Staff Security Architect

Yum! Brands is seeking a skilled and collaborative Security Architect to join our Global Cybersecurity team. This Staff-level role plays a critical part in defining and implementing secure, scalable, and standardized architectures across Yum!’s global enterprise, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.

As a Security Architect, you will lead architecture engagements for key initiatives, influence cross-functional teams, and drive secure-by-design practices. You will work across engineering, product, GRC, and business stakeholders to embed security early in the solution lifecycle—balancing innovation with risk mitigation.

Key Responsibilities:

Security Architecture & Design

• Lead design of secure architectures for cloud-native, hybrid, and on-premises platforms.
• Define and advocate for reusable security patterns and standardized controls.
• Facilitate architecture reviews, threat modeling sessions, and technical risk assessments.
• Maintain and evolve global security reference architectures and security principles

Cloud Security & DevSecOps

• Maintain and evolve global security reference architectures and security principles
• Champion secure practices and guardrails in AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
• Guide integration of security into CI/CD pipelines (SAST, DAST, IaC scanning, etc.).
• Provide leadership in secure containerization, workload protection, and secret management.
• Act as a technical mentor on secure cloud-native architecture and DevSecOps strategy.

Identity & Access Management / Zero Trust

• Drive adoption of Zero Trust principles and modern IAM practices.
• Partner with IAM and platform teams to design SSO, MFA, RBAC, and PAM controls.
• Assess access control models and provide guidance on least privilege enforcement.

Data & Network Security

• Lead architecture efforts for data protection strategies (classification, encryption, tokenization).
• Guide network security improvements in network design, segmentation, firewall design, and secure access.
• Support implementation of security detection and monitoring capabilities (SIEM, XDR, etc.).

Risk Management & Compliance Alignment

• Partner with GRC, BISO, and legal teams to align architecture with regulatory (PCI, SOX, GDPR) and risk frameworks.
• Lead security architecture assessments and threat modeling for emerging technologies and vendor solutions.
• Recommend mitigations and compensating controls aligned to business risk context

Strategic Initiatives:

• Drive initiatives within the security architecture roadmap and influence broader enterprise technology strategies.
• Represent security architecture in enterprise forums and contribute to cross-brand efforts.
• Enable continuous improvement through the use of metrics, threat intelligence, and feedback loops.
• Mentor junior security architects and engineering peers to elevate security maturity.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field or equivalent work experience. 
• 8+ years of experience in security architecture, cloud security, or enterprise security engineering roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex projects or architecture workstreams.
• Hands-on expertise with AWS, Azure, and/or GCP security capabilities and best practices.
• Strong grasp of IAM, Zero Trust, data protection, and cloud-native security tools.
• Familiarity with security frameworks and architectural methodologies (NIST 800-53/207, ISO 27001, TOGAF, SABSA).
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills with ability to influence and guide technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, AWS/GCP/Azure Security Specialty, TOGAF, or SABSA.
• Experience in regulated environments (PCI, SOX, GDPR, HIPAA).
• Knowledge of modern SDLC, Agile, and DevSecOps methodologies.
• Passion for building resilient, scalable, and secure systems that support business innovation.

Salary Range: $145,000 to $158,000 annually + bonus eligibility. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.

Our mission at Yum! is to build the world’s most loved, trusted and fastest growing restaurant brands. KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill continue to thrive as relevant, distinctive and easy to access global brands, with over seven new restaurants opening per day on average.

But it’s not about where we are – it’s about where we are going. We are using technology to create competitive advantages and drive unit economics for our 50,000 restaurants around the world, all designed to make it easier for customers to order the chicken, pizza, tacos and burgers they crave in our more than 150 countries and territories.

We do this work while caring for our people and our communities. In 2019, Yum! Brands was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index; the following year, the company ranked among the top 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media. And in 2020, we committed $100 million over the next five years to unlock opportunity and fight inequality.

Yum! is a place where all employees can be themselves, make a difference and have fun. Our unique culture is built around our values of believing in our people, trusting in their positive intentions, encouraging ideas from everyone and recognizing wins — both big and small.

For those who join the world’s largest restaurant company, growth opportunities are endless.