Enterprise Cybersecurity AI Architect

Southern Company is seeking a hands-on AI Security Architect to help implement and operationalize its AI security vision. In this hybrid role based in Atlanta, GA, you will design, deploy, and maintain AI security guardrails and architectures, supporting everything from threat modeling and secure environments to monitoring and incident response for AI systems.

What you will do

• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement and integrate security controls across AI development and deployment processes.
• Implement, configure, test, and maintain guardrails for AI agents used across departments to support safe, compliant, and responsible use.
• Design and integrate security architecture for AI platforms, models, and applications, including LLMs, agentic workflows, and custom AI tools.
• Execute threat modeling and risk assessments for AI systems, translating results into prioritized, implementable controls aligned with frameworks such as NIST.
• Architect secure deployment environments for AI agents, including sandboxing, access control, secrets management, logging, and runtime isolation.
• Implement defenses against common attack methods to models and data protection, including data exfiltration, information disclosure, hallucinations, model poisoning, and excessive overreliance.
• Establish responsible AI frameworks that include fairness, bias detection, and explainability.
• Deploy and operationalize AI-enabled capabilities that support cybersecurity operations, such as incident response, threat detection, and vulnerability management.
• Work with the Cybersecurity Cloud, App, and AI Security Manager to execute the enterprise AI security strategy and deliver defined capabilities and outcomes.
• Collaborate with data science, DevSecOps, and application teams to embed security into AI development pipelines.
• Monitor and respond to security incidents related to AI systems.
• Conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify vulnerabilities and drive corrective actions.
• Plan, coordinate, and deliver cybersecurity technology implementations from requirements and design through testing, production deployment, documentation, and operational transition.
• Help internal customers understand and apply cybersecurity concepts, processes, and technologies.
• Maintain current knowledge of cybersecurity concepts, technologies, and practices.
• Mentor others to strengthen cybersecurity principles and best practices in operational areas.
• Build strong working relationships across the Technology Organization, business partners, and external vendors and suppliers.
• Create an environment that supports accountability, innovation, and engagement at all levels.
• Establish and implement an information security framework and technical architecture, including information security solutions and ongoing guardrails for safe AI and automation.
• Provide cybersecurity expertise and consulting.

Required qualifications

• Working knowledge of AI and machine learning concepts, model architectures, training and inference pipelines, LLM concepts, content safety, and data validation, with the ability to apply that knowledge when implementing security controls.
• Hands-on experience deploying and supporting enterprise solutions using Azure Databricks, Azure AI Services, or comparable cloud data and AI platforms.
• Familiarity with securing LLMs, generative models, and agentic workflows.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including understanding of ethical and regulatory requirements related to AI security, and a continuous learning mindset.
• Ability to work effectively across architecture, engineering, operations, and business teams to implement agreed-upon enterprise solutions.
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) and containerized environments.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience designing, configuring, integrating, testing, deploying, and supporting enterprise security technologies, including PKI, static or dynamic code analysis, next-generation firewalls, HSMs, SIEM, multi-factor authentication, IPS, database encryption, privileged identity management, and cloud security posture management.
• Competency in APIs (REST, Graph) and/or JavaScript/JSON/Kubernetes/SQL.
• Experience promoting security as a business enablement function using influence, metrics, documentation, and strong verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Working knowledge of cloud and traditional security network architectures.
• Experience delivering enterprise technology solutions through the full implementation lifecycle, including requirements, design, configuration, integration, testing, deployment, documentation, and operational handoff.
• Ability to execute independently within an established strategy, raise implementation risks early, and drive assigned work to completion with minimal oversight.
• Ability to perform detailed information security risk assessments and recommend mitigating controls.
• Must pass NERC CIP and Insider Threat Protection background checks.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees
• Health, welfare and retirement benefits
• Eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program
• A benefits summary for this position is available at: https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf

Company context

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Its mission focuses on clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service, and the company is advancing its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Screening requirements

This position falls under the company’s Insider Threat Program. Enhanced personnel screening, which includes a background review, drug screen, and psychological assessment, will be required if you are selected for this role.