Senior Vice President- Application Security

PassFort; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 228,000 - 333,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Parental leave

Paid time off

401(k) plan with company match

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Accident insurance

Employee stock purchase plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Moody’s is seeking a Senior Vice President of Application Security to lead enterprise security strategy across software delivery, architecture, and risk management. You will build a global security organization, drive secure-by-design practices, and guide VMDR, CSPM, and SSPM programs in collaboration with engineering teams.

The role requires extensive leadership, deep security expertise, and the ability to translate complex risks into business decisions for executives, clients, and regulators.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in cybersecurity with leadership in application/product security
• Deep expertise in secure SDLC, threat modeling, OWASP Top 10
• Strong software engineering background for code reviews
• Experience scaling DevSecOps and security automation
• Knowledge of cloud-native architectures, containers, Kubernetes
• Proven global team leadership and strategic influence
• Executive communication and stakeholder management
• VMDR/CSPM/SSPM experience a plus

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve enterprise Application Security strategy and roadmaps
• Build and develop a global AS/PS/DevSecOps organization
• Embed security across the software development lifecycle
• Drive threat modeling, secure coding standards, and testing automation
• Oversee VMDR with risk-based prioritization and metrics
• Guide CSPM/SSPM platforms with engineering teams
• Consolidate security findings into a unified enterprise risk view
• Partner with leaders across engineering, risk, legal, and compliance

Skills

Leadership in security

Application security

Threat modeling

Secure SDLC

DevSecOps

Executive communication

Cloud security

Security architecture

Education

Bachelor's in CS/Engineering/InfoSec

Advanced degree or security certs (CISSP/CSSLP/CISM/GWAPT/OSCP)

Tools

SAST

DAST

IAST

SCA

CI/CD security

Cloud platforms

Job description

Senior Vice President- Application Security

Charlotte, United States; New York, United States; Golden, United States

• Posted: 08/19/2026
• Job reference: 14066
• Experience level: Experienced Hire
• Job category: Engineering & Technology
• Line of business: CYBERSECURITY

At Moody's, we unite the brightest minds to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they are— with the freedom to exchange ideas, think innovatively, and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways. Moody’s is transforming how the world sees risk. As a global leader in ratings and integrated risk assessment, we’re advancing AI to move from insight to action—enabling intelligence that not only understands complexity but responds to it. We decode risk to unlock opportunity, helping our clients navigate uncertainty with clarity, speed, and confidence.

If you are excited about this opportunity but do not meet every single requirement, please apply! You still may be a great fit for this role or other open roles.

Skills and Competencies

• 15+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience, including significant leadership experience in Application Security, Product Security, or related security disciplines
• Deep expertise in secure software development lifecycle practices, threat modeling, secure architecture and design reviews, secure coding standards, OWASP Top 10, CWE, and modern application security programs
• Strong software engineering background with the ability to review and assess production code and influence engineering organizations as a trusted technical leadership
• Proven experience implementing and scaling DevSecOps practices, including security automation, AI-enabled security capabilities, SAST, DAST, IAST, SCA, CI/CD security integration, and software supply chain security controls; experience leveraging AI to enhance security operations, risk identification, and engineering efficiency is preferred
• Strong knowledge of modern technology architectures including cloud-native environments, microservices, containers, Kubernetes, APIs, and SaaS platforms
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing global teams, driving enterprise-wide security transformation, and influencing outcomes across multiple levels of leadership
• Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex technical risks into actionable business decisions for senior leaders, clients, auditors, regulators, and boards
• Experience leading Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response (VMDR), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) programs within large, complex, or regulated organizations is a plus

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Security, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Advanced degree (Master's degree or MBA) and/or relevant certifications such as CISSP, CSSLP, CISM, GWAPT, or OSCP are a plus

Responsibilities

Lead enterprise application security strategy and posture management capabilities to enable secure, resilient, and scalable software delivery.

• Define, own, and evolve the enterprise Application Security strategy, roadmap, and operating model in alignment with business objectives and the broader cybersecurity program
• Build, lead, and develop a global organization of Application Security, Product Security, and DevSecOps professionals, fostering innovation, accountability, and continuous learning
• Embed security throughout the software development lifecycle by establishing secure-by-design and secure-by-default practices across engineering teams
• Drive adoption of threat modeling, secure coding standards, secure design reviews, automated security testing, and software supply chain security controls
• Provide strategic oversight for the enterprise Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response (VMDR) program, including risk-based prioritization, remediation governance, penetration testing, and security metrics reporting
• Guide Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) capabilities in partnership with platform and engineering teams, supporting security baselines, guardrails, continuous monitoring, and remediation strategies
• Consolidate application, cloud, and SaaS security findings into a unified view of enterprise risk, enabling data-driven prioritization and decision-making
• Partner with Engineering, Product, Infrastructure, Risk, Legal, Privacy, Compliance, and executive stakeholders to strengthen security posture, regulatory readiness, and shared ownership of cyber risk

About the Team

The Cybersecurity Services Group (CSG) drives cybersecurity strategy and innovation across Moody's, enabling the business to deliver trusted products and services in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By joining our team, you will help define the future of application security, lead transformative security initiatives at enterprise scale, and empower global teams to build secure, resilient, and innovative technology solutions.

For US-based roles only: the anticipated hiring base salary range for this position is $228,000 - $333,150.00, depending on factors such as experience, education, level, skills, and location. This range is based on a full-time position. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for incentive compensation.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• parental leave
• paid time off
• a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities
• life
• disability
• accident insurance
• a discounted employee stock purchase plan
• tuition reimbursement

Moody’s is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Moody’s also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about a reasonable accommodation, or need assistance with completing the application process, please email [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only, and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For San Francisco positions, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

This position may be considered a promotional opportunity, pursuant to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.

Click here to view our full EEO policy statement (opens in new window). Click here for more information on your EEO rights under the law (opens in new window). Click here to view our Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination statement (opens in new window).

Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody’s Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.