Staff Security Architect

Job description

We are seeking a Staff Security Architect (Manager-level Individual Contributor) to join the Versant Cyber Security Solutions Architecture team. This senior individual contributor will serve as a trusted security advisor and technical leader, partnering with enterprise technology teams, business units, engineering organizations, and Cyber Security teams to ensure technology solutions are designed, implemented, and operated securely while aligning with Versant's cybersecurity strategy, enterprise architecture, and business objectives. As one of the organization's senior security architects, this role will lead complex security architecture engagements across cloud, infrastructure, applications, data, and emerging technologies. The Staff Security Architect will influence enterprise technology strategy, establish security architecture standards and reusable design patterns, drive improvements to architecture review and threat modeling processes, and provide technical leadership across the Security Architecture function. This position requires deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and exceptional communication skills. The successful candidate will regularly engage with senior technology leaders, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to balance security, risk, innovation, and operational effectiveness while helping mature Versant's overall cybersecurity architecture program. RESPONSIBILITIES The successful candidate will be responsible for the following activities: Lead security architecture engagements for complex enterprise initiatives, strategic programs, and high-impact technology implementations. Serve as a trusted advisor to engineering, infrastructure, cloud, data, and product teams throughout solution design and delivery. Develop security architecture strategies, reference architectures, design patterns, standards, and technical guidance that enable secure-by-design development across the enterprise. Lead and facilitate advanced threat modeling exercises, architectural risk assessments, and security design reviews for critical business initiatives, translating identified risks into clear control requirements and actionable remediation outcomes. Evaluate emerging technologies, platforms, and vendor solutions to determine security risks, architectural fit, and alignment with enterprise security strategy. Drive consistency and continuous improvement of the Security Architecture review process, threat modeling methodologies, and security consulting services using measurable outcomes, lessons learned, and stakeholder feedback. Partner with Enterprise Architecture and technology leadership to integrate cybersecurity requirements into enterprise technology roadmaps and architectural governance. Define pragmatic security controls and compensating measures that appropriately balance business objectives, operational requirements, and organizational risk tolerance. Serve as a subject matter expert across one or more security domains, including cloud security, application security, identity, network security, data security, AI security, or zero trust architectures. Mentor other security architects and cybersecurity professionals by providing technical guidance, architecture reviews, and knowledge sharing, while serving as a technical reviewer for complex engagements. Develop reusable documentation, security patterns, architecture decision records, and implementation guidance to improve engineering efficiency and consistency. Stay current on evolving threat landscapes, industry trends, emerging technologies, and security best practices, translating them into actionable recommendations for Versant. Present security architecture recommendations, technology risks, and strategic initiatives to technical leadership and executive stakeholders. Build strong relationships across business and technology organizations to foster collaboration, trust, and adoption of cybersecurity initiatives. QUALIFICATIONS Minimum 5-8 years of progressive experience across cybersecurity disciplines, including security architecture, application security, cloud security, infrastructure security, governance, risk management, or security engineering. Minimum 3 years designing enterprise security architectures for complex cloud-native, hybrid, or distributed environments. Demonstrated experience developing enterprise security architecture strategies, standards, reference architectures, and security design patterns. Deep understanding of enterprise architecture frameworks and security architecture methodologies. Extensive experience with public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform), including cloud-native security services and modern application architectures. Experience conducting threat modeling using industry frameworks such as STRIDE, PASTA, MITRE ATT&CK, OWASP Threat Modeling, or similar methodologies. Strong understanding of secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC), DevSecOps practices, CI/CD security, and application security testing methodologies including SAST, DAST, Software Composition Analysis (SCA), and penetration testing. Experience designing security controls for modern architectures including APIs, containers, Kubernetes, microservices, serverless, identity platforms, and zero trust networks. Working knowledge of enterprise security technologies including IAM, PAM, EDR, SIEM, network security, encryption, secrets management, PKI, and data protection technologies. Experience interpreting and applying security and regulatory frameworks including NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA, SOX, and CIS Controls. Demonstrated ability to influence architectural decisions without direct authority across multiple technology organizations. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking skills with the ability to evaluate business risk and recommend practical security solutions. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting technical concepts and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and executive audiences. Experience simultaneously leading multiple strategic initiatives while effectively managing competing priorities. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent professional experience. Advanced degrees are a plus. DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS Industry certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, SABSA, AWS Security Specialty, Azure Security Engineer, GIAC, TOGAF, or equivalent. Experience establishing or maturing enterprise security architecture programs. Experience supporting digital media, streaming platforms, content production, broadcast operations, or other media and entertainment technologies. Knowledge of modern identity architectures, Zero Trust, AI security, data security, and cloud-native security principles. Demonstrated ability to influence organizational change through technical leadership, collaboration, and consensus building. Passion for mentoring technical professionals and advancing security architecture best practices across the organization. As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. For LA County and City Residents Only: VERSANT Media will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to . VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc. VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means. VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.