Principal Security Design Advisor

Job Description

The Principal Security Design Advisor is a senior technical leader responsible for driving Secure-by-Design practices across enterprise platforms, cloud services, developer ecosystems, AI solutions, and product teams. This role partners with engineering, architecture, and security teams to embed security into system design, accelerate secure innovation, and reduce enterprise risk through scalable security patterns, automation, and governance.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the security advisor for strategic platforms, products, cloud, and AI initiatives.

• Lead architecture reviews, threat modeling, and security design assessments.

• Define and promote secure-by-design standards, patterns, and guardrails.

• Partner with Platform Engineering and DevSecOps teams to embed security into CI/CD and developer workflows.

• Provide expertise in cloud security, application security, AI security, software supply chain security, and platform governance.

• Influence security strategy and mentor engineering teams on security best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or related field.

• 10+ years of cybersecurity engineering, security architecture, cloud security, DevSecOps, or product security experience.

• Strong experience in threat modeling, security architecture, and cloud-native technologies.

• Expertise in AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, CI/CD security, and security automation.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience securing AI/GenAI platforms and software supply chains.

• Industry certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, CCSK, or GIAC.

• Experience in highly regulated environments and enterprise-scale security programs.

Required Skills:

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Application Infrastructure, Applied Engineering, Change Management, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Security, Computer Science, Digital Forensics, Governance Development, Identity Access Management (IAM), Incident Response, Influence, IT Change Management, IT Infrastructure Management, IT Security Best Practices, Network Systems, Security Architecture Design, Security Architecture Review, Security Automation, Security Compliance Frameworks, Stakeholder Communications, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Management, Strategic Planning {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The salary range for this role is

$117,000.00 - $184,200.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/11/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.