Senior Data Security Architect: Enterprise Data Protection

SMBC; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Accommodations available for candidacy

Job summary

SMBC is seeking a Senior Data Security Architect to lead data protection across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. You will define target-state security architectures, partner with cross-functional teams, and translate strategy into practical controls.

Responsibilities include designing and governing encryption, DLP, data governance, and key management, while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. A strong background in data security and AI/data platforms is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent experience will be considered.
• 8+ years of experience in cybersecurity, information protection, data security, or security architecture roles.
• 5+ years of experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale data protection and data security solutions.
• Strong expertise in data security architecture, information protection, data loss prevention, and sensitive data protection programs.
• Deep knowledge of data classification, data discovery, labeling, data lifecycle management, and data governance principles.
• Strong understanding of encryption technologies, key management systems, certificate management, tokenization, and cryptographic controls.
• Experience securing structured and unstructured data across on-premises, cloud, SaaS, and hybrid environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in cloud security, cloud-native data platforms, and modern analytics architectures.

Responsibilities

• Design and govern enterprise data protection controls, including data discovery, classification, labeling, encryption, tokenization, masking, rights management, and secure data sharing.
• Define security architectures and requirements to protect sensitive data at rest, in transit, and in use across on-premises, cloud, SaaS, and hybrid environments.
• Lead the architecture and governance of Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Insider Risk capabilities across email, endpoint, cloud, web, collaboration, and AI platforms.
• Establish policies, detection capabilities, and monitoring controls to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse, or exfiltration of sensitive information.
• Define and govern data security architectures for cloud platforms, data lakes, data warehouses, analytics platforms, AI/ML solutions, and modern data engineering environments.
• Establish security requirements for data sharing, AI model development, data products, and emerging technologies while ensuring alignment with enterprise security standards.
• Define enterprise standards and architectural requirements for encryption, cryptography, key management, secrets management, certificate management, and data protection technologies.
• Partner with Infrastructure, Cloud Engineering, and Application teams to ensure cryptographic controls and key management practices are effectively implemented and governed across the enterprise.
• Partner with Data Governance, Privacy, Legal, Compliance, and Risk teams to integrate security requirements into enterprise governance, classification, retention, and regulatory compliance processes.
• Conduct security architecture reviews for applications, cloud services, data platforms, and strategic technology initiatives, identifying risks and recommending appropriate mitigations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business, technology, and engineering teams, providing guidance on secure-by-design solutions, security best practices, and emerging data protection capabilities.
• Support regulatory examinations, audits, risk assessments, and the development of security policies, standards, procedures, and control frameworks.

Skills

8+ years cybersecurity experience

Data security architecture

Encryption & key management

Cloud security

Insider risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Purview Information Protection

Data Loss Prevention

Microsoft Defender / Security

DSPM / Data governance platforms

Databricks / cloud analytics

Job description

SMBC is seeking a Senior Data Security Architect to lead data protection across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. You will define target-state security architectures, partner with cross-functional teams, and translate strategy into practical controls.

Responsibilities include designing and governing encryption, DLP, data governance, and key management, while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. A strong background in data security and AI/data platforms is essential.