Distinguished AI Security Engineer

Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced/technically Distinguished AI Security Engineer to lead the charge in securing our enterprise AI solutions. In this critical role, you will be responsible for defining, architecting, and implementing robust security strategies across the entire AI lifecycle – from data ingestion and model training to deployment and inference. This is a hands-on, leadership-oriented position for an individual who deeply understands the unique attack surface of AI systems and possesses the expertise to proactively mitigate risks, develop innovative security controls, and champion a secure-by-design approach for our AI initiatives. You will be instrumental in evaluating, selecting, deploying, and, where necessary, developing cutting-edge technologies to safeguard our AI assets and ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of our intelligent systems.

Responsibilities

Strategic AI Security Leadership:Develop and champion an AI security roadmap aligning with business objectives. Act as the subject matter expert and technical lead for AI security initiatives, guiding cross-functional teams (ML engineers, data scientists, software engineers, DevOps, and traditional security teams). Conduct in-depth threat modeling and risk assessments specifically tailored to AI/ML systems (e.g., adversarial attacks, data poisoning, model inversion, prompt injection, supply chain attacks on ML pipelines).

AI Security Architecture & Implementation:Design, implement, and integrate security controls into AI/ML pipelines, MLOps platforms, and AI-powered applications. Evaluate, select, and deploy commercial and open-source security tools and technologies relevant to AI. Develop custom security solutions and frameworks where off-the-shelf options are insufficient to address unique AI security challenges. Implement and manage security measures for AI data (e.g., secure data storage, access controls, encryption, data lineage, and anomaly detection for data drift). Secure model deployment environments, including containerization, serverless functions, and specialized AI inference hardware.

Research & Development:Stay at the forefront of AI security research, emerging threats, and defensive techniques. Proactively research and evaluate new AI security technologies and methodologies. Contribute to the broader AI security community through presentations, publications, or open-source contributions, if applicable.

Mentorship & Evangelism:Mentor and educate engineering teams on secure AI development practices. Champion a security-first mindset across the AI development lifecycle.

Compensation and Benefits:

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $118,700 - $198,800.
• Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 15% of annual salary paid out annually.
• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related highly technical field. Master's or Ph.D. preferred.

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity, with experience directly focused on securing AI/ML systems and MLOps pipelines in an enterprise environment.
• Extensive experience with cloud security principles and practices (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Hands-on experience with a wide range of security tools and technologies, including but not limited to SIEM, SOAR, EDR, network security, application security, and specifically AI/ML security toolkits.
• Demonstrable experience with threat modeling frameworks (e.g., STRIDE, MITRE ATT&CK for ML) and conducting comprehensive risk assessments for AI.
• Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in developing secure code and security automation.
• Expertise in secure software development lifecycles (SSDLC) and DevSecOps principles.
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and securing containerized environments.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong leadership capabilities with the ability to influence and drive change.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of working independently as well as collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

>

Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901-4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law & EEO is the Law Supplement documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy.

 Please view our Pay Transparency Statement