Senior Architect – GenAI Application Security at Vanguard

The Senior Security Architect – GenAI Application Security will lead the design and evolution of Vanguard’s next‑generation application security architecture, leveraging Generative AI and agentic security models to detect, analyze, and mitigate vulnerabilities across modern software systems.

This role sits at the intersection of application security, AI/ML security, platform engineering, and enterprise architecture, and is responsible for defining scalable security patterns for SAST, SCA, API security, and Vanguard‑built agentic applications. The architect will partner closely with Dev Sec Ops, CICD Pipeline teams, Platform teams, AI/ML teams, and enterprise security leadership to embed intelligent, automated security controls across the SDLC.

This Hybrid Role (in office Tues-Wed-Thurs) can be based in Charlotte, NC, Dallas, TX, or Malvern, PA Responsibilities:GenAI‑Driven Application Security Architecture

• Define and own the enterprise architecture for GenAI‑enabled application security capabilities across SAST, SCA, API security, Containers and runtime analysis, ensuring alignment with Vanguard security standards and risk appetite.

• Design and implement agentic security capabilities to autonomously analyze source code, dependencies, APIs, and runtime behavior to identify exploitable vulnerabilities beyond traditional security tooling.

• Establish reference architectures and secure design patterns for AI‑assisted code analysis, dependency graph analysis, and API threat detection, including guidance for custom-built Vanguard agentic applications.

Vulnerability Discovery & Intelligent Analysis

• Architect GenAI‑powered solutions to augment or replace traditional SAST, SCA, and API security tools.

• Define approaches for context‑aware vulnerability prioritization, correlating exploitability, runtime exposure, and business impact.

• Recommend and lead the evaluation and secure integration of AI capabilities and tools for Vanguard application stack.

Custom Agentic Application Security

• Establish security architecture standards for Vanguard‑developed GenAI and agentic platforms, including: Secure orchestration and tool invocation.

• Enable App Sec teams by recommending, evaluating, and architecting MLSec Ops capabilities that improves security posture of ADLC (Agentic Application Development LIfecylce)

• Partner with engineering teams to embed security‑by‑design controls into developer workflows, agent workflows, decision loops, and autonomous execution paths.

Secure SDLC & Platform Enablement

• Define how GenAI‑based App Sec capabilities integrate seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, developer platforms, and runtime environments with minimal developer friction.

• Provide architectural guidance for secure onboarding of applications into App Sec platforms, including API gateways, scanning services, and orchestration layers.

• Ensure security patterns are codified, reusable, and discoverable for engineering teams

Governance, Risk & Leadership

• Translate architectural decisions into clear risk narratives for senior leadership, audit, and regulatory stakeholders.

• Define metrics and architectural KPIs to measure coverage, effectiveness, and maturity of GenAI‑enabled App Sec controls.

• Act as a thought leader and mentor for App Sec engineers, security architects, and platform teams, elevating overall security architecture maturity across Vanguard.

• Stay ahead of emerging threats in AI/ML security, adversarial attacks, and software supply chain risk, continuously evolving Vanguard’s security architecture accordingly.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; equivalent practical experience considered.

Special Factors Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.