Global Director of Application Security

About Northern Trust:
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award‑winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889. Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

We are seeking a Global Director of Application Security to lead the enterprise strategy, governance, and modernization of application security. This leader will define policies and standards, embed security into modern development practices, and drive the transition from traditional (pre‑AI) application security models to AI‑enabled, post‑AI security capabilities. The role requires a hands‑on, technically credible leader who can partner with engineering and security teams to deliver secure software at scale in a complex, global financial environment.

• Own the Application Security Strategy:
  Define and execute the enterprise Application Security vision, roadmap, and operating model aligned to business and technology priorities.
• Establish Governance & Standards:
  Develop and enforce application security policies, standards, and controls across the software development lifecycle (SDLC), including APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and software supply chain.
• Lead the AI Security Transformation:
  Shape how the organization evolves from traditional development security to AI‑assisted and AI‑generated development models, including guardrails, validation, and governance.
• Drive Secure Dev Sec Ops  Practices:
  Partner with engineering and platform teams to embed security into CI/CD pipelines using scalable, automated, developer‑friendly approaches (SAST, DAST, SCA, IaC, secrets, etc.).
• Lead and Scale a High‑Impact Team:
  Manage an initial team of 4 direct reports (North America) and ~10 contractors, building a high‑performing, technically strong organization.
• Engage and Influence Leadership:
  Act as a senior advisor to cybersecurity and technology leadership, communicating risk, strategy, and progress to executive stakeholders.
• Deliver Measurable Risk Reduction:
  Define KPIs and drive improvements in vulnerability management, remediation velocity, and overall application security posture.

• Required:
  • 10+ years in application security, cybersecurity, or software engineering.
  • 5+ years leading application security or Dev Sec Ops  programs at enterprise scale.
  • Experience defining and enforcing security policies, standards, and governance.
  • Strong technical depth in secure software development and modern SDLC practices.
  • Proven ability to influence engineering teams and senior stakeholders.
  • Experience leading small, high‑impact teams including contractors.
• Preferred:
  • Hands‑on experience developing software in large enterprises with mature Dev Ops / CI/CD pipelines.
  • Background in software engineering, architecture, or platform engineering.
  • Experience with SAST, DAST, SCA, software supply chain security, API and cloud‑native application security, CI/CD pipeline security and automation.
  • Familiarity with AI‑assisted development and its security implications.
  • Financial services or regulated industry experience.

You will define the future of Application Security at Northern Trust—modernizing how secure software is built and governed while positioning the organization for the next generation of AI‑driven development and risk management.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment‑based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H‑1B, L‑1, TN, O‑1, E‑3, H‑1B1, F‑1, J‑1, OPT, CPT or any other employment‑based visa).

$164, USD (base pay). Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and…