Associate Director, Cyber Architecture & Engineering

About the role

KPMG is seeking an Associate Director, Cyber Architecture & Engineering to join our Enterprise Security Services organization. This role involves applying advanced knowledge of IT security and architecture to lead the implementation and day-to-day operational responsibilities of a comprehensive information security strategy aligned with the firm’s goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Apply advanced IT security and architecture knowledge to implement and lead a comprehensive information security strategy that aligns with the firm’s goals and addresses evolving threats.
• Serve as an internal senior trusted advisor, providing security consulting across multiple technical domains to project teams and senior leaders. Offer advice on security, explain risk trade-offs, and solve complex problems through compensating control alternatives while enabling business objectives.
• Design secure applications, platforms, and security controls across on-premises and multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP), including AI-enabled and agentic AI solutions. Partner with technology teams to align security standards, enable innovation, and drive consistent architecture practices.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with public and private cloud vendors to advocate for product enhancements, inform stakeholders of forthcoming features, and research security controls, configuration baselines, and design patterns supporting risk assessments and secure architectures.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in information security, continuously evaluating and improving the organization’s security posture through assessment of regulatory requirements, AI-related technologies, agentic architectures, controls, practices, techniques, and threats. Facilitate internal skills development for security personnel.
• Provide security guidance on emerging technologies, including AI-enabled applications, agentic AI, and autonomous workflows, ensuring security is integrated by design. Lead stakeholder engagement, develop executive presentations, and mentor junior team members while supporting team planning and resource management.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and personal responsibility to uphold KPMG’s respectful and courteous work environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum eight years of recent experience in security architecture, preferably within a professional services firm or similar environment. Deep technical expertise across application development, cloud computing, security, identity and access management, IT infrastructure, and emerging technologies such as AI-enabled platforms, agentic AI workflows, and autonomous agents.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred; minimum of a high school diploma or GED is required with ten years of equivalent professional experience. Required certifications: CISSP and either CCSP or CCSK, or equivalent industry experience. Additional certifications of importance: AZ-500 (Microsoft Azure Security Technologies), Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer, AWS Certified Security - Specialty, MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure, AWS Certified Solutions Architect.
• Experience designing and securing solutions in a complex, regulated enterprise environment to offer solutions in an “as-a-service” model, including SaaS, AI-enabled, and agentic delivery models.
• Demonstrated ability to define security requirements and help teams implement them through collaborative architecture and engineering, ensuring security is integrated into all aspects of solution design and implementation, including AI-assisted and agentic workflows. Ability to design creative alternatives to address gaps in vendor offerings.
• Deep understanding of cloud computing architecture, technical design, and implementations, including IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, containerized delivery models, and AI-enabled service delivery patterns across multiple cloud vendors. Experience with modern solution delivery methodologies such as Agile and DevSecOps, incorporating security into the system development lifecycle.
• Proven ability to define, document, and peer review technical security standards, including cloud security best practices, operating system security, application security, wireless network security, and regulatory requirements such as NIST, PCI, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance.
• Excellent verbal/written communication, collaboration, analytical, and presentation skills. Ability to interact effectively with individuals at all levels, set goals, and participate in strategic initiatives. Strong troubleshooting, organizational, and multi-project management skills.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. KPMG will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity.

Benefits

KPMG offers a comprehensive, competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Disability and life insurance.
• 401(k) plans.
• A robust suite of personal well-being benefits to support mental health.
• Personal Time Off per fiscal year, based on job classification, standard work hours, and years of service.
• Two annual breaks where employees are not required to use Personal Time Off: one at year-end and another around the July 4th holiday.

Pay

California Salary Range: $153,000 - $297,000. Salary ranges for other locations can be found at KPMG Pay Transparency.