Americas Security Leader

Security Executive Council; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Materials is seeking a Senior Director of Americas Security Operations to lead security and resiliency programs across the Americas from our Santa Clara campus. This on-site role reports to the Chief Security Officer and requires up to 30% travel.

The candidate will oversee guard force management, investigations, crisis management, and security technology implementations. The ideal leader brings enterprise security strategy experience, executive presence, and a track record of aligning

Qualifications

• Senior-level security leadership experience
• Experience managing security operations across multiple sites or regions
• Strong alignment with global security standards and risk-based decision making
• Proficiency in AI platforms and modern security technologies is highly desirable
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills

Responsibilities

• Lead regional physical security, resiliency, and crisis management programs across the Americas.
• Oversee security operations including perimeter protection, guard force management, investigations, and executive protection support.
• Direct implementation of security controls and technology projects to safeguard personnel, facilities, and assets.
• Serve as regional incident commander for major events, coordinating emergency response and business continuity.
• Conduct security risk assessments and ensure compliance with governance standards and external risk controls.

Job description

About the job

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

Applied Materials is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale helps our customers – who make smartphones, supercomputers, virtual reality headsets, autonomous vehicles and more – transform their ideas into reality.

The technologies we create are the foundational building blocks of the future. Our systems make semiconductor devices, called chips - "the brains" of electronics used in almost every aspect of our lives. The promise of new and exciting applications, transforming industries such as consumer electronics, transportation, communications, and healthcare, are enabled by advances in semiconductor and display technology.

We Deliver Material Innovation that Changes the World ®. If you are looking for the next step in your future, consider Applied Materials. With the data explosion and new investment in semiconductors, it is an exciting place to be.

Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior level security leader to manage security and resiliency operations throughout the Americas region. This position will be located full-time at our Santa Clara, California Campus.

The Senior Director, Americas Security Operations is a strategic executive leader responsible for the vision, development, and execution of enterprise security programs across the Americas region. Reporting to the Chief Security Officer, this role leads geographically dispersed teams and oversees all aspects of physical security and resiliency operations, ensuring alignment with global standards while addressing regional risks and business priorities. The position drives operational excellence across guard force management, investigations, business continuity, crisis management, physical security technologies, and regulatory compliance. Significant engagement with executive protection, event security, and other partner organizations are key relationships. Role is fully accountable for program performance, budgets, and outcomes.

This leader serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and a key cross‑functional partner, collaborating closely with Facilities, IT, HR, Legal, Finance, and business units to embed security into core business processes. The role requires strong executive presence and the ability to influence decision‑making, align security strategies with organizational goals, and integrate security into enterprise risk management and business resiliency efforts. The Senior Director ensures consistent implementation of security standards, governance frameworks, and operating procedures across all sites, while leveraging data, analytics, and performance metrics to drive continuous improvement and operational transparency.

In addition, this role requires demonstrated firsthand proficiency in generative AI platforms and large language models including tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and Gemini with the ability to apply advanced prompt engineering, multi‑step workflow automation, and AI‑assisted analysis and reporting as a regular part of daily work. This is a highly preferred baseline and not a growth area. The Senior Director must arrive as a confident, experienced AI practitioner: someone who has been using AI daily for a significant period, can teach and coach others on AI tools and techniques, and has concrete examples of AI‑driven workflow automations they personally delivered. The ideal candidate uses AI the way a skilled professional uses any core tool; instinctively, fluently, and with measurable results. Day‑to‑day, this means independently writing or prompting code, building and iterating on AI‑assisted workflows, prompting and deploying large language models for operational tasks, and using data analysis to drive decisions without needing technical support to do so. The Senior Director will also be expected to accelerate AI adoption across the security function, serve as a credible internal resource on AI application and best practices, and apply AI to strategic planning, risk modeling, threat intelligence, and workforce optimization from the moment they step into the role.

The Sr. Director position requires an on‑site presence of forty (40) hours per week in Santa Clara and reports to the Chief Security Officer. The role requires travel up to 30%.

Key Responsibilities & Strategic Leadership

• Lead and execute regional physical security, resiliency, and crisis management programs across the Americas, ensuring alignment with global security strategy and evolving business needs.
• Oversee all security operations, including perimeter protection, guard force management, investigations, executive protection support, workplace violence prevention, and event security.
• Direct the implementation of physical security controls, complex security technology projects, and standardized operating procedures to protect personnel, facilities, and assets.
• Serve as regional incident commander for significant events, leading emergency response, crisis coordination, business continuity, and cross‑functional recovery efforts.
• Conduct security risk assessments and ensure compliance with internal governance standards, industry best practices, and external risk controls.