Principal AI Security Architect

Role Overview

Northern Trust is establishing an AI Security organization responsible for enabling the safe adoption of AI across the enterprise. We are seeking a Principal AI Security Architect to help define and operationalize the security architecture, governance patterns, and technology guardrails that support enterprise AI platforms, agentic systems, digital coworkers, and emerging technologies.

This is a highly hands-on architecture role. The successful candidate will actively create architecture artifacts, design patterns, diagrams, reference architectures, security requirements, and reusable guidance while partnering closely with engineering, enterprise architecture, identity, data, application security, infrastructure, and risk teams.

This is not a governance-only position and is not a management role. The architect will be expected to work directly with technical teams, evaluate complex designs, solve challenging architecture problems, and help establish the security foundations that enable AI adoption at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Security Architecture & Design

• Serve as lead security architect for AI, agentic AI, cloud, SaaS, and emerging technology initiatives.
• Review and challenge solution designs to identify security requirements, architectural risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop security architecture deliverables including: Solution diagrams Data-flow diagrams Trust boundary diagrams Reference architectures Security patterns Design standards Control requirements
• Conduct threat modeling and security design reviews for AI systems and supporting technology platforms.
• Translate security policies and control objectives into practical engineering requirements.

AI Security Enablement

• Help define security patterns for: AI agents and digital coworkers AI platforms and orchestration frameworks RAG architectures MCP integrations AI identities and delegated authorization models Model access control and governance AI observability and monitoring
• Work with delivery teams to accelerate security reviews through reusable patterns and pre-approved architectures.
• Create practical implementation guidance for engineering teams building AI capabilities.

Reference Architecture & Standards Development

• Build and maintain a library of reusable AI security reference architectures, architectural decision records, and security patterns.
• Develop architecture standards and guardrails for enterprise AI adoption.
• Identify recurring design decisions and convert them into reusable reference material.
• Contribute to enterprise-wide AI security strategy and architecture direction.

Enterprise Collaboration

• Partner closely with: Enterprise Architecture Security Engineering Identity & Access Management Application Security Security Operations Data Protection Cloud Engineering Emerging Technology teams
• Facilitate architecture workshops, design sessions, and technical working groups.
• Influence security and technology decisions across multiple organizations.

Emerging Technology Assessment

• Research emerging AI technologies and security capabilities.
• Evaluate new platforms, architectures, frameworks, and third-party solutions.
• Provide technical recommendations that balance innovation, security, operational complexity, and business value.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in security architecture, enterprise architecture, cloud architecture, engineering, or related disciplines.
• Experience designing and reviewing complex enterprise technology solutions.
• Strong understanding of: Identity and access management Authentication and authorization Cloud security Application security Network security API security Data protection Logging and monitoring Secrets management
• Experience with Microsoft Azure or comparable cloud platforms.
• Ability to produce architecture diagrams and technical design documentation.
• Experience facilitating architecture reviews and working across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with generative AI, LLM applications, AI agents, or agentic AI architectures.
• Familiarity with: RAG architectures MCP AI gateways AI observability Model governance Agent identity and delegated authorization Prompt security and AI threat modeling
• Experience developing enterprise standards, architecture patterns, or reference architectures.
• Experience within a regulated financial services environment.
• Relevant cloud, security, or architecture certifications.

Within the first year, a successful Principal AI Security Architect will

• Become a trusted technical advisor to engineering and architecture teams.
• Produce high-quality security architecture artifacts that accelerate project delivery.
• Create reusable patterns that reduce ad hoc review effort and improve consistency.
• Drive complex architecture discussions across Cyber, Technology, and business teams.
• Help establish the security foundation for enterprise AI adoption.
• Turn individual design decisions into repeatable, scalable architecture guidance.

Salary Range

$130,530 - 221,920 USD

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.

Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust's history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.