Principal Cloud Security Architect

Position Overview:

As a Principal Security Architect, you will provide strategic direction and technical leadership in the design, development, and execution of enterprise-wide security architecture solutions. You will be responsible for driving the organization’s security strategy, identifying risks, and designing systems that support our security goals and ensure the protection of critical assets. Your work will have a direct impact on reducing risks while maintaining seamless operations across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive security strategies that align with business goals and regulatory requirements.
• Define and communicate security architecture principles and best practices to teams across the organization.
• Assess and evaluate existing security infrastructure, identify vulnerabilities, and recommend improvements to ensure maximum protection of enterprise systems and data.
• Develop and manage security architecture blueprints, guidelines, and frameworks, ensuring they are scalable and adaptable to evolving security threats.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including software engineering, cloud infrastructure, and IT operations, to integrate security into every aspect of the enterprise architecture.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior security architects and other security professionals within the organization.
• Lead efforts in assessing security risks and compliance issues, ensuring that security solutions are designed to meet industry standards, regulations, and frameworks.
• Participate in incident response efforts, providing expertise on security architecture to resolve complex issues and minimize impact.
• Stay abreast of emerging security technologies, threats, and trends, advising the organization on security innovations and best practices.
• Partner with senior leadership to align security architecture with overall business objectives and drive security initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience as a Security Architect or Principal Architect in a large, complex organization.
• Extensive knowledge of security frameworks, methodologies, and technologies such as NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and CIS.
• Experience designing secure cloud architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP) and on-premise infrastructures.
• Expertise in risk management, vulnerability management, and compliance.
• In-depth knowledge of firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, encryption technologies, and secure coding practices.
• Hands-on experience with identity and access management (IAM) systems, public key infrastructure (PKI), and security operations center (SOC) processes.
• Strong understanding of application security, network security, and endpoint security principles.
• Ability to analyze complex systems and identify potential security risks or inefficiencies.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to interact with technical teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership.
• Security certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, or equivalent preferred.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field.

Key Competencies:

• Leadership: Ability to lead a team and collaborate with senior executives to drive strategic decisions.
• Analytical Thinking: Strong problem-solving skills and a critical thinking mindset for identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risk.
• Collaboration: Ability to work cross-functionally with IT, engineering, and business teams.
• Innovation: Continuously seek ways to improve and innovate security architecture to meet evolving challenges.