Principal AI Security Architect

Northern Trust Corp; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 137,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k plan

Pension

Health benefits

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Northern Trust is establishing an AI Security organization and seeks a Principal AI Security Architect to define and operationalize security architecture, governance, and guardrails for enterprise AI platforms, agentic systems, and digital coworkers. This hands-on role partners with engineering, identity, data, and risk teams to enable AI adoption at scale.

The role emphasizes security pattern development, reference architectures, and practical engineering requirements, with close collaboration

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in security architecture, enterprise architecture, cloud architecture, engineering, or related disciplines.
• Experience designing and reviewing complex enterprise technology solutions.
• Strong understanding of IAM, authentication, cloud security, app security, network security, API security, data protection, logging/monitoring, and secrets management.

Responsibilities

• Serve as lead security architect for AI, agentic AI, cloud, SaaS, and emerging technology initiatives.
• Review and challenge solution designs to identify security requirements, architectural risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop security architecture deliverables including: solution diagrams, data-flow diagrams, trust boundary diagrams, reference architectures, security patterns, design standards, control requirements.
• Conduct threat modeling and security design reviews for AI systems and supporting technology platforms.
• Translate security policies and control objectives into practical engineering requirements.
• Help define security patterns for AI agents and digital coworkers, AI platforms and orchestration frameworks, RAG architectures, MCP integrations, AI identities and delegated authorization models.
• Model access control and governance, AI observability and monitoring.
• Work with delivery teams to accelerate security reviews through reusable patterns and pre-approved architectures.
• Create practical implementation guidance for engineering teams building AI capabilities.
• Build and maintain a library of reusable AI security reference architectures, architectural decision records, and security patterns.
• Develop architecture standards and guardrails for enterprise AI adoption.

Skills

Security architecture

Enterprise architecture

Cloud security

Identity & access

Application security

Data protection

Threat modeling

Security reviews

Azure

Observability

Tools

Azure

Job description

About Northern TrustAs a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.Role OverviewNorthern Trust is establishing an AI Security organization responsible for enabling the safe adoption of AI across the enterprise. We are seeking a Principal AI Security Architect to help define and operationalize the security architecture, governance patterns, and technology guardrails that support enterprise AI platforms, agentic systems, digital coworkers, and emerging technologies.This is a highly hands-on architecture role. The successful candidate will actively create architecture artifacts, design patterns, diagrams, reference architectures, security requirements, and reusable guidance while partnering closely with engineering, enterprise architecture, identity, data, application security, infrastructure, and risk teams.This is not a governance-only position and is not a management role. The architect will be expected to work directly with technical teams, evaluate complex designs, solve challenging architecture problems, and help establish the security foundations that enable AI adoption at scale.Key ResponsibilitiesSecurity Architecture & DesignServe as lead security architect for AI, agentic AI, cloud, SaaS, and emerging technology initiatives.Review and challenge solution designs to identify security requirements, architectural risks, and opportunities for improvement.Develop security architecture deliverables including: Solution diagrams Data-flow diagrams Trust boundary diagrams Reference architectures Security patterns Design standards Control requirementsConduct threat modeling and security design reviews for AI systems and supporting technology platforms.Translate security policies and control objectives into practical engineering requirements.AI Security EnablementHelp define security patterns for: AI agents and digital coworkers AI platforms and orchestration frameworks RAG architectures MCP integrations AI identities and delegated authorization models Model access control and governance AI observability and monitoringWork with delivery teams to accelerate security reviews through reusable patterns and pre-approved architectures.Create practical implementation guidance for engineering teams building AI capabilities.Reference Architecture & Standards DevelopmentBuild and maintain a library of reusable AI security reference architectures, architectural decision records, and security patterns.Develop architecture standards and guardrails for enterprise AI adoption.Identify recurring design decisions and convert them into reusable reference material.Contribute to enterprise-wide AI security strategy and architecture direction.Enterprise CollaborationPartner closely with: Enterprise Architecture Security Engineering Identity & Access Management Application Security Security Operations Data Protection Cloud Engineering Emerging Technology teamsFacilitate architecture workshops, design sessions, and technical working groups.Influence security and technology decisions across multiple organizations.Emerging Technology AssessmentResearch emerging AI technologies and security capabilities.Evaluate new platforms, architectures, frameworks, and third-party solutions.Provide technical recommendations that balance innovation, security, operational complexity, and business value.Required Qualifications8+ years of experience in security architecture, enterprise architecture, cloud architecture, engineering, or related disciplines.Experience designing and reviewing complex enterprise technology solutions.Strong understanding of: Identity and access management Authentication and authorization Cloud security Application security Network security API security Data protection Logging and monitoring Secrets managementExperience with Microsoft Azure or comparable cloud platforms.Ability to produce architecture diagrams and technical design documentation.Experience facilitating architecture reviews and working across multiple stakeholder groups.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Preferred QualificationsExperience with generative AI, LLM applications, AI agents, or agentic AI architectures.Familiarity with: RAG architectures MCP AI gateways AI observability Model governance Agent identity and delegated authorization Prompt security and AI threat modelingExperience developing enterprise standards, architecture patterns, or reference architectures.Experience within a regulated financial services environment.Relevant cloud, security, or architecture certifications.What Success Looks LikeWithin the first year, a successful Principal AI Security Architect will:Become a trusted technical advisor to engineering and architecture teams.Produce high-quality security architecture artifacts that accelerate project delivery.Create reusable patterns that reduce ad hoc review effort and improve consistency.Drive complex architecture discussions across Cyber, Technology, and business teams.Help establish the security foundation for enterprise AI adoption.Turn individual design decisions into repeatable, scalable architecture guidance.Salary Range:$137,400 - 233,600 USDSalary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.Work AuthorizationApplicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).Working with UsAs a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.Reasonable AccommodationNorthern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [e-mail], or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.