Title: Senior Application Security Architect
Location : McLean, VA
Target Start Date : ASAP
Type: contract
Pay Rate: DOE
Senior Application Security Architect
The Senior Application Security Architect is responsible for designing, implementing, and governing enterprise-wide application security architecture and standards. This role establishes security frameworks, conducts architecture and design reviews, and leads strategic security initiatives that embed security across the software development lifecycle. The position requires strong technical depth, architectural thinking, and leadership, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities and collaborate effectively across teams.
Responsibilities - Design and establish enterprise application security architecture frameworks, reference models, and standards aligned with business objectives and risk tolerance
- Lead application and system architecture reviews to identify security gaps and recommend appropriate controls
- Develop and maintain security baselines, standards, and reusable patterns for web, mobile, API, microservices, and cloud-native applications
- Create and evolve threat modeling practices and facilitate threat modeling sessions with development teams
- Define secure coding standards and security requirements based on application type, data classification, and risk profile
- Architect security solutions for authentication, authorization, encryption, and secure communications
- Establish security guardrails for cloud-native, serverless, containerized, and infrastructure-as-code environments
- Design and implement API security strategies, including identity flows, gateways, and rate limiting
- Integrate security architecture principles into CI/CD pipelines to support DevSecOps initiatives
- Evaluate, select, and recommend application security tools and technologies
- Develop security architecture roadmaps and guide implementation of enterprise security capabilities
- Partner with development and platform teams to design secure solutions that balance security and business needs
- Lead cross-functional security initiatives with enterprise-wide impact
- Leverage GenAI technologies to enhance security architecture reviews and automate security analysis
- Maintain documentation of security architecture decisions, patterns, and reference implementations
- Develop and deliver security architecture training and guidance for developers and architects
- Stay current with emerging security threats, technologies, and architectural best practices
- Perform security design reviews for new applications and major system changes
- Architect secure data handling practices, including encryption at rest and in transit
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related technical field
- 5+ years of experience in application security, including at least 2 years in a security architecture role
- Deep knowledge of secure design principles, threat modeling methodologies, and security architecture patterns
- Experience designing security controls for cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
- Proficiency evaluating and implementing application security tools, including SAST, DAST, IAST, and SCA
- Hands-on experience with security testing and proxy tools
- Strong understanding of secure software development practices and DevSecOps implementation
- In-depth knowledge of OWASP Top 10, CWE/SANS, and related security standards
- Experience with authentication and identity technologies including MFA, SSO, OAuth 2.0, SAML, and OIDC
- Experience designing and securing APIs and microservices architectures
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements and their impact on application architecture
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages, preferably Java, Python, or JavaScript
- Experience performing secure code reviews and identifying common vulnerability patterns
- Understanding of cryptographic protocols and secure implementation practices
- Experience supporting modern application architectures such as SPAs, serverless, and container-based systems
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex security concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders
- Relevant certifications such as CSSLP, CISSP, or cloud security certifications are highly desirable
This role is ideal for a strategic security leader who can balance security requirements with business objectives while driving a more mature and resilient application security ecosystem.
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