Associate Director Strategic Platforms

Merck•Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

2d•$142,400 - $224,100

About The Position

This role drives a platform-centric security strategy, ensuring that enterprise applications and AI-enabled systems are built and operated securely at scale. The Associate Director serves as a hands-on leader, translating strategy into production-grade capabilities that reduce risk, enable innovation, and protect enterprise data and intellectual property across modern digital ecosystems. Key areas of focus include SaaS posture management, PaaS native security, data protection, AI security enablement, and platform-integrated controls, with an emphasis on prevention-first architectures and automation. This position leads a team of engineers and collaborates closely with Cloud, Data, AI, Product Teams, and Enterprise stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in SaaS architecture and delivery or cybersecurity, with strong depth in cloud, platform, application, or AI security.
Proven experience leading engineering teams and delivering enterprise-scale platform capabilities.
Hands-on expertise in SaaS, PaaS/cloud-native, and distributed system architectures.
Experience designing and implementing security controls within modern platforms (identity, data protection, API security, workload protection).
Strong understanding of AI/ML security risks, including data leakage, model misuse, prompt injection, and governance controls.
Experience with public cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives across engineering, security, legal, and business teams.
Experience operating in large, complex enterprise environments with global scope.

Nice To Haves

Deep expertise in AI security frameworks and controls, including LLM security, model governance, and responsible AI practices.
Experience with SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) and CASB/SSE platforms (e.g., Zscaler, Netskope, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps).
Experience with API security, service mesh, and zero-trust architectures.
Familiarity with policy-as-code and automation frameworks.
Knowledge of OWASP Top 10, API Top 10, and modern threat models for cloud and AI systems.
Strong ability to translate technical risk into business impact for executive audiences.
Experience managing vendor strategy, product selection, and platform investments.
Financial acumen, including budget ownership and cost optimization for platform security tooling.
Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, AWS/Azure Security, or AI/ML security certifications are preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a high-performing team responsible for security across strategic platforms, including AI systems, SaaS applications, and PaaS/cloud-native environments.
Define and execute the security strategy for enterprise platforms, aligning with business priorities and risk reduction objectives.
Establish and scale SaaS security capabilities, such as SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM), data governance, and third-party platform risk controls.
Lead PaaS and cloud-native security engineering for enterprise platforms such as SAP, Databricks, and similar strategic services.
Design, implement, and operate security controls embedded within AI, SaaS, and PaaS platforms, including identity, data protection, and runtime protections.
Drive AI security realization, including model security management, prompt hardening, secure usage patterns, and governance of AI services (e.g., LLMs, copilots, agents).
Integrate data protection into platform architectures, ensuring consistent enforcement across AI, SaaS, and PaaS ecosystems.
Define and operationalize secure platform patterns, including reusable guardrails, and builder-friendly security services.
Drive automation and engineering-first approaches to reduce manual controls and improve scalability of protection across thousands of applications and services.
Partner with Legal, Privacy, Risk, and Compliance teams to ensure alignment with regulatory and data governance requirements.
Influence enterprise architecture and security standards, contributing to long-term strategic roadmaps.
Serve as a technical thought leader and executive-facing communicator on platform security, AI risk, and cloud security posture.