Head of Application & Cloud Security

The Role

We are seeking a hands-on and strategic Head of Application & Cloud Security to lead our Product Security function across the full software and cloud technology stack. This executive will report directly to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and own the end-to-end vision, execution, and continuous improvement of application and cloud security capabilities across the firm.
This leader will serve as a key partner to engineering, development, architecture, cloud, infrastructure, and product teams—helping embed security into every layer of our delivery model while reducing business friction and maintaining velocity. The role also supports our broader enterprise security architecture and governance efforts through direct participation in architectural reviews and security advisory forums.

How You'll Help Take Us There

• Define and execute the security strategy for application and cloud environments, aligned to business priorities, delivery timelines, and compliance requirements
• Lead by example with a strong hands-on presence in technology, tooling, and program execution
•  Proactively identify, assess, and track vulnerabilities, control gaps, and architectural risks across products and cloud platforms
• Prioritize remediation efforts based on risk, business impact, and threat intelligence—partnering with engineering teams to drive resolution
• Provide real-time advisory to development teams during design, build, and release stages
• Scale security guardrails and developer-friendly tooling across hybrid and cloud-native environments (AWS, containers, IaC, etc.)
• Champion threat modeling, secure coding practices, and resilience-by-design at the feature level
• Define and govern secure reference architectures and patterns for cloud adoption, microservices, and serverless environments
• Collaborate with the Enterprise Architecture team and serve as a core member of the Security Architecture Review Board (SARB)
• Deploy and optimize a modern security tooling stack including SAST, DAST, SCA, IaC scanning, CSPM, secrets detection, and runtime protection
• Act as a key collaborator across product, engineering, infrastructure, and DevOps teams—reducing security friction and aligning controls with workflows
• Build trust through enablement, education, and repeatable guidance frameworks
• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of AppSec and CloudSec professionals
• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and technical excellence within the team
• Define and report on KPIs/KRIs tied to application and cloud security posture, remediation progress, and control maturity
• Support compliance, audit, and customer security assurance initiatives

What We’re Looking for  

• 10+ years in cybersecurity with a focus on application and/or cloud security
•  5+ years of team leadership, with proven experience building and scaling security engineering functions
• Execution experience and capability in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic direction with hands-on technical execution
• Strong expertise in secure SDLC, threat modeling, DevSecOps, and cloud-native architectures
• Experience in securing modern technology stacks including Java, Python, microservices, container orchestration, and public cloud (preferably AWS)
• Familiarity with key tooling: SAST, DAST, SCA, IaC scanning, secrets detection, CSPM, WAF, and API security platforms
• Proficiency in cloud infrastructure security (IAM, networking, data protection, KMS, etc.)
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., CISSP, CSSLP, CCSP, AWS Security Specialty) preferred
  Preferred Attributes
  • Strong communicator with the ability to positively influence engineers, developers, architects, and business leaders alike
  • Thoughtful, pragmatic, and able to execute in a high-velocity, agile environment
  • Deeply collaborative and experienced at embedding security into developer culture
  • Track record of reducing risk without slowing down innovation
• Being articulate and precise to the internal stakeholders who are seeking counsel on what are the risks, why are they impactful, and options on how to resolve them

What You Can Expect from Us

• Hybrid Environment: Our employees enjoy a mix of working in the office and from home
• Free Food: We provide free lunch for employees when they are working in the office. Plus, our offices are stocked with snacks
• Paid Time Off: Competitive PTO package including vacation and personal days, sick leave and charity days
• Generous Parental Leave: Up to 20 weeks fully paid leave
• 401(k): Dollar-for-dollar employer match up to $17,500
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Employees can purchase MarketAxess common stock at a discount
• Wellness Stipend: We provide employees with up to $1K annually towards gym memberships, home office equipment and more
• Onsite Healthcare: We offer convenient access to world-class care through Mount Sinai at our Hudson Yards location
• Tuition Assistance and Professional Development: Benefit from live and on-demand learning, role-specific training, employee-led Lunch and Learns and guest speakers
• Core benefits: Highly competitive medical, dental, and vision programs

For job positions in NYC, NY, and other locations where required, the estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $200,000 USD to $275,000 USD. Actual salary may vary depending on job-related factors, which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. You may also be eligible for annual cash incentives, equity, and other benefit programs.

MarketAxess Corporation and its affiliates provide equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic in the location in which the candidate is applying.

All of your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.