If you're passionate about shaping the future of secure AI, cloud, and engineering at scale, this is your opportunity. Strategic Education Inc. (SEI)—a mission‑driven leader in workforce‑aligned education—is seeking a Senior Principal Security Architect to help build what’s next. SEI empowers working adult learners through flexible, affordable, career‑relevant education across brands like Strayer University, Capella University, Sophia Learning, and Workforce Edge. This is not a maintenance role—it’s a chance to define the security foundation of an organization committed to expanding access and innovating at scale.
As SEI’s Senior Principal Security Architect, you’ll serve as the top technical authority for security architecture across AI, cloud, applications, and data platforms. This influential, hands‑on role partners directly with the CISO and senior engineering leaders to design secure AI/ML systems, architect multi‑cloud environments, drive DevSecOps transformation, and embed secure‑by‑design principles across modern engineering ecosystems. You’ll translate strategy into practical patterns, guide high‑impact enterprise initiatives, mentor teams, and strengthen the resilience and trustworthiness of the platforms powering SEI’s global learning experience.
What You’ll Do
Architect Secure Cloud & AI Platforms
- Design end‑to‑end security architecture for AI/ML systems, multi‑cloud infrastructure, and modern application ecosystems.
- Build secure design patterns for APIs, microservices, distributed systems, and serverless workloads.
- Define cloud and application security standards for engineering and platform teams.
- Lead architecture reviews and guide critical initiatives across cloud and AI environments.
Secure AI & Machine Learning Systems
- Implement advanced controls for ML pipelines and generative AI platforms.
- Identify and mitigate risks such as prompt injection, model poisoning, AI supply chain vulnerabilities, and data leakage.
- Partner with data science teams to ensure secure training, deployment, and governance of AI models.
- Champion secure and responsible AI adoption throughout the enterprise.
Lead Cloud Security Architecture
- Architect secure solutions across AWS, Azure, and GCP.
- Define identity, segmentation, encryption, workload protection, and observability patterns.
- Secure Kubernetes, containers, and serverless workloads at scale.
- Build guardrails that empower engineering teams to innovate safely.
Enable DevSecOps at Scale
- Integrate security into CI/CD pipelines and the full SDLC.
- Deploy and optimize automated tools for SAST, DAST, SCA, IaC scanning, and container security.
- Drive shift‑left practices and foster engineering‑led security adoption.
Risk Management & Governance
- Align architecture with frameworks like NIST RMF, SOC, SOX, and zero‑trust principles.
- Guide risk assessments, compliance efforts, and enterprise control design.
- Ensure secure‑by‑design principles are consistently embedded into systems and processes.
Collaboration, Influence & Culture
- Partner with engineering, cloud, product, IT, and business leaders to deliver secure solutions.
- Influence decisions across executive and technical stakeholders.
- Mentor and develop security engineers and architects.
- Foster a security‑first, innovation‑driven culture.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of professional experience in information security spanning multiple domains, including cloud, application, and platform security.
- Proven experience designing and implementing large‑scale enterprise security architectures across modern engineering and cloud environments.
- Deep technical expertise in cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP), DevSecOps, secure SDLC, and modern application architectures (APIs, microservices, containers, Kubernetes, serverless).
- Hands‑on experience or strong foundational understanding of AI/ML security, including risks such as data leakage, model manipulation, and supply chain vulnerabilities.
- Strong ability to influence and collaborate with senior leaders, engineering teams, cloud operations, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
- Demonstrated capability to translate complex technical risks into clear business impact for executive audiences.
- Exceptional architectural thinking, communication, and strategic problem‑solving skills.
- Experience mentoring and developing security engineers, helping foster a high‑performance, security‑first engineering culture.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Or other similar industry‑recognized security certification
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SEI offers a comprehensive package of benefits to employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. In addition to medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, SEI employees may take advantage of well-being incentives, parental leave, paid time off, certain paid holidays, tax saving accounts (FSA, HSA), 401(k) retirement benefit, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, tuition assistance as well as entertainment and retail discounts. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay, if applicable.
Careers - Our Benefits, Strategic Education, Inc
SEI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture where individuals can grow their careers and contribute fully. We strive to attract talent with broad experiences, skills and perspectives. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below.
$149,600.00 - $224,400.00 - Salary
If you require reasonable accommodations to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.
