Senior Security Leader (Director/Head of Security)

About Us

At Articul8 AI, we relentlessly pursue excellence and create exceptional AI products that exceed customer expectations. We are a team of dedicated individuals who take pride in our work and strive for greatness in every aspect of our business. We believe in using our advantages to make a positive impact on the world and inspiring others to do the same.

About the Role

We are seeking a senior, hands-on security leader to own and scale security across our AI platform, infrastructure, people, and physical footprint. This role requires deep experience operating in fast-moving startup environments, strong judgment, and the ability to balance speed, trust, and risk in an AI-first company.

You will work closely with executive leadership, engineering, product, legal, and operations to ensure security is embedded—not bolted on—while enabling rapid innovation and enterprise trust.

This is not a checkbox or purely compliance role. This is a builder role for someone who understands the realities of Bay Area startups, AI development cycles, and modern threat landscapes.

Key Responsibilities:

Security Strategy & Leadership
Own and execute the company’s end-to-end security strategy (application, infrastructure, data, people, and physical security)

• Serve as the primary security advisor to the executive team and Board

• Establish security as a business enabler for enterprise customers, partnerships, and global expansion

AI & Product Security

• Design and oversee security controls for AI systems, including:

• Model access controls and isolation

• Training data security and provenance

• Inference security and abuse prevention

• IP protection and model leakage prevention

• Partner closely with engineering and product to integrate security into the SDLC without slowing innovation

Cloud, Infrastructure & Data Security

• Own cloud security posture (AWS/GCP/Azure as applicable)

• Define and enforce best practices around:

• Identity & access management

• Secrets management

• Data encryption, retention, and governance

• Incident detection and response

• Lead vulnerability management, penetration testing, and remediation efforts

Compliance, Risk & Trust

• Lead readiness and ongoing compliance for frameworks such as:

• SOC 2, ISO 27001, customer security reviews

• Manage third-party risk and vendor security assessments

• Support customer security due diligence and enterprise procurement processes

People, Culture & Operations

• Build a security-first culture appropriate for a startup environment (practical, not bureaucratic)

• Develop lightweight but effective policies for:

• Employee security practices

• Device and access management

• Remote and hybrid work

• Advise on physical security and executive safety as needed

Incident Response & Crisis Management

• Own incident response planning and execution

• Act as the calm, trusted leader during security incidents

• Coordinate with legal, comms, and leadership during high-impact events

Requirements:

• 10+ years in security leadership roles (startup and/or high-growth environments strongly preferred)

• Experience securing cloud-native, AI-driven, or data-intensive platforms

• Proven ability to operate in ambiguity and build systems from scratch

• Prior experience engaging with enterprise customers on security matters

Mindset & Style

• Comfortable with startup pace, tradeoffs, and incomplete information

• Pragmatic: knows when to push hard and when to unblock teams

• Strong communicator who can translate technical risk into business impact

• High trust, low ego, execution-oriented

Bay Area / Startup Fit

• Understands the AI ecosystem, venture-backed company dynamics, and rapid iteration cycles

• Comfortable working cross-functionally with engineering, product, legal, and exec teams

• Can scale security alongside company growth without slowing momentum

What We Offer:

Security is foundational to our credibility, customers, and long-term success. This role will shape how we scale responsibly, protect our technology, and earn trust in the AI ecosystem. You will have real ownership, executive visibility, and influence—not just responsibility without authority.

By joining our team, you become part of a community that embraces diversity, inclusiveness, and lifelong learning. We nurture curiosity and creativity, encouraging exploration beyond conventional wisdom. Through mentorship, knowledge exchange, and constructive feedback, we cultivate an environment that supports both personal and professional development.

If you're ready to join a team that's changing the game, apply now to become a part of the Articul8 team. Join us on this adventure and help shape the future of Generative AI in the enterprise.