Director, Forward Deployed Security Architecture

AstraZeneca; Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 169,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) retirement plan

Short-term incentive bonus

Equity-based long-term incentive plan

Health benefits

Paid vacation/holidays

Paid leaves

Job summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Director, Forward-Deployed Security Architecture & DevEx in Gaithersburg to lead a multidisciplinary team focused on engineering enablement, developer experience, AI security, and security architecture advisory.

The role partners with software, platform, cloud, data, AI, and OT teams to scale secure engineering practices, drive Secure by Design adoption, and balance cybersecurity outcomes with engineering velocity in a global, regulated environment.

Qualifications

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Responsibilities

• Lead complex cybersecurity programs and services within a global organization.
• Establish and scale a new technical capability for cybersecurity architecture, secure engineering enablement, and AI security.
• Influence senior stakeholders across engineering, product, cybersecurity, and risk to balance security with velocity.
• Develop and maintain security architecture guidance, reusable solutions, and decision services.
• Foster security champion programs and communities of practice to scale cybersecurity expertise.

Skills

Cybersecurity architecture

Secure software development

Platform engineering

Developer experience

AI security

Code/automation

OT/ICS security (desirable)

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, cybersecurity, or a comparable discipline

Job description

WHY JOIN US?

At AstraZeneca, we are dedicated to being a Great Place to Work, where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. With an ambitious goal of delivering 20 new medicines by 2030, there is no better place to make a difference in medicine, for patients, and in society.

Join us on this exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare. Our inclusive culture champions diversity and collaboration, and we are always committed to lifelong learning, growth, and development. As part of our team, you'll contribute to groundbreaking advancements that will shape a healthier future for people everywhere. Be a catalyst for change at AstraZeneca, where your work will have a real impact on improving people's lives.

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office is purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects.

This role is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Candidates must reside within commuting distance of Gaithersburg or be willing to relocate for this opportunity.

The Mission

Make secure engineering practices consumable, measurable, and scalable. Drive adoption of Secure by Design cybersecurity products; provide forward-deployed security architecture support; improve cybersecurity-related developer experience; operate cybersecurity-specific decision and exception services; enable secure AI and agentic engineering; and use product intelligence and consumer feedback to continuously improve the secure path.

About the Role

The Director, Forward-Deployed Security Architecture & DevEx is a technical leader responsible for establishing and leading a team within the cybersecurity architecture function focused on engineering enablement, developer experience, AI adoption, and security architecture advisory. The role works directly with software, platform, cloud, data, AI, and operational technology teams to help them adopt secure engineering practices at scale.

This is not a traditional governance or review-board role. It requires a leader who combines cybersecurity architecture expertise, software-development credibility, AI experience, product thinking, and a strong focus on improving the developer and engineer experience. The role will initially operate hands-on and will build a multidisciplinary team as the capability matures.

What you’ll do:

Lead Secure by Design Cybersecurity Adoption

• Lead adoption of secure engineering practices, reusable security solutions, and cybersecurity architecture products.
• Partner directly with engineering teams to reduce security-related friction and improve usability.
• Increase self-service consumption of cybersecurity capabilities.
• Help teams navigate complex application, cloud, platform, AI, data, and OT security challenges.
• Advise teams building AI-enabled applications and agentic systems as part of Secure by Design adoption.
• Support secure adoption of AI-assisted software development and emerging engineering practices.
• Use adoption measures and engineering feedback to identify friction and improve cybersecurity architecture products.

Lead Forward-Deployed Cybersecurity Architecture

• Act as a trusted cybersecurity architecture advisor to engineering teams.
• Provide security architecture guidance for complex and high-impact initiatives.
• Help teams apply cybersecurity requirements to real-world delivery challenges.
• Turn recurring security architecture questions into reusable solutions and guidance.

Own Cybersecurity Developer Experience (DevEx)

• Define and improve the developer experience associated with cybersecurity requirements and controls.
• Reduce friction in secure development workflows.
• Partner with engineering-platform teams to improve delivery of cybersecurity capabilities.
• Ensure cybersecurity feedback is actionable, contextual, and developer-friendly.

Operate Cybersecurity Architecture Decision & Exception Services

• Lead cybersecurity architecture decision and exception processes.
• Coordinate reviews of complex or non-standard cybersecurity scenarios.
• Oversee cybersecurity decision workflows, documentation, tracking, and reporting.
• Identify recurring cybersecurity exceptions and drive long-term solutions that reduce future demand.
• Use exception trends and service measures to improve the off-road process and expand reusable paved-road solutions.
• Operate the service without assuming enterprise architecture approval authority or business risk acceptance.

Build Cybersecurity Communities and Champion Networks

• Establish security champion programs and communities of practice.
• Promote secure engineering culture across software, cloud, AI, platform, data, and OT teams.
• Develop enablement content, learning paths, and engagement programs.
• Create sustainable mechanisms for scaling cybersecurity expertise.

Build and Lead the Forward-Deployed Security Architecture Organization

• Establish the vision, operating model, and roadmap for the function.
• Recruit and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary team.
• Build a scalable capability spanning cybersecurity architecture, secure engineering enablement, AI security, adoption insight, and developer experience.
• Create strong partnerships across cybersecurity, architecture, engineering, platform, AI, data, OT, and risk organizations.

Technical Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, cybersecurity, or a comparable discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Significant experience in cybersecurity architecture, secure software development, platform engineering, developer experience, or related technical disciplines.
• Strong understanding of modern software delivery, version control, CI/CD, APIs, cloud-native architectures, containers, infrastructure as code, and policy as code.
• Experience with threat modeling, application security, cloud security, identity, Zero Trust, supply-chain security, and runtime controls.
• Practical experience with generative AI, AI-assisted development, or agentic systems and their security implications.
• Ability to engage credibly with engineering teams on code, architecture, automation, and developer workflows.
• Familiarity with OT/ICS security and regulated or safety-sensitive environments is desirable.

Leadership & Business Experience

• Demonstrated experience leading complex technical programs, services, or architecture functions.
• Experience establishing or scaling a new technical capability and building high-performing teams.
• Proven ability to influence senior engineering, architecture, product, cybersecurity, and risk stakeholders in a matrixed global organization.
• Experience applying product thinking to internal technology or cybersecurity capabilities, including roadmaps, adoption measures, consumer feedback, and product intelligence.
• Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, and organizational-change skills.
• Ability to balance cybersecurity outcomes with engineering velocity, operational resilience, safety, and consumer experience.
• Experience in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, healthcare, critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, or another regulated industry is preferred.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing [e-mail].

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $169,320.00 - $222,232.50 USD. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program. Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an "at-will position" and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.