Principal Security Architect – Information Security

About the role

The Principal Security Architect will lead the design and implementation of security solutions that meet the scalability, performance, fault‑tolerance and data‑integrity expectations of Northern Trust’s Information Security Operations and Architecture function. Reporting through the Business Information Security Officer to the Global CISO, this role collaborates with business, technology, risk and corporate teams to embed security by design across the enterprise.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and drive the security strategy and architecture plan in partnership with management and the architecture team.
• Provide leadership, mentorship and guidance to security staff, fostering teamwork and open communication.
• Participate in Architecture Review Boards, reviewing proposals to ensure they meet enterprise security requirements.
• Work with the Enterprise Security Architecture team to create security blueprints, patterns and standards.
• Maintain a strong understanding of vulnerability management and incorporate findings into architectural decisions.
• Engage with industry groups to stay current on emerging security trends.
• Balance organizational IT security concerns with business requirements, identifying alternative functional security strategies.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in security architecture, preferably within the financial services sector.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence security decisions at an enterprise level.
• Deep knowledge of authentication, authorization, access management, governance and regulatory compliance.
• Experience designing secure solutions for hybrid and cloud environments.
• Strong communication skills to liaise with business units, technology teams and risk partners.

Required skills

• Authentication
• Authorization
• Access management
• Governance
• Regulatory compliance
• Vulnerability management
• Cloud security