Sr Principal AI Security Architect (Chicago)

Principal Ai Security Architect

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world's most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

As artificial intelligence transforms the financial services sector, the need for robust and forward-looking security architecture has never been more critical. We are seeking a Principal AI Security Architect to lead the secure design, integration, and governance of AI systems across the enterprise.

This role is responsible for defining AI security strategies that span internal LLM deployments, Microsoft Copilot, and managed third-party AI platforms provided by SaaS providers and other counterparties. You will drive architecture, risk governance, and security enforcement for AI adoption across the organizationbalancing innovation with regulatory, operational, and reputational risk.

The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to Security & Technology Leadership, internal governance boards, and senior business stakeholders to ensure AI is adopted securely, accountably, and in alignment with industry-leading standards.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise AI Security Architecture - Define and enforce enterprise-wide AI security architecture patterns across :

• First-party AI / LLM deployments
• Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot
• Azure OpenAI and plugin architectures
• Third-party managed AI platforms (e.g., Workday, ServiceNow, Solytics, and other integrated AI services)
• Ensure AI systems and plugins are securely integrated with Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Defender suite, Purview, and Azure services.
• Architect Model Context Protocol (MCP) patterns for safe containerized deployments :
• Secure pod-to-pod communication via microsegmentation
• API gateway authentication and rate limiting
• Container image integrity validation
• Grounding data access policy enforcement
• Centralized monitoring and logging for auditability

AI Governance & Risk Management - Develop and maintain enterprise-wide AI security policy frameworks

Partner with Data Protection, Legal, Procurement, and Business Units

Design and implement policy-as-code and workflow-based governance controls

Threat Modeling, Detection & Mitigation - Build and maintain AI-specific threat models

Design AI-aware detection and response strategies

Support red teaming, abuse case development, and adversarial testing

Integration with Microsoft and Third-Party Ecosystems - Enable seamless and secure integration of Microsoft and third-party AI platforms

Ensure data classification and DLP enforcement using Microsoft Purview

Ensure AI interactions respect network boundaries

Controls Alignment & Regulatory Compliance - Map AI-specific controls to CRI v2.1, NIST AI RMF, and OWASP Top 10 for LLMs

Enforce end-to-end controls across the AI lifecycle

Implement controls to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability

Executive Influence & Cross-Functional Leadership - Act as a recognized authority on AI security

Advise Security Leadership, Technology Leadership, and governance boards

Present AI security strategy and posture to stakeholders

Mentor security architects, engineers, and data scientists

Qualifications

Required : - 10+ years in enterprise security architecture or engineering

Expertise in Microsoft security ecosystem

Strong scripting and query experience with PowerShell, KQL

Experience securing AI pipelines and plugin-based architectures

Proven leadership in AI-specific threat modeling and risk treatment

Familiarity with model lifecycle governance

Regulatory alignment : CRI v2.1, NIST AI RMF, OWASP LLM Top 10, FFIEC, GDPR, Basel III

Desired : - Experience with a Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB)

Experience with Solytics, Snowflake integrations, or other third-party platforms

Knowledge of shadow principal, token abuse, and adversary tactics

Recognition as an industry expert

Salary Range : $164,600 - 288,000 USD

Working with Us : As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

We'd love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world's most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today.

Reasonable accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at

MyHRHelp@ntrs.com

We hope you're excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.

Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.