VP, Staff Security Engineer

Synchrony, a Stamford, Connecticut based financial services company, is seeking a Vice President and Staff Security Engineer to drive security initiatives for AI security enablement and enterprise cloud migration. This onsite role provides technical leadership across diverse teams, partnering with security and technology leadership to shape strategy and deliver scalable, secure solutions from the ground up in Stamford, CT.

Role Summary

The Vice President and Staff Security Engineer will lead highly technical initiatives to strengthen the Security Engineering function, designing enablement solutions for core programs such as AI security and enterprise cloud migration while guiding multiple teams. The ideal candidate combines hands-on expertise with strategic influence across domains including AI security, DevOps, cloud engineering, data protection, perimeter defense, and cryptography, and excels at fostering cross-functional collaboration.

Compensation

Salary range: USD 135,000 - 230,000 per year.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with security and technology leadership as a trusted advisor and help shape the organization's security strategy.
• Account for complex security initiatives across teams, proactively steering high-impact projects to successful and efficient outcomes.
• Advance security technology innovation, challenge existing norms, and contribute as a thought leader.
• Contribute to the development of cutting-edge security practices and technologies.
• Provide strategic guidance to security leadership that informs the overall security roadmap.
• Cultivate a culture of continuous learning and cross-team collaboration within the Security Engineering organization.
• Design and deploy scalable, automated security solutions that bridge on-premises controls with cloud environments.
• Serve as a senior hands-on resource and subject matter expert, partnering with security architects and engineers while promoting best practices.
• Work with cross-functional teams to assess, prioritize, and mitigate security risks across the development lifecycle.
• Develop technical plans, document analyses, create visual diagrams, and communicate project trade-offs clearly.
• Develop, maintain, and update security policies, standards, and procedures aligned with regulations and goals.
• Evaluate and integrate new security technologies, tools, and processes to improve the security posture, documenting requirements.
• Lead efforts to ensure AWS cloud services are designed and engineered with security best practices in mind.
• Advise on strengthening core services such as data protection controls and network security segmentation.
• Act as a liaison between security and engineering teams to embed security across infrastructure and application development stages.
• Represent the security function in technical discussions, architecture reviews, and governance processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 5 years of experience in Information Security, Engineering, Application Development, or a related field, or in lieu of a degree, a High School Diploma/GED with 9 years of equivalent work experience.
• Working knowledge of regulatory compliance and information security management frameworks (for example PCI-DSS, NIST 800-53).
• Proven track record of driving and delivering wide-impact security initiatives from ideation through proof-of-concept to launch.
• Outstanding interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to drive consensus and manage non-technical aspects of engineering initiatives.
• Strong critical thinking and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• Experience interfacing with senior management and communicating effectively across multiple management levels.
• A reputation for teaching, mentoring, and advising other domain experts and contributors.
• Ability to adapt to evolving technologies and priorities while leading complex initiatives.
• Demonstrated conflict management skills within high-impact programs.
• Self-organizing, prioritizing, and thriving with autonomy.
• Ability and flexibility to travel for business as required

Technologies

• AWS
• Bedrock
• AgentCore

Our Way of Working

Synchrony offers flexible arrangements with the option to work from home near a hub or in one of our offices. In-person engagements, including regular meetings, training, and culture events, require commuting to the nearest Hub. Some roles may have location requirements based on partner obligations or preferences.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be 18 years or older
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Willing to undergo drug testing, background investigation, and fingerprinting as part of onboarding
• Able to satisfy the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act
• New hires (Level 4-7) must complete 9 months of continuous service before posting to other roles; after this period, a minimum of 6 months in position before posting for future non-exempt roles
• Employees at Level 8 or higher must have at least 18 months in position before posting
• All internal employees must consistently meet performance expectations and obtain manager approval

Job Family Group

Information Technology

Reasonable Accommodation Notice

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