, infrastructure teams, and security operations. * Relevant cloud security certifications such as AWS Certified Security Specialty or equivalent are preferred. * Palo Alto Networks certifications, including those related to Prisma Cloud or Cortex, are preferred.

This is a rare opportunity to take meaningful ownership of cloud security outcomes within a globally recognized organization, working at the intersection of engineering and security to protect a large-scale, dynamic cloud environment. You will have the autonomy to drive real change, build and refine processes from the ground up, and work alongside talented teams who are equally committed to excellence. If you are passionate about cloud security and want a role where your contributions are visible and impactful, this is the opportunity for you. Pay Rate Range

33 - 39 USD hourly