Staff Security Architect

This role is not eligible for sponsorship and is a four-day onsite hybrid position at our N. Scottsdale office.

About the role

Choice Hotels, one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, has an exciting opportunity as our Staff Security Architect in our Information Security organization. Information Security is the team that protects the systems, data, and digital experiences behind our hotel brands — keeping our guests, franchisees, and associates safe from cyber threats. As a key member of our Information Security team, you will lead the security architecture for a critical technology domain, designing the standards and safeguards that let our engineering teams build and ship quickly without compromising on security.

Responsibilities

• Lead security architecture for an assigned domain, platform, or set of products, applying enterprise security standards, patterns, and guardrails to real-world solutions.
• Perform architecture reviews and threat modeling, translating security risks into actionable design requirements and control recommendations.
• Partner with engineering, product, and operations teams to embed security throughout design and delivery, championing secure-by-design and defense-in-depth practices.
• Develop and maintain reference architectures, design patterns, and implementation guidance for your domain.
• Lead cross-functional architecture initiatives spanning cloud, identity and access management (IAM), application security, DevSecOps, and data protection.
• Integrate security controls into continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, infrastructure, and platform services to strengthen our security posture while enabling fast delivery.
• Guide security control selection based on risk, regulatory requirements, and operational constraints, providing clear, risk-informed recommendations.
• Document architectural decisions and outcomes, and escalate architectural risks or exceptions that require broader impact assessment.
• Mentor engineers and fellow architects, raising the bar on secure design practices and architectural consistency.
• Communicate security concepts and tradeoffs effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or a related field required, or equivalent experience.
• 10-14 years’ experience in security architecture, including leading cross-functional programs and defining domain standards.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering scalable security solutions and measurable risk reduction outcomes.
• Experience producing security architecture artifacts such as threat models, reference designs, and architecture decision records.
• Cloud and identity expertise with technologies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Okta, CyberArk, CrowdStrike, Tenable, and Snyk.
• Strong understanding of secure design principles and their integration into the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Knowledge of security, regulatory, compliance, and control frameworks as they relate to system design, including Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), OAuth, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML).
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Advanced certifications preferred, such as CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CRISC, SABSA, Security+, or a relevant GIAC certification.

Skills

• Technical Expertise
• Influence & Collaboration
• Problem Solving & Decision Quality

About the team

This is an individual contributor role that will report to the Director, Security Engineering. You will have 9 peer teammates and collaborate with cross-functional departments on a regular basis.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Leave and paid time-off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance.
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings.
• Employee recognition programs.
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide.

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too. At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees.

Our corporate office locations:

• North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants, and retail.
• Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce, and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants, and retail.
• Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown.
• Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.

Cultural Values

• Welcome and Respect Everyone
• Be Bold
• Be Quick
• Listen
• Be Curious
• Show Integrity

Leadership Principles

• Act with Intention
• Lead with Authenticity
• Grow & Deliver