AI Security Architect

Qualtrics; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 168,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness reimbursement

Experience bonus

QGroup communities

Job summary

Qualtrics in Seattle is seeking an AI Security Architect to design and implement security frameworks for AI systems, protecting against adversarial manipulation and data risks.

You will lead cross-functional teams across security, engineering, and data science, drive secure MLOps, and shape patterns that keep customer trust while delivering innovative AI solutions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in AI/ML security, cybersecurity architecture, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of adversarial ML, model security, threat modeling, secure MLOps.
• Proven experience leading large-scale AI security initiatives and coordinating cross-functional teams.
• Strategic mindset to translate security challenges into actionable solutions aligned with business goals.
• Excellent collaboration and communication across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead research, evaluation, and implementation of next-generation AI security technologies and methodologies—adversarial defense, model security, secure MLOps pipelines.
• Conduct security reviews of AI products and designs, including architectures built on MCP and agentic AI systems.
• Develop AI security standards, guardrails, and reference architectures for secure product development.
• Shape a comprehensive AI security strategy aligned with risk and business objectives.
• Manage large-scale AI security initiatives, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery with risk mitigation.
• Foster a culture of excellence and mentor colleagues to grow the security team.

Skills

AI/ML security

Threat modeling

Secure MLOps

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

MCP

Job description

At Qualtrics, we create software the world’s best brands use to deliver exceptional frontline experiences, build high-performing teams, and design products people love. But we are more than a platform—we are the creators and stewards of the Experience Management category serving over 18K clients globally. Building a category takes grit, determination, and a disdain for convention—but most of all it requires close-knit, high-functioning teams with an unwavering dedication to serving our customers.

When you join one of our teams, you’ll be part of a nimble group that’s empowered to set aggressive goals and move fast to achieve them. Strategic risks are encouraged and complex problems are solved together, by passing the mic and iterating until the best solution comes to light. You won’t have to look to find growth opportunities—ready or not, they’ll find you. From retail to government to healthcare, we’re on a mission to bring humanity, connection, and empathy back to business. Join over 5,000 people across the globe who think that’s work worth doing.

AI Security Architect

AI systems face threats that traditional security architecture wasn’t built for: adversarial manipulation, model theft, data poisoning, prompt injection, and supply-chain risk across the ML pipeline. The AI Security Architect leads the design and implementation of security frameworks that protect our AI systems — building resilience against these threats and earning our customers' trust.

How You’ll Find Success

• Strategic Visionary: You hold a holistic view of AI/ML threat models, proactively identifying and mitigating emerging risks. You guide security architecture strategy so it aligns with the organization’s risk posture and business goals.
• Technical Innovator: Your drive for continuous improvement pushes you to explore and implement cutting-edge AI security practices—adversarial robustness testing, model hardening, secure MLOps—keeping our AI systems resilient against evolving threats.
• Collaborative Leader: You build partnerships across security, engineering, and data science, promoting best practices in AI security. Your ability to foster collaboration creates an informed, cohesive environment dedicated to protecting our systems.
• Resilient and Adaptive: You thrive in a fast-paced environment, managing complex projects while guiding cross-functional teams through shifts in the threat landscape or technology. Your problem- solving skills are essential to navigating the complexities of AI security governance.

How You’ll Grow

• Shape Industry Standards: Participate in industry conferences, thought leadership forums, and professional organizations to influence the future of AI security practices.
• Executive Presence: Increase your visibility and involvement in executive-level discussions, refining how you communicate strategic security insights.
• Expand Your Leadership Toolkit: As a thought leader in AI security architecture, mentor and coach emerging talent, growing the security expertise across the organization.
• Complex Problem-Solving: Tackle significant AI security challenges that sharpen your analytical,critical thinking, and strategic planning abilities.

Things You’ll Do

• Drive Innovation in AI Security: Lead research, evaluation, and implementation of next-generation security technologies and methodologies—adversarial defense, model security, secure MLOps pipelines— that support our AI solutions.
• Conduct Security Reviews: Perform security reviews of AI products and proposed designs, including architectures built on Model Context Protocol (MCP) and agentic AI systems, identifying risks such as tool-use abuse, unauthorized action-taking, and insecure agent-to-agent or agent to-tool communication.
• Develop Standards & Reference Architectures: Author AI-related technical security standards, guardrails, and reference architectures that give product and engineering teams a secure, repeatable blueprint for building and deploying AI systems.
• Shape Security Strategy: Develop a comprehensive AI security strategy that aligns with the organization’s risk profile and business objectives.
• Manage Complex Projects: Oversee execution of large-scale AI security initiatives, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery while proactively addressing risks and fostering adaptability within teams.
• Foster a Culture of Excellence: Create an environment that promotes knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous learning. Mentor colleagues to build a high-performing team committed to our security objectives.

What We’re Looking For On Your Resume

• While we value the wealth of experience, we put more emphasis on your capability and the outcome you’ve produced. For this role, these elements are particularly important:
• Extensive Architectural Expertise: 5+ years of experience in AI/ML security, cybersecurity architecture, or a related field, with a proven history of designing secure architectures for AI systems; capable of leading strategic initiatives to strengthen security posture.
• Technical Expertise: Strong understanding of AI/ML security adversarial machine learning, model security, threat modeling, secure MLOps — and familiarity with encryption and secure system design.
• Demonstrated Initiative Leadership: Proven experience leading large scale AI security initiatives, coordinating cross-functional teams to align with security guidelines while driving operational efficiency and business growth.
• Strategic Mindset: Ability to translate AI security challenges into actionable solutions that integrate with business objectives and risk management frameworks.
• Collaboration & Communication Skills: Excellent communication abilities to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, fostering constructive partnerships across the organization.

What You Should Know About This Team

• Joining Qualtrics means becoming part of a team bold enough to chase breakthrough experiences - like building a technology that will be a force for good. A team committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion because of a conviction that every voice holds value, with a vision for representation that matches the world around us and inclusion that far exceeds it.
• You could belong to a team whose values center on transparency, being all in, having customer obsession, acting as one team, and operating with scrappiness. All so you can do the best work of your career.
• The direct impact on customer success through our work is exceptionally fulfilling, offering valuable opportunities for rapid learning and career advancement.

Our Team’s Favorite Perks And Benefits

• Wellness Reimbursement for $300 per quarter for wellness activities including gym memberships, spa massages, workout equipment, meditation apps, and much more.
• $1800 Experience bonus to be used for an “Experience” of your choosing
• Amazing QGroup Communities; MOSAIQ, Green Team, Qualtrics Pride, Q&Able, Qualtrics Salute, and Women’s Leadership Development, which exist as places for support, allyship, and advocacy.

The Qualtrics Hybrid Work Model

Our hybrid work model is elegantly simple: we all gather in the office three days a week; Mondays and Thursdays, plus one day selected by your organizational leader. These purposeful in-person days in thoughtfully designed offices help us do our best work and harness the power of collaboration and innovation. For the rest of the week, work where you want, owning the integration of work and life. #hybrid

Qualtrics is an equal opportunity employer meaning that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.

Applicants in the United States of America have rights under Federal Employment Laws:Family & Medical Leave Act, Equal Opportunity Employment, Employee Polygraph Protection Act

Qualtrics is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Qualtrics will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please let your Qualtrics contact/recruiter know.

For full-time positions this pay range is for base per year; however, base pay offered within this range may vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, education, skills, and experience. A sign‑on bonus and restricted stock units may be included in an employment offer. Full‑time employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision, life and disability, 401(k) with match, paid time off, a wellness reimbursement, mental health benefits, and an experience bonus. For a detailed look at our benefits, visit Qualtrics US Benefits.

Washington State Base Annual Pay Transparency Range

$168,000—$221,000 USD