Vice President AI Security Architect Lead

Role Summary/Purpose:

The VP, AI Security Architect Lead will define and drive the enterprise security architecture strategy for Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Machine Learning, and emerging AI technologies. This leader will establish practical guardrails, reusable patterns, and scalable assurance capabilities that enable secure innovation while protecting company, customer, and sensitive data.

Serving as a trusted advisor across Cybersecurity, Technology, Data, AI/ML Engineering, Cloud, Risk, and the Business, the role will translate evolving AI threats into actionable architecture and engineering requirements. The leader will advance AI security from point-in-time reviews to security-by-design through automation, threat modeling, testing, and continuous assurance across the AI lifecycle.

Our Way of Working

We’re proud to offer you flexibility. At Synchrony, our way of working allows you to have the option to work from home near one of our Hubs or come into one of our offices. Occasionally you will be required to commute or travel for in person engagement activities such as business or team meetings, training and culture events. 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the enterprise AI Security Architecture strategy, principles, standards, reference architectures, and guardrails.
• Create reusable security patterns for Generative AI, copilots, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), model and inference APIs, autonomous or agentic AI, and enterprise AI platforms.
• Lead security architecture assessments for high-impact AI solutions across cloud, SaaS, API, data, application, and enterprise technology environments.
• Embed security-by-design across the AI lifecycle, including development, deployment, integration, monitoring, and retirement.
• Establish an AI threat-modeling approach aligned with MITRE ATLAS and OWASP guidance, translating threats into actionable controls and engineering requirements.
• Define controls for model access, identities, service accounts, secrets, APIs, prompts, training and retrieval data, outputs, plugins, tools, and third-party AI services.
• Partner with engineering teams and other stakeholders to automate architecture reviews, threat modeling, control validation, and security testing.
• Assess emerging risks such as prompt injection, data poisoning, sensitive information disclosure, insecure tool interaction, excessive agency, model manipulation, and AI supply-chain compromise.
• Advise senior technology and cybersecurity leaders, clearly communicating architecture decisions, material risks, trade-offs, and recommended actions.
• Build alignment across Cybersecurity, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud, Application Security, Data, AI/ML Engineering, Responsible AI, Privacy, Legal, Compliance, Risk, and Business teams.
• Evaluate emerging AI security technologies and conduct focused proofs of concept to validate enterprise applicability

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Significant experience in cybersecurity, security architecture, cloud security, application security, or enterprise architecture, including leadership of complex security initiatives.
• Practical knowledge of modern AI architectures, including Large Language Models, RAG, vector databases, embeddings, model gateways, AI agents, orchestration frameworks, managed AI services, and model or inference APIs.
• Strong foundation in identity and access management, application and API security, cloud security, data protection, secrets and key management, DevSecOps, and software supply-chain security.
• Knowledge of AI security and risk frameworks such as the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications, MITRE ATLAS, NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and Zero Trust principles.
• Experience designing or reviewing enterprise-scale architectures on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Demonstrated ability to convert technical risks into architecture standards, reusable patterns, engineering requirements, and executive recommendations.
• Proven success influencing senior stakeholders and driving alignment across organizational boundaries.
• Executive-level written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Desired Characteristics:

• Experience securing platforms such as Amazon Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, or comparable enterprise AI services.
• Familiarity with NIST AI RMF, MITRE ATLAS, OWASP guidance, ISO/IEC 42001, and evolving AI governance expectations.
• Ability to move confidently between deep technical architecture, engineering execution, risk discussions, and executive strategy.
• Experience building reference architectures, security blueprints, automated guardrails, and scalable control-assurance capabilities.
• Financial-services cybersecurity, regulatory, risk-management, or data-protection experience is a plus.
• Strategic, collaborative, and execution-oriented leadership style with a focus on simplification, automation, measurable outcomes, and responsible innovation.

Grade/Level: 13

The salary range for this position is 130,000.00 - 210,000.00 USD Annual and is eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance.

Actual compensation offered within the posted salary range will be based upon work experience, skill level or knowledge.

Salaries are adjusted according to market in CA, NY Metro and Seattle.

Our Way of Working:

We’re proud to offer you flexibility. At Synchrony, our way of working allows you to have the option to work from home near one of our Hubs or come into one of our offices. You will be required to commute to your nearest Hub (either virtual or physical) for in-person engagement activities such as regular business or team meetings, training and culture events. 

*Field Sales and some Commercial team roles may have varied location requirements based upon partner obligations or preferences.

Eligibility Requirements:

• You must be 18 years or older

• You must have a high school diploma or equivalent

• You must be willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation and submit fingerprints as part of the onboarding process

• You must be able to satisfy the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.

• New hires (Level 4-7) must have 9 months of continuous service with the company before they are eligible to post on other roles.  Once this new hire time in position requirement is met, the associate will have a minimum 6 months’ time in position before they can post for future non-exempt roles.  Employees, level 8 or greater, must have at least 18 months’ time in position before they can post.  All internal employees must consistently meet performance expectations and have approval from your manager to post (or the approval of your manager and HR if you don’t meet the time in position or performance expectations).

Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.  We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. 

Our Commitment:

When you join us, you’ll be part of an inclusive culture where your individual skills, experience, and voice are not only heard – but valued. Together, we’re building a future where we can all belong, connect, and turn ideals into action. More than 50% of our workforce is engaged in our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), where community and passion intersect to offer a safe space to learn and grow.

This starts when you choose to apply for a role at Synchrony. We ensure all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We’re proud to have an award-winning culture for all. 

Reasonable Accommodation Notice:

• Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

• If you need special accommodations, please call our Career Support Line so that we can discuss your specific situation. We can be reached at 1-866-301-5627.   Representatives are available from 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, Central Standard Time

Job Family Group:

Information Technology