What is a Security Engineer at Empower?

As a Security Engineer at Empower, you are the primary line of defense for the company’s critical infrastructure, corporate networks, and cloud environments. This role is essential to maintaining the trust of our users and ensuring the resilience of our internal and external systems. You will be tasked with identifying vulnerabilities, architecting secure network boundaries, and deploying robust cloud security controls.

The impact of this position is deeply embedded in the daily operations of the business. You will work across diverse environments, from securing on-premise hardware to managing complex, distributed cloud architectures. Because Empower operates at a significant scale, the security controls you design and implement directly safeguard sensitive data and ensure uninterrupted service for our user base.

Expect a highly dynamic work environment where you will face a wide variety of challenges. Some teams focus heavily on rapid deployment and cloud-native security, while others manage rigorous corporate network defenses. This role requires a blend of hands-on technical configuration, strategic architectural planning, and the ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure.

Common Interview Questions

The following questions represent the types of technical and scenario-based inquiries you can expect. While your specific questions will vary based on your interviewer and region, practicing these will help you recognize the patterns and expectations of the Empower technical team.

Cloud & Network Security Fundamentals

This category tests your core competencies in the tools and platforms most critical to Empower. Expect direct, technical questions that require specific, configuration-level knowledge.

• How do you restrict an AWS IAM role so it can only be assumed from a specific IP address?
• Walk me through the packet flow inside a Palo Alto firewall.
• What are the key differences between AWS Shield and AWS WAF?
• How would you design a highly available Palo Alto deployment across two different data centers?
• Explain the concept of Zero Trust and how you would implement it in an AWS environment.

Incident Response & Troubleshooting Scenarios

These questions assess your methodology when things break or when the network is under attack. Interviewers are looking for a logical, step-by-step approach to problem-solving.

• A user is complaining that they cannot access an internal application over the VPN. Walk me through your troubleshooting steps.
• You notice unusual outbound SSH traffic originating from an EC2 instance. What do you do?
• How do you handle a situation where a critical security patch needs to be applied, but the application owner refuses downtime?
• Describe a time you had to troubleshoot a complex routing issue that was dropping legitimate traffic.
• If multiple alerts trigger simultaneously across your cloud and on-premise environments, how do you prioritize your response?

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Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for the Security Engineer interview requires a solid grasp of both foundational networking concepts and modern cloud security practices. You should approach your preparation by reviewing your hands-on experience and practicing how to communicate your technical boundaries clearly.

Role-Related Knowledge – This evaluates your hard technical skills, specifically your expertise in network security appliances (like Palo Alto) and cloud platforms (like AWS). Interviewers will assess whether you can configure, troubleshoot, and architect secure environments effectively. You can demonstrate strength here by providing specific examples of architectures you have built or secured.

Problem-Solving Under Pressure – This measures your ability to think critically when faced with complex, rapid-fire scenarios. At Empower, technical panels often push candidates to their knowledge limits to see how they handle ambiguity. You can excel by remaining composed, thinking out loud, and confidently acknowledging when you do not know an answer while proposing a logical way to find it.

Culture Fit and Resilience – This assesses your adaptability, communication style, and alignment with the team’s working cadence. Interviewers evaluate how you handle feedback, interact with multiple stakeholders, and navigate shifting priorities. Showcasing a proactive attitude and a willingness to tackle tough, unstructured problems will set you apart.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a Security Engineer at Empower can vary significantly depending on the specific team, region, and hiring manager. Generally, your journey will begin with a recruiter screening. Be prepared for modern screening methods; some initial calls may utilize automated AI tools to record and transcribe your answers to standard baseline questions.

Following the screen, you will typically meet with the Hiring Manager. This round focuses heavily on your background, cultural fit, and high-level technical alignment. If successful, you will move into the technical evaluation phase. The technical rounds are where the process diverges based on the team. Some candidates experience a streamlined process with straightforward, one-on-one technical and HR rounds. Others face a highly rigorous, panel-style "grilling" session where multiple engineers rotate in and out to extensively test the boundaries of your technical depth.

Regardless of the format, you should expect the process to test your limits. While some hiring pipelines move rapidly, others can experience delays or extended timelines, occasionally taking up to two months to finalize. Patience, proactive follow-ups, and consistent preparation are your best tools for navigating this process.

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The visual timeline above outlines the typical stages you will navigate, from the initial recruiter screen to the final technical deep dives. Use this to anticipate the shifting focus of each round, planning your preparation so you are ready for behavioral discussions early on and intense technical scrutiny in the final stages. Keep in mind that the pacing between these stages can vary, so maintain your momentum even if scheduling takes longer than expected.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Cloud Infrastructure Security (AWS)

Securing cloud environments is a foundational requirement for this role. Interviewers want to know that you understand how to protect data, manage access, and monitor threats within a distributed cloud ecosystem. Strong performance means moving beyond basic definitions and explaining how you would architect a secure AWS environment from the ground up.

Be ready to go over:

• Identity and Access Management (IAM) – Crafting least-privilege policies, managing roles, and securing cross-account access.
• Network Security in the Cloud – Designing secure VPC architectures, configuring Security Groups, and managing Network ACLs.
• Threat Detection and Monitoring – Utilizing tools like AWS GuardDuty, CloudTrail, and Security Hub to identify anomalous behavior.
• Advanced concepts (less common) –
  • Automating security remediation using AWS Lambda.
  • Securing containerized workloads (EKS/ECS).
  • Designing multi-region disaster recovery security postures.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would secure a newly created AWS VPC that needs to host a public-facing web application and a private database."
• "How do you detect and respond to compromised IAM credentials in an AWS environment?"
• "Explain the difference between a Security Group and a Network ACL, and how you would use them together."

Network Security & Firewalls (Palo Alto)

Despite the shift to the cloud, managing and securing physical and virtual network perimeters remains a massive part of the job. Palo Alto Networks is a critical technology stack at Empower. You will be evaluated on your hands-on ability to configure firewalls, manage traffic, and troubleshoot connectivity issues securely.

Be ready to go over:

• Firewall Rule Configuration – Designing effective, non-conflicting security policies and NAT rules.
• VPN and Remote Access – Configuring and troubleshooting IPsec and SSL VPNs for secure remote connectivity.
• Traffic Analysis and Threat Prevention – Utilizing App-ID, User-ID, and deep packet inspection to secure network boundaries.
• Advanced concepts (less common) –
  • High Availability (HA) deployments for Palo Alto firewalls.
  • Panorama management for multi-device environments.
  • Integrating on-premise firewalls with cloud transit gateways.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How would you troubleshoot a site-to-site IPsec VPN tunnel that is showing as down on a Palo Alto firewall?"
• "Explain how App-ID works and why it is superior to traditional port-based firewall rules."
• "Walk me through your process for migrating legacy firewall rules to a new Palo Alto appliance without causing an outage."

Boundary Testing and Troubleshooting Under Pressure

Some engineering teams at Empower utilize a stress-test interview format. The goal is not just to see what you know, but to discover what happens when you reach the limits of your knowledge. Interviewers evaluate your honesty, your logical deduction skills, and your composure during a rapid-fire questioning format.

Be ready to go over:

• Incident Response Scenarios – Reacting to hypothetical breaches or active network attacks in real-time.
• Root Cause Analysis – Systematically breaking down a vague problem statement into testable hypotheses.
• Handling the Unknown – Gracefully pivoting when asked about a technology or protocol you have never used.
• Advanced concepts (less common) –
  • Defending against zero-day exploits on the fly.
  • Managing stakeholder communication during a high-severity incident.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "You are seeing a massive spike in outbound traffic to an unknown IP address. Walk me through your immediate next steps."
• "I am going to ask you a series of increasingly difficult networking trivia questions until you get one wrong. Let's begin."
• "If you don't know the exact command to fix this routing loop, how would you go about finding the solution safely during a production outage?"

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Key Responsibilities

As a Security Engineer, your day-to-day work will revolve around building, maintaining, and monitoring the security posture of Empower’s technical infrastructure. A significant portion of your time will be spent managing network boundaries, which includes configuring and updating Palo Alto firewalls, designing secure routing protocols, and ensuring remote access solutions are robust and heavily authenticated.

Beyond the traditional network, you will take ownership of cloud security initiatives. This involves auditing AWS environments, enforcing strict IAM policies, and collaborating with DevOps teams to ensure that new infrastructure is deployed with security baked in from the start. You will act as a subject matter expert, guiding engineering teams on best practices for data encryption, network segmentation, and vulnerability management.

You will also participate in incident response and operational troubleshooting. When alerts fire or anomalies are detected in network traffic, you will be responsible for investigating the root cause, mitigating the threat, and documenting the incident. This requires tight collaboration with IT operations, product engineering, and corporate leadership to balance security requirements with business agility.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for the Security Engineer role at Empower, you must possess a strong blend of network engineering fundamentals and modern cloud security expertise. The ideal candidate is highly autonomous and comfortable operating in environments that require both high-level architectural thinking and deep, hands-on configuration.

• Must-have skills – Deep hands-on experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls (App-ID, User-ID, VPNs). Strong proficiency in AWS security concepts (IAM, VPCs, Security Groups). Solid understanding of TCP/IP, routing, switching, and core network protocols.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation). Scripting abilities in Python or Bash for security automation. Familiarity with SIEM tools and centralized logging architectures.
• Experience level – Typically requires 3-5+ years of dedicated experience in network security, cloud security, or a hybrid infrastructure role.
• Soft skills – Exceptional composure under pressure. Strong verbal communication skills, particularly the ability to explain complex security risks to non-technical stakeholders. Resilience and patience when navigating organizational ambiguity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Empower allow remote work for Security Engineers? While Empower has a company-wide policy that permits remote work, the actual execution of this policy is highly dependent on the specific hiring manager. Some managers require their teams to be fully onsite or hybrid, while others fully embrace remote work. You should clarify the working model and location expectations directly with the hiring manager early in the process.

Q: How long does the interview process usually take? The timeline can be highly variable. Some candidates complete the process rapidly in just a few weeks with only two rounds. However, in other cases, the process has been known to drag on for up to two months due to scheduling delays or internal team realignments. Stay patient and follow up politely if communication stalls.

Q: What should I do if the technical panel starts "grilling" me? Some teams at Empower use a rapid-fire, high-pressure interview style to test the limits of your knowledge. If you encounter this, do not panic. Stay calm, answer what you know confidently, and when you hit a boundary, simply state, "I don't have that specific command memorized, but here is how I would find the answer." They are testing your composure just as much as your technical depth.

Q: Is it normal to have an AI tool conduct the recruiter screen? Yes, Empower occasionally utilizes automated AI screening tools for initial recruiter calls. These tools may record your voice and use AI to transcribe and evaluate your answers to baseline questions. Treat this screen as you would a normal human interaction: speak clearly, structure your answers logically, and minimize background noise.

Other General Tips

• Clarify the Scope Quickly: When given an open-ended architecture or troubleshooting scenario, always ask clarifying questions before jumping into a solution. Interviewers at Empower appreciate candidates who define the constraints first.
• Know Your Boundaries: Do not try to fake an answer if you are pushed deep into a technology you don't know well. The technical panels are designed to find your limits. Honesty and a strong troubleshooting methodology will score you more points than guessing.

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• Bridge On-Premise and Cloud: Because this role touches both Palo Alto and AWS, make sure you can speak to how these environments interact. Discussing hybrid connectivity (like AWS Direct Connect or Transit Gateways) shows maturity in your engineering approach.

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• Review the Basics: Even if you are a senior engineer, brush up on foundational networking concepts (OSI model, TCP handshake, subnetting). Interviewers will often start with the basics to ensure there are no gaps in your fundamental knowledge before moving to complex cloud architectures.

Summary & Next Steps

Stepping into a Security Engineer role at Empower is an opportunity to take ownership of critical infrastructure at a massive scale. By securing hybrid environments that span advanced cloud architectures and robust physical networks, you will play a direct role in protecting the company's most valuable assets. The work is challenging, highly technical, and deeply impactful.

To succeed in these interviews, focus your preparation on mastering your core domains—specifically AWS and Palo Alto Networks. Be prepared for a process that may test your patience with shifting timelines, and brace yourself for technical rounds that will rigorously challenge your knowledge boundaries. Remember that your ability to stay calm, communicate clearly, and admit what you do not know is just as important as your technical acumen.

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The compensation data above provides a benchmark for what you can expect in this role, reflecting base salary, bonuses, and equity components. Use these insights to understand your market value and approach the offer stage with confidence, keeping in mind that seniority, location, and specific technical expertise will influence the final numbers.

You have the skills and the foundational knowledge to excel in this process. Take the time to review your past projects, practice your technical explanations out loud, and leverage the additional interview insights available on Dataford to refine your strategy. Approach every conversation at Empower with confidence and curiosity—you are well-prepared to demonstrate your value as a top-tier Security Engineer.