Principal Database Security

1611 Ally Bank; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards

Time off policy

Bonuses

Job summary

Ally seeks a Principal leader to drive the Database Security and Data Obfuscation program across the enterprise. This role leads a hybrid onshore/offshore squad protecting data in on-prem and cloud environments, reporting to the Director, Data Security Operations.

Responsible for DAM, data masking, and related controls, with strong cross-functional collaboration to align security with business objectives. Ideal candidates have deep technical expertise in database security, regulatory frameworks

Qualifications

• 7+ years in data security or related field.
• Experience with enterprise-scale data obfuscation/masking.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead enterprise strategy for Database Security and Data Obfuscation.
• Oversee DAM and data masking implementations across cloud/on-prem systems.
• Drive risk metrics and regulatory readiness through governance and audits.
• Mentor team members and align security priorities with business goals.

Skills

Data security

Database security

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related

Tools

DAM platforms

Power BI

Splunk

Snowflake

AWS/Azure

Job description

Ally and Your Career Ally Financial only succeeds when its people do - and that’s more than some cliché people put on job postings. We love this stuff! We see our people as, well, people - with interests, families, friends, dreams, and causes that are all important to them. Our focus is on the health and safety of our teammates as well as work-life balance and diversity and inclusion. From generous benefits to a variety of employee resource groups, we strive to build paths that encourage employees to stretch themselves professionally. We want to help you grow, develop, and learn new things. You’re constantly evolving, so shouldn’t your opportunities be, too?

Work Schedule: Ally designates roles as (1) fully on-site, (2) hybrid, or (3) fully remote. Hybrid roles are generally expected to be in the office a certain number of days per week as indicated by your manager. Your hiring manager will discuss this role's specific work requirements with you during the hiring process. All work requirements are subject to change at any time based on leader discretion and/or business need.

The Opportunity

Ally is seeking a Principal leader to drive the Database Security and Data Obfuscation (Data Masking) program across the enterprise.

This role will lead a hybrid onshore/offshore squad responsible for protecting sensitive data across its lifecycle—covering structured and unstructured data in on-prem and cloud environments.

Reporting to the Director, Data Security Operations, this position provides strategic leadership, technical oversight, and execution accountability for critical data protection capabilities, including Database Activity Monitoring (DAM), Database Access Controls, Data Masking, and Test Data Management (TDM).

This is a mid-level to senior-level highly technical role driving working closely with Technology, Privacy, Enterprise Risk, and business stakeholders to manage data security risk, meet regulatory expectations, and enable secure data usage.

This role requires an individual with a strong technical background as well as an ability to work with the IT organization and business management to align priorities and plans with key business objectives.

Responsible for providing technical guidance to staff as they work to accomplish company objectives.

This is a mid-level to senior-level highly technical role.

At this time, Ally will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The Work Itself Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Strategy

Define and lead the enterprise strategy for Database Security and Data Obfuscation capabilities.

Build and manage a global delivery model (onshore/offshore squad), including prioritization, capacity planning, and performance management.

Establish and maintain policies, standards, playbooks, and governance aligned with regulatory expectations (e.g., FFIEC, GLBA, SOX).

Drive multi-year roadmap for DAM, masking, and sensitive data protection initiatives.

Database Security (DAM & Controls)

Oversee enterprise deployment and operations of Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) and Database security capabilities.

Ensure ongoing tuning, policy management, and optimization of database security controls.

Lead response and integration with SOC/CSIRT for database-related security incidents.

Deliver risk-based reporting and metrics to leadership (e.g., control coverage, alert handling, remediation progress).

Data Obfuscation / Masking & TDM

Design and implement Dynamic Data Masking (DDM) and Test Data Management (TDM) solutions aligned to business and regulatory requirements.

Lead enterprise-wide data masking initiatives across multiple platforms and data domains.

Ensure secure handling of production data in lower environments and define best practices for data movement and protection.

Build reusable masking patterns, automation, and self-service capabilities to scale adoption across cloud (AWS/Azure), Snowflake, and hybrid architectures.

Operations, Risk & Governance

Oversee day-to-day operations of DAM, masking, and related controls, ensuring SLA adherence and operational excellence.

Manage issues, risks, and escalations, and provide transparency to senior leadership.

Ensure audit readiness and successful regulatory exam outcomes through strong documentation and control evidence.

Drive continuous improvement across processes, automation, and control effectiveness.

Team Development & Stakeholder Engagement

Mentor and develop team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Build strong relationships with business, IT, and compliance stakeholders to align security objectives with organizational goals.

Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical partners, including senior leadership.

Design and enhance support processes, perform data analysis, track workflow burndown to meet milestones, and deliver KPI/KRI reporting to improve the stability, resiliency, and performance of business-critical applications.

The Qualifications We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in data security with strong focus on database security and/or data protection.
• Hands-on experience with DAM platforms (e.g., Imperva SecureSphere, IBM Guardium) or similar tools
• Proven experience leading enterprise scale Data obfuscation program (masking, tokenization, de-identification).
• Deep understanding of database platforms (Oracle, SQL Server, NoSQL, cloud data stores).
• Strong understanding of regulatory processes and compliance frameworks (PCI, SOX, GLBA, NYDFS, Sarbanes-Oxley).
• Experience implementing and managing data privacy controls in large-scale banking or financial environments.
• Previous experience working with Power BI including up to date knowledge on the latest Power BI features and functions.
• Working knowledge on Splunk and related reporting capabilities
• Knowledge of big data concepts and cloud data warehouse (Hadoop/ Snowflake).
• Knowledge of Data Security capabilities Encryption, Tokenization (Protegrity, Thales/Vormetric, etc.), De-identification (Hashing, Masking, Redaction etc.) (Delphix, Informatica, Privitar, etc.), and Key and Certificate Management (Entrust, Thales/Gemalto, Venafi, etc.)
• Understanding of Amazon Web Serves (AWS) and Azure and use of AWS security tools.
• Experience developing Key Risk Indicators / Key Performance Indicators related to Information Security or IT Risk Management

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant experience
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or similar field or equivalent

How We’ll Have Your Back

Ally's compensation program offers market-competitive base pay and pay-for-performance incentives (bonuses) based on achieving personal and company goals. Our Total Rewards program includes industry-leading compensation and benefits plus additional incentives that are designed to meet your needs and those of your family so you can get the most out of your career and your life, including:

• Time Away: Program starts at 20 paid time off days in addition to 11 paid holidays and 8 hours of volunteer time off yearly (time off days are prorated based on start date and program varies based on full or part-time status and