Associate Director, AI Security Frontier Engineering (Houston)

Known for being a great place to work and build a career, KPMG provides audit, tax and advisory services for organizations in today's most important industries. Our growth is driven by delivering real results for our clients. It's also enabled by our culture, which encourages individual development, embraces an inclusive environment, rewards innovative excellence and supports our communities. With qualities like those, it's no wonder we're consistently ranked among the best companies to work for by Fortune Magazine, Consulting Magazine, Seramount, Fair360 and others. If you're as passionate about your future as we are, join our team.KPMG is currently seeking an Associate Director, AI Security Frontier Engineering to join our Enterprise Security Services organization.Responsibilities:Serve as the primary technical subject matter expert for a designated frontier-AI platform (for example, Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, or Google), owning its security architecture and secure deployment patterns; sequence work against firm priorities and adapt patterns as each platform maturesDesign and implement automated controls and guardrails across the NIST CSF functions and OWASP Top 10 frameworks, such as mitigating prompt injection, preventing data leakage, and establishing secure model- and tool-interaction patternsLead complex security engineering initiatives end-to-end with minimal oversight, from risk and gap assessment through control build-out to release criteria; deliver high-quality, defensible capabilities on schedule while operating comfortably in ambiguityCreate reusable, cross-platform architecture patterns, control frameworks, and engineering standards so controls built for one AI ecosystem accelerate the next and reduce duplicated effort across concurrent workstreamsLead the development and maturation of security telemetry, monitoring, and detection engineering capabilities by establishing logging standards, onboarding security-relevant data sources, and delivering threat-informed detection content integrated with SIEM and SOC operations; partner with Adversarial Testing teams to validate detection effectiveness, identify visibility gaps, and strengthen defensive controlsEstablish non-negotiable MVP security and release criteria and hand durable outputs into operations by coordinating detection logic and playbook development with CSIRT and adjacent teams; serve as a technical advisor and mentor, communicating risks and solutions clearly to leadership and engineering peersAct with integrity, professionalism, and personal responsibility to uphold KPMG's respectful and courteous work environmentQualifications:Minimum eight years of recent progressive experience in security engineering or cloud security, including direct, hands-on experience securing enterprise frontier-AI platforms (such as Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT Enterprise/Codex, Microsoft M365 Copilot, or Google Vertex AI/Gemini)Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in computer science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field is preferred; minimum of a high school diploma or GED is required; relevant industry certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, or related cloud credentials are highly preferredHands-on expertise securing AI/ML or LLM systems and executing adversarial testing (targeting prompt injection, jailbreaks, data leakage, and tool, plugin, or connector abuse), combined with familiarity with frameworks like NIST AI RMF, MITRE ATLAS, or OWASP Top 10 for LLMsDemonstrated ability to design and implement security controls across AWS, Azure, or GCP, with practical experience in agentic runtime, prompt-inspection controls, sandboxing, blast-radius containment, and modern logging or observability toolingProven track record of independently leading technical initiatives end-to-end and resolving ambiguous, complex problems with minimal oversight, ideally operating in a fast-moving tiger team or professional services/highly regulated environment; strong working knowledge of detection engineering and security telemetry (SIEM and logging pipelines), alongside essential enterprise controls including DLP, identity/SSO, and endpoint managementExcellent communication and collaboration skills to translate complex technical risks for both engineering teams and non-technical senior stakeholdersApplicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future; KPMG LLP 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)KPMG LLP and its subsidiaries (“KPMG”) complies with all local/state regulations regarding displaying salary ranges. If required, the ranges displayed below or via the URL below are specifically for those potential hires who will work in the location(s) listed. Any offered salary is determined based on relevant factors such as applicant's skills, job responsibilities, prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications and market considerations. In addition, KPMG is proud to offer a comprehensive, competitive benefits package, with options designed to help you make the best decisions for yourself, your family, and your lifestyle. Available benefits are based on eligibility. Our Total Rewards package includes a variety of medical and dental plans, vision coverage, disability and life insurance, 401(k) plans, and a robust suite of personal well-being benefits to support your mental health. Depending on job classification, standard work hours, and years of service, KPMG provides Personal Time Off per fiscal year. Additionally, each year KPMG publishes a calendar of holidays to be observed during the year and provides eligible employees two breaks each year where employees will not be required to use Personal Time Off; one is at year end and the other is around the July 4th holiday. Additional details about our benefits can be found towards the bottom of our KPMG US Careers site at Benefits & How We Work.Follow this link to obtain salary ranges by city outside of CA:
California Salary Range: $153000 - $297000
KPMG offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. KPMG is an equal opportunity employer. KPMG complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. The attached link contains further information regarding KPMG's compliance with federal, state and local recruitment and hiring laws. No phone calls or agencies please.KPMG recruits on a rolling basis. Candidates are considered as they apply, until the opportunity is filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply expeditiously to any role(s) for which they are qualified that is also of interest to them.Los Angeles County applicants: Material job duties for this position are listed above. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, and safeguard business operations and company reputation. Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.