Head of Secure by Design, Cybersecurity

Wells Fargo is seeking an experienced and visionary Technology Executive to lead the Secure by Design function within our Cybersecurity organization. Our firm must ensure that every product, application, platform, and change introduced into our technology estate is inherently secure from inception. This leader will own the global "Secure by Design" strategy, embedding cybersecurity controls and assurance into the full lifecycle of technology-from design through deployment-at the scale of one of the world's largest financial institutions.
The successful candidate will partner closely with the CISO, CIOs, CTO, and senior business stakeholders to drive a culture of secure innovation, ensuring our systems, platforms, digital products and AI capabilities meet the highest security, resilience, and regulatory standards. This role will be accountable for the execution of proactive, preventative security controls that safeguard our clients, assets, and the financial ecosystem.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

• Define and own the global Secure by Design strategy, ensuring security is built into all technology solutions at inception.
• Establish a unified framework across application development, infrastructure engineering, and third-party integrations to proactively manage cybersecurity risk.
• Partner with senior leaders in Technology, Risk, and Business Units to align cybersecurity objectives with business priorities.

Execution & Delivery

• Lead a global team responsible for:
  • Security architecture and design reviews.
  • DevSecOps standards and tooling integration.
  • Cloud and infrastructure security guardrails.
  • Security Product Evaluations.
• Drive adoption of zero trust principles, secure SDLC methodologies, and automated control enforcement across development pipelines.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of Secure by Design frameworks, including threat modeling, secure coding practices, and architectural risk assessments.
• Partner with Engineering, Technology Operations, and Product teams to embed preventative security controls into agile and cloud-native environments.

Leadership & Influence

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing global team of security architects, engineers, and risk professionals.
• Champion a "security as an enabler" culture, influencing thousands of developers, engineers, and product managers across the bank.
• Represent the bank externally with regulators, industry consortia, and peer banks on secure-by-design standards.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of Technology Strategic Leadership experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
• 4+ years of Management experience

Desired Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity, technology risk, and secure architecture, with leadership roles in large, complex organizations.
• Proven track record in leading secure by design or equivalent functions at scale, preferably in financial services or highly regulated industries.
• Deep expertise in:
  • Security Architecture & Engineering
  • Secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC).
  • Application security, DevSecOps, and CI/CD tooling.
  • Cloud security (multi-cloud, containerized workloads).
  • Zero Trust frameworks and modern enterprise security architecture.

• Demonstrated ability to engage at Board and regulator level on cybersecurity design assurance.
• Strong people leadership skills-able to lead and inspire a global team of professionals and influence a wider engineering community of thousands.

Leadership Attributes

• Visionary: Can define a forward-looking secure-by-design strategy in alignment with business and regulatory needs.
• Influencer: Builds consensus across senior technology, business, and risk leaders.
• Operator: Executes consistently at scale in a highly complex, global environment.
• Change Agent: Drives cultural transformation toward embedding security into everything we do.

Pay Range
Reflected is the base pay range offered for this position. Pay may vary depending on factors including but not limited to achievements, skills, experience, or work location. The range listed is just one component of the compensation package offered to candidates.
$290,000.00 - $500,000.00
Benefits
Wells Fargo provides eligible employees with a comprehensive set of benefits, many of which are listed below. Visit Benefits - Wells Fargo Jobs for an overview of the following benefit plans and programs offered to employees.

• Health benefits
• 401(k) Plan
• Paid time off
• Disability benefits
• Life insurance, critical illness insurance, and accident insurance
• Parental leave
• Critical caregiving leave
• Discounts and savings
• Commuter benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• Scholarships for dependent children
• Adoption reimbursement

Posting End Date:
7 Sep 2025
* Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
We Value Equal Opportunity
Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit's risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.
Applicants with Disabilities
To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo .
Drug and Alcohol Policy
Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace. Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.
Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:
a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.
b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.