VP, Principal Security Engineer
Company: Synchrony Financial
Location: Alpharetta
Posted on: October 31, 2025
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Job Description:
Job Description Job Description: Role Summary/Purpose: We are
seeking a highly experienced Principal Security Engineer to help
lead highly technical projects to help improve our security
engineering function. This individual will be instrumental in
integrating and evolving on-premise security technologies into
cloud environments, primarily AWS, while providing technical
leadership across diverse teams. The ideal candidate will possess
deep expertise in cybersecurity, DevOps, infrastructure, and
development, combined with the ability to influence without
authority and foster cross-functional collaboration. This role will
play a critical part in advancing our security initiatives in the
public cloud and will have significant remit to influence
implementation of core security solutions. Our Way of Working We’re
proud to offer you choice and flexibility. At Synchrony, our way of
working allows you to have the option to work from home, near one
of our Hubs or come into one of our offices. Occasionally you may
be required to commute to our nearest office for in person
engagement activities such as business or team meetings, training
and culture events. Essential Responsibilities: Lead efforts to
ensure AWS cloud services and technologies are built and engineered
with security best practices in mind. Design and implement scalable
and automated security solutions that bridge on-prem security
technologies with cloud environments. Collaborate with security and
technology leadership, serving as a trusted advisor, and
significantly influence the organization’s security strategy. Drive
complex security initiatives across teams, proactively identifying
and leading high-impact projects to success and with efficiency.
Drives security technology innovation, challenge the status quo,
and provide thought leadership. Contribute to the development of
cutting-edge security practices and technologies. Provide strategic
guidance and direction to security leadership that is adopted into
the organization’s overall security strategy. Provide input into
annual budget processes, identifying areas of needed investment.
Provide mentorship, fostering a culture of continuous learning and
collaboration across the organization. Serve as a technical leader
and subject matter expert, working closely with security architects
and engineers, while guiding the adoption of best practices across
the organization. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to
assess, prioritize, and mitigate security risks throughout the
development lifecycle. Develop nuanced technical plans, document
analyses, create visual diagrams, and communicate technical
projects with associated trade-offs. Develop, maintain, and update
security policies, standards, and procedures aligned with industry
regulations and organizational goals. Help to evaluate and
integrate new security technologies, tools, and processes to
improve the organization’s security posture while documenting
requirements. Advise and strengthen technical implementation of
core services like data protection controls and network security
segmentation, for example. Act as a liaison between security teams
and engineering teams to ensure security is embedded within all
stages of infrastructure and application development. Represent the
security function in technical discussions, architecture reviews,
and governance processes. Qualifications/Requirements: Bachelor’s
degree with a minimum of 5 years of experience in Information
Security, Engineering, Application Development, or related field OR
in lieu of a degree, a High School Diploma/GED and minimum 9 years
equivalent work experience. Minimum 5 years of experience in an
information security engineering or architect role Minimum 2 years
of experience with regulatory compliance and information security
management frameworks (e.g., PCI-DSS, NIST 800-53, etc.) Proven
excellence in devising holistic security direction and strategies
that encompass a wide range of technical and organizational
considerations. Outstanding interpersonal and collaboration skills,
demonstrated consistent and successful collaboration across teams
on cross-functional security initiatives. Demonstrated ability
solving complex and intricate security problems that demand
innovative solutions. Notable technical leader with demonstrated
effective communication and influence at all levels across the
organization. Highly regarded as a subject matter expert with deep
knowledge of the enterprise technology stack. Recognized for their
ability to teach, mentor, grow, and provide advice to other domain
experts and individual contributors Strong ability to adapt to
evolving circumstances, technologies, and strategic priorities,
while leading complex initiatives Demonstrate strong conflict
management abilities within high-impact initiatives Perform other
duties and/or special projects as assigned. Desired
Characteristics: Certified Information Systems Security
Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager
(CISM), Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA), and/or
Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Certified AWS
Certified Security – Specialty and AWS Solutions
Architect/Professional Demonstrate an understanding of the impact
of emerging business and end-user technologies have on information
security requirements and architecture Demonstrate an understanding
of business needs and commitment to delivering high-quality,
prompt, and efficient service to the business Proven strong
decision-making capabilities, with a proven track record of
weighing the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and
identifying the most appropriate one Demonstrated technical
expertise in existing security and IT systems and an ability to
keep pace with changing security and IT technologies Strong
interpersonal skills, with an emphasis on demonstrating previous
experience effectively influencing others at all levels within the
organization and cross functionally A team-focused mentality with
proven experience to work effectively with diverse stakeholders
Demonstrated experience communicating complex and technical issues
to diverse audiences, verbally and in writing, in an easily
understood, and actionable manner Grade/Level: 13 The salary range
for this position is 155,000.00 - 260,000.00 USD Annual and is
eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company
performance. Actual compensation offered within the posted salary
range will be based upon work experience, skill level or knowledge.
Salaries are adjusted according to market in CA, NY Metro and
Seattle. Eligibility Requirements: You must be 18 years or older
You must have a high school diploma or equivalent You must be
willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation
and submit fingerprints as part of the onboarding process You must
be able to satisfy the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Act. New hires (Level 4-7) must have 9 months of
continuous service with the company before they are eligible to
post on other roles. Once this new hire time in position
requirement is met, the associate will have a minimum 6 months’
time in position before they can post for future non-exempt roles.
Employees, level 8 or greater, must have at least 18 months’ time
in position before they can post. All internal employees must
consistently meet performance expectations and have approval from
your manager to post (or the approval of your manager and HR if you
don’t meet the time in position or performance expectations). Legal
authorization to work in the U.S. is required. We will not sponsor
individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this
job opening. All qualified applicants will receive consideration
for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or
veteran status. Our Commitment: When you join us, you’ll be part of
an inclusive culture where your individual skills, experience, and
voice are not only heard – but valued. Together, we’re building a
future where we can all belong, connect, and turn ideals into
action. More than 50% of our workforce is engaged in our Employee
Resource Groups (ERGs), where community and passion intersect to
offer a safe space to learn and grow. This starts when you choose
to apply for a role at Synchrony. We ensure all qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard
to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We’re
proud to have an award-winning culture for all. Reasonable
Accommodation Notice: Federal law requires employers to provide
reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with
disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable
accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples
of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the
application process or work procedures, providing documents in an
alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using
specialized equipment. If you need special accommodations, please
call our Career Support Line so that we can discuss your specific
situation. We can be reached at 1-866-301-5627. Representatives are
available from 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, Central Standard Time
Job Family Group: Information Technology
Keywords: Synchrony Financial, Alpharetta , VP, Principal Security Engineer, IT / Software / Systems , Alpharetta, Georgia
