Principal Security Engineer - Akamai Inference Cloud

Akamai Technologies; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 132,100 - 237,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

401(K) savings

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Akamai Technologies in Cambridge, Massachusetts is seeking a Principal Security Engineer to oversee security across its inference cloud platform. This role encompasses defining security strategies, leading architectural decisions, and ensuring robust compliance readiness.

The ideal candidate will bring over 8 years of experience in security engineering, specializing in cloud and AI-related threats. A comprehensive benefits package is offered, including health care, 401(K), and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Deep expertise in cloud and infrastructure security.
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML security challenges.

Responsibilities

• Own the security architecture for Kubernetes infrastructure and APIs.
• Develop threat models and security standards.
• Lead security design reviews and initiatives.

Skills

Application security

Infrastructure security

Cloud-native security

AI/ML security

Python

Go

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Job Description

As Principal Security Engineer you will be the primary security authority across Akamai’s inference cloud platform, spanning infrastructure, runtimes, APIs, model lifecycle, and customer‑facing services.

Partner with the best: define and drive security strategy end‑to‑end, lead architecture decisions across multiple engineering teams, establish threat models and standards, and own the platform’s security posture.

Responsibilities

• Defining and owning the security architecture spanning Kubernetes infrastructure, inference runtimes, control‑plane APIs, and model‑lifecycle pipelines.
• Establishing threat models, security standards, and hardening guidelines across all platform teams and ensuring consistent adoption through reviews and automated enforcement.
• Leading security design reviews for critical systems including model‑serving environments, multi‑tenant isolation, authentication and authorization frameworks, and data‑handling pipelines.
• Driving AI‑specific security initiatives, including defense against prompt injection, model extraction, adversarial inputs, data poisoning, and model supply‑chain attacks.
• Owning compliance readiness for regulatory frameworks such as ISO27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and emerging AI governance standards, partnering with legal and compliance teams.
• Developing and maturing the platform’s security incident response capabilities, including detection, investigation, and remediation playbooks for both traditional and AI‑specific threats.
• Collaborating with Akamai’s broader security organization to align inference platform security practices with enterprise standards and share learnings across product lines.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Security Engineering, or a related field.
• Deep expertise across application, infrastructure, and cloud‑native security with experience as a security technical lead or architect.
• Hands‑on experience with AI/ML security challenges including model‑serving attack surfaces, prompt‑injection mitigation, and adversarial robustness.
• Proven ability to define security architecture and threat models for complex distributed systems spanning multiple engineering teams.
• Experience with compliance frameworks and the ability to translate regulatory requirements into engineering controls.
• Proficiency in Python, Go, or similar languages with experience building security tooling, automation, or detection systems.

Benefits

Akamai supports health, well‑being, finances, and life beyond work. The compensation package includes a base salary range of $132,100–$237,900/year for U.S. candidates, incentive opportunities, equity awards, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Benefits include healthcare, 401(K) savings, holidays, PTO, sick time, parental leave, and a comprehensive employee assistance program.