Title: Security Architect
Location: Mississauga, ON - Hybrid
Contract
The Opportunity
The Security Architect will be responsible for defining, governing, and evolving enterprise security architecture across cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and emerging technology environments. This is a senior advisory and governance role — not a hands-on operations role.
The contractor will serve as a strategic advisor to technology and business leaders, ensuring that security capabilities, architecture decisions, and technology investments align with business strategy, regulatory obligations, and risk appetite. A key focus is embedding security-by-design principles into project delivery from the requirements phase onward.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Security Architecture
- Develop, maintain, and govern enterprise security architecture strategy, standards, principles, patterns, and reference architectures.
- Define target-state security architectures across cloud, on-premises, SaaS, and hybrid technology environments.
- Provide architecture leadership for strategic technology investments, modernization initiatives, and digital transformation programs.
- Ensure alignment between cybersecurity initiatives, enterprise architecture roadmaps, and business priorities.
Project Security Engagement
- Lead security architecture reviews for net new IT projects, engaging directly with IT leaders and project architects from initiation.
- Conduct security risk classification at project kick-off and define appropriate security controls based on data sensitivity, asset criticality, exposure, and regulatory scope.
- Review functional and non-functional requirements for security adequacy; provide formal written sign-off before architectural design work begins.
- Conduct architectural design reviews and document findings; govern risk exceptions through a formal Risk Acceptance Memo (RAM) process.
- Hand off approved security documentation and open risk items to the Information Security team for ongoing tracking.
Security Design & Risk Management
- Lead threat modelling, security risk assessments, and architecture reviews for enterprise initiatives and critical projects.
- Define security control frameworks covering identity and access management, data protection, application security, network security, cloud security, and integration security.
- Translate business objectives, regulatory requirements, and risk tolerance into measurable security capabilities and architecture standards.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend secure adoption approaches.
Cloud, Data & Platform Security
- Provide architecture leadership for cloud security, including governance, identity, data protection, workload security, and platform controls.
- Define and govern security requirements for APIs, integrations, data platforms, AI solutions, and digital products.
- Partner with cloud governance and technology teams to establish secure cloud adoption practices.
AI Security Governance
- Lead security architecture aspects of AI-enabled solutions, automation platforms, and intelligent agents.
- Establish governance practices for AI-related security risks, oversight mechanisms, and accountability frameworks.
- Define security requirements for AI systems, including data protection, model governance, access controls, and responsible use.
Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior technology and business leaders on cybersecurity risks, architecture decisions, and technology trade-offs.
- Present security architecture recommendations, risks, and investment considerations to leadership audiences.
- Communicate complex security concepts in business-relevant terms, enabling informed decision-making at all levels.
- Collaborate across Enterprise Architecture, Solution Architecture, Product Teams, Security Operations, and Infrastructure Services.
Vendor & Third-Party Security
- Provide security architecture guidance for vendor evaluations, procurement activities, and technology partnerships.
- Participate in third-party security assessments and define minimum security standards for vendor and partner engagements.
- Assess data residency, privacy, and regulatory implications associated with technology solutions and vendor services.
Experience
- 8+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity, information security, enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or related technology leadership roles.
- Demonstrated experience designing and governing security architectures in complex enterprise environments.
- Experience supporting cloud transformation initiatives and hybrid technology ecosystems.
- Experience conducting security risk assessments, architecture reviews, and threat modelling.
- Experience reviewing functional and non-functional requirements for security adequacy and providing formal sign-off in a project governance context.
- Experience advising senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders on technology risk and architecture decisions.
Preferred Certifications
- CISSP — Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- SABSA, TOGAF, or equivalent enterprise architecture certification
- CCSP — Certified Cloud Security Professional
- CISM — Certified Information Security Manager
- Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud security architect certifications
Technical Skills
Candidates should demonstrate depth across the following areas:
- Enterprise Security Architecture
- Cloud Security Architecture
- Identity & Access Management
- Data Protection & Privacy Controls
- Application & API Security
- Network & Infrastructure Security
- Threat Modelling & Risk Assessment
- Security Control Frameworks & Standards
- Security Governance & Compliance
- Functional & Non-Functional Security Requirements
- Risk Acceptance & Residual Risk Management
- Shift-Left & Secure-by-Design Practices
- AI Governance & Emerging Technology Security
- Vendor & Third-Party Risk Management
- Executive Communication & Stakeholder Advisory
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