Director, Security Architecture

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Life is seeking a senior Security Architect to shape security across enterprise architecture and AI deployments. You will lead strategic concepts, align with the NIST framework, and advance modernization across clouds and on‑prem environments.

You will partner with global domain architects, evaluate emerging technologies, and present security strategy at executive forums. The role emphasizes zero‑trust and secure-by-design AI integration.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years in information security architecture and design.
• Experience navigating large organisations across the security, network, infrastructure and global architecture stack.
• Proven experience migrating core security technologies as part of an evolving security stack.
• Experience managing third-party security service providers.

Responsibilities

• Partner with global domain architects to review enterprise architecture patterns and guardrails, ensuring security is designed in rather than retrofitted.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies with proofs of concept and business cases that demonstrate value.
• Represent security technology and capability strategy at senior executive forums and enterprise technology review boards.
• Provide architecture and design expertise on enterprise projects and security initiatives, including cross-domain functions, and certify domains in line with architecture governance.
• Lead the strategic evolution of security capabilities with a zero-trust-first approach, working alongside delivery teams.
• Define the security architecture for AI adoption covering AI and agentic systems, the data that feeds them, and the platforms that host them.
• Set a modernised approach to security tooling, services and capability sets, focused on technical feasibility across emerging technologies, controls and functions.
• Drive multi-cloud consistency, ensuring controls, telemetry and posture management extend uniformly across all cloud providers.

Skills

Information security architecture

Cloud security

Security governance

AI security

Leadership communication

Tools

CNAPP/CSPM

EDR/XDR

SIEM

SAST/SCA/DAST

WAF

PAM

IAM

Job description

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you'll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do.

At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful.

When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives.

Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

Role Summary

You will represent the Security Architecture team across our enterprise architecture and technology community, shaping how security is designed into everything we build including the AI systems now reaching production. This is a senior, influence-led role. You will prioritise the strategic concepts and capability sets that matter most, align security to the architecture process and the NIST framework, and advance technology modernisation and defence-in-depth across multiple clouds and on Prem.

What will you do?

• Partner with global domain architects to review enterprise architecture patterns and guardrails, ensuring security is designed in rather than retrofitted.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies, providing technical and thought leadership through proofs of concept and business cases that demonstrate value.
• Represent security technology and capability strategy at senior executive forums and enterprise technology review boards.
• Provide architecture and design expertise on enterprise projects and security initiatives, including cross-domain functions, and certify domains in line with architecture governance.
• Lead the strategic evolution of security capabilities with a zero-trust-first approach, working alongside delivery teams.
• Define the security architecture for AI adoption covering AI and agentic systems, the data that feeds them, and the platforms that host them. This includes model and agent governance, AI security posture management, data-classification controls for training and inference, guardrails against prompt injection and model misuse, and secure-by-design patterns for AI-enabled products.
• Set a modernised approach to security tooling, services and capability sets, focused on technical feasibility across emerging technologies, controls and functions.
• Drive multi-cloud consistency, ensuring controls, telemetry and posture management extend uniformly across all cloud providers rather than clustering around the best-covered one.

What will you need to succeed?

Experience

• Minimum 7-10 years in information security architecture, engineering and design.
• Proven ability to navigate complex organisations across the security, network, infrastructure and global architecture stack.
• Proven experience migrating and upgrading core security technologies as part of an evolving security and infrastructure stack, including API security, web filtering, cloud security, email security and endpoint security.
• Experience managing third-party security service providers in delivering security services.

Technical depth

• Strong knowledge of core security domains: endpoint, cloud, infrastructure, perimeter and data protection.
• Multi-cloud security architecture across at least two major providers, with an appreciation of how native controls and third-party platforms differ in coverage.
• Working knowledge of the modern security toolset CNAPP/CSPM, EDR/XDR, SIEM, secrets management, privileged access management, SSE/CASB, WAF and perimeter protection, database activity monitoring, and SAST/SCA/DAST in the pipeline.
• AI security: familiarity with AI and LLM threat models (such as the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications), AI governance frameworks (such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework), AI security posture management, model and agent identity, and the data-security implications of AI adoption.
• Pragmatic understanding of security problems as a mix of technology and process, with the ability to pursue solutions at multiple levels throughout the organisation.

Leadership and communication

• Expert presentation and communication skills, written and verbal.
• People leadership