Cloud Security Architect

Role: Senior Cloud Security Architect

Location: Morrisville, NC; Falls Church, VA; or Eagan, MN (Remote)

Duration: 6+ months contract

Contract Type: W2

As a Senior Cloud Security Architect, you will lead the strategic vision for protecting our multi-cloud ecosystem.

You are responsible for designing the security blueprints that govern our entire digital footprint from identity perimeters to AI-driven threat detection.

This role requires a "Security as Code" mindset, where you build automated guardrails that empower developers to move at speed without compromising the safety of our data or infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities:

• Security Architecture Vision: Lead the design of a global Zero Trust architecture, ensuring robust identity governance (IAM), network micro-segmentation, and data encryption across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• AI-Native Security Strategy: Architect specialized security frameworks for AI/ML pipelines, focusing on data privacy for training sets, model integrity, and securing LLM-integrated applications against emerging attack vectors.
• Automated Guardrails (Policy as Code): Develop and enforce enterprise-wide security policies using Terraform, etc., ensuring that non-compliant infrastructure is automatically remediated or blocked from deployment.
• Cloud Posture Management: Design and oversee the integration of CNAPP and CSPM tools to provide real-time visibility into misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and excessive permissions.
• Threat Modeling & Resilience: Conduct deep-dive threat modeling for complex cloud-native systems, simulating advanced persistent threats (APTs) and "blast radius" scenarios to strengthen system resilience.
• Security Consultancy: Act as the lead security advisor for the Cloud Architecture team, bridging the gap between DevOps agility and rigorous regulatory compliance (SOC2).

Technical Qualifications:

Category:

• Security Platforms

Requirements:

• Mastery of cloud-native security suites (e.g., AWS Security Hub, Azure Defender, Google Cloud Platform Security Command Center).

Category:

• Identity & Access

Requirements:

• Expert knowledge of Identity-First Security, including CIEM, Just-In-Time (JIT) access, and complex OIDC/SAML flows.

Category:

• Automation

Requirements:

• Proficiency in Python, Go, or Bash to build custom security automations and integrate with SOAR platforms.

Category:

• DevSecOps

Requirements:

• Deep experience embedding automated security testing (SAST/DAST/SCA) directly into CI/CD pipelines.

Category:

• Cloud Networking

Requirements:

• Advanced understanding of secure connectivity, including SD-WAN, Cloud WAF, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

Preferred Experience:

• Experience: 12+ years in Cybersecurity, with at least 6 years focused on architecting secure cloud environments at scale.
• Certifications: Top-tier credentials.
• Education: Advanced degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related engineering field preferred. BS degree from an accredited College/University in the applicable field of services is required, or four additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a college degree. If the individual's degree is not in the applicable field then four additional years of related experience is required.
• Soft Skills: Strong ability to bridge the gap between "Speed of DevOps" and "Rigors of Security" while communicating clearly with executive leadership
• Leadership: Proven ability to influence technical roadmaps and present security risks clearly to C-suite stakeholders.

Core Objectives:

• Zero Standing Privilege: Help Transition the organization to a "Zero Standing Privilege" model for all production environments.
• Automated Compliance: Help Achieve automated auditing for core compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST, CIS Benchmarks).
• Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): Utilize AI-driven monitoring to reduce the detection time of anomalous cloud activity to minimum.