Job Description

Enterprise Cybersecurity AI Architect

Location: Atlanta, GA. or Birmingham, AL (onsite 4 days a week, one day remote)

POSITION SUMMARY:

Southern Company is seeking a hands-on AI Security Architect with proven experience deploying technology solutions in a complex enterprise environment. The candidate will implement and operationalize the company’s established AI security vision, working with architecture, engineering, cybersecurity, data, and application teams to deliver secure, scalable solutions. The role directly supports efforts to mitigate real and potential cyber threats to the company’s facilities, personnel, technology, operations, and brand—including critical electric and gas utility infrastructure and its privately owned telecommunications network. This position will contribute practical architectural and engineering expertise to protect internally developed AI applications, secure models and data pipelines, and implement guardrails for AI agents deployed across the enterprise.

This position is responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the company’s information assets. This will be accomplished by:

• Establishing and implementing an information security framework and technical architecture.
• Designing, developing, and implementing information security solutions.
• Establish and maintain security guardrails to support the safe implementation of AI and automation.
• Providing Cybersecurity expertise and consulting.

The architect will deploy and integrate AI security technologies that improve team efficiency and resilience. Success in this role requires strong implementation engineering skills, experience taking enterprise solutions from design through production, and the ability to translate established architecture and security requirements into reliable operational capabilities. Qualified candidates need to be able to align strategy and execution to increase cybersecurity maturity, anticipate future requirements for complex traditional, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, drive initiatives via influence and relationships into business processes, keep up with current security trends, be focused on results, and be a self-starter.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement and integrate security controls throughout 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, Implement 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 and translate findings into prioritized, implementable controls aligned with frameworks such as NIST.
• Architect and build 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, such as data exfiltration, information disclosure, hallucinations, model poisoning, and excessive overreliance.
• Establish responsible AI frameworks for fairness, bias detection, and explainability.
• Deploy, integrate, and operationalize AI-enabled capabilities that enhance 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.
• Partner 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 implement 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 to outside operational areas.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships and partnerships across the Technology Organization, business partners, and external vendors and suppliers.
• Create an environment that fosters accountability, innovation, and engagement at all levels.

Requirements and qualifications:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• 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, an 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 such as 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, 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 & Insider Threat Protection background checks.

PREFERRRED EXPERIENCE:

• Experience with tools like Sonatype, Snyk, Wiz, Proofpoint DSPM, API Gateways, and AI security platforms.
• Knowledge of MCP protection strategies and AI governance frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with secure CI/CD pipelines, API security, and data privacy controls.
• Experience evaluating and assessing third-party vendor risks, including cybersecurity, data privacy, regulatory compliance, and supply chain security considerations.
• Experience with software development and programing.
• Familiarity with ethical AI principles and emerging regulatory landscapes.
• Experience with adversarial ML, red teaming, and AI-specific threat modeling.
• Technical knowledge of application development practices, CI/CD pipelines, various cloud platforms including Azure, AWS, or GCP, modern operating systems, networking protocols and designs, and identity management.
• Azure certifications preferred.
• Industry certifications such as: CISSP, CCSP, CASA, CEH, OSCP, CRISC, CCNP, etc.
• At least 5 years of experience playing a key role in building technical programs.
• Experience with information security frameworks such as: NIST, OWASP, etc.
• Familiarity with nation state, sophisticated criminal, and supply chain threats.
• Up-to-date knowledge of current hacking techniques, vulnerability disclosures, and data breach incidents.
• Experience with cybersecurity analysis and analytic tradecraft.

This position falls under the company’s Insider Threat Program and will have access to, and control over sensitive data, systems or assets. Enhanced personnel screening, which includes a background review, drug screen and psychological assessment, will be required if you are selected for this position

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf. Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.