About this role
WHO ARE WE Cognism is the leading provider of European B2B data and sales intelligence. Ambitious businesses of every size use our platform to discover, connect, and engage with qualified decision-makers faster and close more deals. Headquartered in London with global offices, Cognism’s contact data and contextual signals are trusted by thousands of revenue teams to eliminate the guesswork from prospecting.
The Application Security Architect reports to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) within the Enterprise Information Risk and Security team. This role owns and leads Cognism’s Application Security Program, ensuring the protection of applications, systems, and data assets.
The Architect defines and enforces application security policies, standards, and architectures, ensuring alignment with Cognism’s risk profile, compliance obligations, and enterprise security strategy. Acting as a key security advocate, the role partners closely with Product, Technology, Architecture, and Operations leadership to embed security requirements across the full application lifecycle.
This position requires deep technical expertise, strong influencing skills, and the ability to think strategically while driving pragmatic, enterprise-wide security outcomes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Application Security Strategy & Leadership - Own and lead Cognism’s enterprise Application Security Program, defining and evolving the application security strategy in alignment with business risk, compliance requirements, and organizational objectives. Champion Security-by-Design and DevSecOps principles across the enterprise.
Architecture, Standards & Design Governance - Define and maintain application security policies, standards, reference architectures, and design patterns. Provide security architecture guidance and design governance across application and platform initiatives, and develop and maintain application threat models integrated into the software development lifecycle.
DevSecOps & Secure Software Development - Define, implement, and continuously improve DevSecOps practices by embedding security controls into CI/CD pipelines and modern delivery models including cloud, containers, SaaS, and Infrastructure as Code. Establish security requirements and control objectives across all phases of solution development.
Risk Management & Advisory - Assess and manage security risks associated with application and system designs, providing expert advisory input on architecture, workflows, data, network, and platform decisions. Ensure applications operate within Cognism’s defined risk tolerance and compliance obligations.
Security Operations & Program Execution - Govern and oversee application-focused security operations initiatives, partnering with project and program management to maintain delivery velocity and drive remediation of identified application security risks.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement - Partner with Product, Engineering, Architecture, and Operations leadership to embed security requirements into enterprise IT strategy. Act as a trusted advisor and advocate for application security, and disseminate enterprise security strategy and guidance across security and technology teams.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Clear, concise, and influential communicator
Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills
Results-driven with the ability to manage complexity and change
Strategic thinker with the ability to lead transformation
Collaborative partner who positions security as a business enabler
Demonstrates strong commitment to Cognism values and risk-based security principles
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Master’s degree in IT or equivalent experience (preferred)
10+ years in security engineering or security architecture leadership roles
Experience building application security programs in modern cloud and SaaS environments
Strong knowledge of regulatory privacy and security requirements (US & EU)
Familiarity with industry frameworks and standards (e.g., ISO 2700x, NIST, OWASP, TOGAF)
Hands-on experience with cloud platforms, CI/CD security tooling, and application security testing
Proven ability to influence across a matrixed, global organization
CERTIFICATIONS
Must hold or obtain within six months one or more of the following:
CISSP, CSSLP, CRISC, ISSAP
AWS Certified Security – Specialty
WHY COGNISM At Cognism, we’re not just building a company - we’re building an inclusive community of brilliant, diverse people who support, challenge, and inspire each other every day. If you’re looking for a place where your work truly makes an impact, you’re in the right spot!
Our values aren’t just words on a page—they guide how we work, how we treat each other, and how we grow together. They shape our culture, drive our success, and ensure that everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to do their best work.
Here’s what we stand for:
🤝 We Own the Outcome Together. 🤓 We Deeply Understand our Customers. 🏆 We Celebrate Impact Wherever It Comes From.
At Cognism, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and supportive workplace. We welcome applications from individuals typically underrepresented in tech, so if this role excites you but you’re unsure if you meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply!