Principal Digital Security Architect
encora10
This role puts you in charge of security architecture at scale. You'll design the systems that protect APIs, manage customer identity, and secure how services talk to each other. It's not a junior position, but if you've built strong fundamentals in security engineering or have demonstrated depth in one domain like cryptography or access control, this is where you move into leadership.
Your main work: architect the security layer for API gateways, design identity and access management systems that handle biometric authentication and adaptive MFA, define how microservices authenticate to each other using cryptographic trust, and lead threat modeling sessions with product teams. You'll also shape how third-party integrations connect securely and establish standards for OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect across the organization.
This fits you if you have a computer science or engineering background, hands-on experience with APIs or identity systems, and a track record of thinking about systems holistically. A portfolio showing past security work or open-source contributions helps.
Apply through CareerJumpShip with your resume and a note on why this architecture work appeals to you. Include links to any relevant projects or GitHub work if you have them.
About this role
Key Responsibilities 1. API & Ecosystem Architecture ● The API Fortress: Architect the security layer for our API Gateway (e.g., Kong, Apigee, AWS Gateway). Define global policies for Rate Limiting, Throttling, and Authorization (preventing BOLA/IDOR attacks). ● Supply Chain Security: Design secure integration patterns for our 3rd party partners (Fintechs, Credit Bureaus, Payment Processors). Ensure their insecurities do not become our breaches. ● Microservices Mesh: Define how our internal services trust each other. Move from "Network Trust" to "Cryptographic Trust" using mTLS and Service-to-Service authentication. 2. Identity & Access Management (CIAM) ● Identity Strategy: Own the architecture for Customer Identity (CIAM). Design flows for Biometric Binding, Adaptive MFA, and Step-Up Authentication for high-value transactions. ● Token Lifecycle: Define the standards for OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC). Ensure we are using Financial-grade API (FAPI) standards for token issuance, revocation, and storage. 3. Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC) ● Threat Modeling: Lead "Whiteboard Hacking" sessions with product owners. Identify business logic flaws (e.g., race conditions in ledgers, bypassable KYC steps) before a single line of code is written. ● Paved Roads: Work with DevOps to architect secure-by-default libraries. (Example: Create a standard "Encryption Wrapper" library that all developers must use, so they don't invent their own crypto). 4. Data Privacy & Cryptography ● Data Defense: Define the architecture for Field-Level Encryption (FLE) in the database for PII and Banking Secrets. ● Privacy Engineering: Architect systems that support "Right to be Forgotten" (GDPR/CCPA) without breaking the immutability of the financial ledger. Strategic Deliverables ● Identity Patterns: Deliver new security design patterns and components for authentication, authorization, SSO, MFA, and Partner security to ensure seamless and secure user access. ● Mobile & Edge: Deliver new security design patterns and components for Mobile security, ensuring consistency between iOS, Android, and the backend. ● Modern Tech Stack: Deliver API, container, cloud, and AI security design patterns to support the bank's move toward intelligent, cloud-native infrastructure. What We Are Looking For 1. The Background ● 8+ Years Experience: A mix of Software Engineering and Security Architecture. ● Ex-Developer: You must be able to read code (Java, Kotlin, React or Node.js, ). ● Banking/Fintech Experience: Strong preference for candidates who have secured payment gateways, ledgers, or wallets. 2. The Technical Skills ● API Security: Deep mastery of REST and GraphQL security. ● Auth Protocols: You can draw the OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow with PKCE from memory. You understand JWT signing and JWKS key rotation. ● Mobile Security: Understanding of how mobile apps store secrets (KeyStore/Keychain) and how to prevent API abuse from emulators/bots. 3. The Mindset ● Business Aligned: You understand that a bank exists to process transactions. You design security that reduces risk without destroying the User Experience (UX). ● Pragmatic: You know when to demand a "Blocker" fix and when to accept a "Risk Acceptance" waiver.