Global Director – Vulnerability Management & Security Configuration

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.

Northern Trust is seeking a Global Director of Vulnerability Management & Security Configuration to define and execute the enterprise strategy for reducing technology risk across infrastructure, cloud, and AI-driven environments.

This leader will drive the evolution from traditional vulnerability management to a modern, AI-enabled, risk-based capability, leveraging automation, contextual prioritization, and advanced analytics to reduce attack surface at scale.

This is a hands-on, engineering-led leadership role requiring strong presence at both the executive and deep technical levels.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Transformation

• Define and lead the global strategy for vulnerability management and security configuration across:
  • Infrastructure (on-prem & cloud), endpoints, and platform environments
• Transition capabilities from pre-AI to AI-enabled, including:
  • Risk-based prioritization
  • Automation-led remediation
  • Threat-informed decisioning
• Align to CTEM principles and enterprise risk objectives

Program Execution

• Operate and scale a global vulnerability management program, including:
  • Discovery, prioritization, remediation, and governance
  • Security configuration and continuous compliance
• Implement risk-based models incorporating:
  • Threat intelligence and exploitability
  • Asset criticality and external exposure
• Enforce enterprise-wide policy and remediation standards

Engineering & Modernization

• Lead automation-first, API-driven capabilities across vulnerability lifecycle
• Integrate with enterprise platforms:
  • Asset inventory, CI/CD, and change management systems
• Embed shift-left and continuous control practices across infrastructure lifecycles

Security Configuration

• Define and enforce enterprise hardening baselines
• Implement continuous monitoring and drift detection
• Ensure alignment with regulatory and industry standards

Leadership & Governance

• Lead a lean, high-performing team (~4 FTE, ~10 contractors)
• Foster a hands-on, engineering-led culture
• Deliver clear executive reporting on risk, exposure, and remediation performance
• Drive governance including exception management and SLA enforcement

Qualifications

• 12+ years in cybersecurity with deep experience in vulnerability management and security engineering
• Proven success building and scaling enterprise programs
• Strong background in:
  • Infrastructure / cloud security
  • Configuration management and hardening
  • DevSecOps integration (platform-focused)
• Track record leading large-scale transformation initiatives

Why This Role Matters

This role is central to advancing Northern Trust’s ability to proactively manage cyber risk in an AI-driven landscape, shifting from reactive vulnerability management to a scalable, intelligence-led capability.

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)

Salary Range:

$164,600 - 288,000 USD

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Working with Us: 

As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater 

Reasonable accommodation

  

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [email protected].

 
We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.

Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.