Secure AI Architect

Cognizant Global; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global consulting firm is seeking a Secure AI Architect in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This role involves leading customer engagements to ensure secure and compliant AI implementations, assessing organizational readiness, and advising on Microsoft security frameworks. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in cloud security and compliance, alongside strong communication skills. Certification in Cybersecurity Architecture and Azure Security is required, making this a critical role for driving responsible AI adoption.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in cloud security, compliance, or architecture.
• Experience with secure adoption of M365 & AI workloads.
• Hands-on knowledge of Microsoft security and governance tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead workshops to assess AI readiness.
• Define AI governance frameworks.
• Design strategies for data boundary enforcement.

Skills

Cloud security

Compliance

Architecture

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Purview

Microsoft 365 Administration

Azure Policy

Job description

We are looking for a Secure AI Architect with deep expertise across Microsoft's cloud, security, and AI ecosystems. This consultant will lead short, high-impact customer engagements (typically 1-2 days) to help organizations establish secure, compliant, and wellgoverned AI foundations. You will assess current readiness, identify control gaps, and guide technical and management stakeholders on how to safely deploy AI at scale—bridging the disciplines of security architecture, compliance, data governance, and responsible AI.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead customer workshops to assess AI readiness from identity, data, and compliance perspectives.
• Define and articulate AI governance frameworks covering policy, access, data protection, and risk management.
• Translate complex Microsoft security and compliance capabilities (Entra ID, Purview, Defender, M365, Azure AI) into actionable recommendations.
• Advise on the secure enablement of generative AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Azure AI Foundry.
• Design pragmatic approaches for data boundary enforcement, labeling, DLP, and prompt-safety controls.
• Review identity and access management for AI workloads—MFA, Conditional Access, privileged identity controls, and just-in-time elevation.
• Recommend monitoring, auditing, and incident-response strategies for AI misuse or data leakage.
• Present findings and next steps to IT Management stakeholders with clear business and compliance implications.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years cloud security, compliance, or architecture, ideally in Enterprise Microsoft environments.
• Proven experience advising enterprise customers on secure adoption of M365 & AI workloads (Copilot, Copilot Chat, Copilot Studio, AI Foundry).
• Deep hands‑on knowledge of security, governance & management on Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Fabric, AI Foundry, Microsoft 365 Administration.
• Working hands‑on knowledge of security, governance & management on Microsoft Entra, Defender for Cloud Apps, Azure Policy.
• Understanding of responsible AI principles, privacy by design, and regulatory alignment (GDPR, ISO, NIST).
• Strong ability to lead short, outcome‑driven consulting engagements and communicate with executives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of simplifying complex security & governance topics.

Preferred Experience:

• Previous consulting or customer‑facing experience at a major Microsoft partner.
• Familiarity with AI governance frameworks, model risk management, and data‑driven decisioning.
• Working knowledge of Azure AI, AI Foundry, Microsoft Fabric security and compliance configurations.
• Experience in building RACI models, acceptable‑use policies, or risk registers for AI or cloud platforms.
• Exposure to FinOps or cost optimization in Microsoft 365 and Azure environments.

Required Certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)
• Bonus: Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) or equivalent.

About Cognizant:

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast‑changing world. Together, we’re improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com.