Next Frontier Cyber Lead

About the Next Frontier:

Applied Innovation's Next Frontier focuses on emerging technologies, including Physical AI, Quantum Computing, and Frontier AI, amongst others such as Cyber Frontier. This initiative translates advanced capabilities into measurable outcomes, helping clients and EY teams unlock new opportunities through technology-driven capabilities.

The opportunity:

EY needs to further advance innovation in Cyber AI by developing new capabilities in this domain, particularly at the frontier. The focus is on practical Cyber Agentic capabilities and frameworks that deliver measurable, enterprise-value level benefits. Some of the areas include Cyber world models, Agentic AI red teaming tooling and frameworks, and strategic plans for modernizing infosec capabilities for the AI age. The core Cyber teams today are driving capability in the center, with tools from Microsoft, Zscaler, and others. At the frontier are new tools being built by startups and with open weight models that our clients would find essential. This team will focus on the frontier.

Next Frontier’s Cyber team is an emerging tech team in Frontier, under the direct leadership of Dr. Rodrigo Madanes, EY Global Innovation Next Frontier Leader.

The Next Frontier Cyber Lead will work on initiatives to drive EY’s capability in frontier cyber, which is mostly aligned with advances of frontier AI models. This role requires background, knowledge, and practical experience with both Cyber as well as with Agentic AI. This is an exciting time in the field and we’re aware not many people have expertise in both. Curiosity will be key and fast learning too.

Your key responsibilities

• Provide technical and strategic leadership for the development and adoption of Cyber Agentic frontier defense capabilities, tools, and assessments across the enterprise. This stream focuses on Next/Beyond not now which is already covered in EY’s core Cyber capabilities.
• Develop and drive Cyber Agentic frontier programs, assessments, and implementation roadmaps.
• Shape and support go-to-market (GTM) strategy for Cyber by working with Cyber teams and also with Global Markets, sector teams, and alliance partners.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders and clients, articulating risks, architectures, and opportunities in Cyber agentic frontier safety.
• Advise senior technical and business leaders on AI model sandboxes, model misbehavior, zero day vulnerability brute force discovery, defensive agentic sentries, proprietary vs open weight models capabilities and their impact on enterprise systems.
• Produce executive-ready documentation, architecture standards, and thought leadership.

Go-to-Market (GTM) & Commercial Strategy

Partner with sector leaders and client-serving teams to shape solution approaches and drive adoption of Cyber-safe architectures.

Program & Engagement Management

• Manage delivery of complex Cyber safety transformations, coordinating engineering, architecture, and research teams.
• Lead a technical team of cyber developers, establishing engineering best practices, documentation standards, and architectural governance.
• Oversee cyber frontier-risk assessment lifecycle, including threat modeling.

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Lead design and implementation of cyber frontier strategy and architecture.
• Architect cyber agentic-resistant networks, including network sentries, and red teaming of networks.
• Provide technical leadership for cyber defense initiatives attack modeling, countermeasure evaluation, and resilience testing.
• Evaluate, select, and integrate cyber solutions into enterprise systems and products.
• Review and lead development of PoCs using frontier cyber platforms to simulate attacks and validate defensive architectures.
• Produce and review high-quality technical content, architecture blueprints, whitepapers, and executive level reporting.

Skills and attributes for success:

• Deep knowledge of Cyber security.
• Expertise in cryptography, cyber standards, and other design patterns for cyber security.
• Familiarity with cyber defense principles, including attack modeling and mitigations.
• Knowledge of agentic AI as it relates to cyber security.
• Proven ability to advise executives and influence decision-making in cybersecurity and emerging technology strategy.
• Strong consulting skills with experience in roadmap development, solution architecture, and client relationship management.
• Demonstrated capability to lead engineering teams and cross-sector programs with multiple stakeholders.

What we look for:

• MS or PhD in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or related field with significant cyber safety experience (overall 12-15+ years).
• Hands-on experience implementing and securing enterprise cybersecurity and crypto systems.
• Demonstrated experience designing and reviewing enterprise architectures, reference models, and distributed system designs.
• Experience leading multi-year enterprise cyber and transformation programs, including TLS modernization and PKI redesign.
• Proven track record working in global consulting or large-scale cross-functional environments.
• Experience deploying and scaling quantum-resistant networks or advanced secure communication frameworks.
• Proven technical leadership with publications, whitepapers, standards work, or executive-grade technical materials.

Note: This job description is intended as a guide to reflect the principal functions of the job. However, it is not an all-inclusive listing of the required job functions and functions may vary depending on the geographic

What we offer you
The compensation ranges below are provided in order to comply with United States pay transparency laws. Other geographies will follow their local salary guidelines, which may not be a direct conversion of published US salary ranges. At EY, we harness our collective strength to empower you to shape your future with confidence through professional growth, personal fulfillment and an inclusive culture. Learn more at ey.com/us/careers.

• We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to the business.  The base salary range for this job is: 
• • New York City, Boston, and Washington DC Metro Areas, Washington State, and Southern California offices – $180,000 to $324,000
  • Bay Area California offices – $187,500 to $337,500
  • All other offices locations in the US, including Sacramento – $150,000 to $297,000 
• Individual salaries within these ranges are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills and geography.  In addition, our Total Rewards package includes medical and dental coverage, pension and 401(k) plans, and a wide range of paid time off options.
• Under our flexible vacation policy, you’ll decide how much vacation time you need based on your own personal circumstances. You’ll also be granted time off for designated EY Paid Holidays, Winter/Summer breaks, Personal/Family Care, and other leaves of absence when needed to support your physical, financial, and emotional well-being.

Are you ready to shape your future with confidence? Apply today.                                              

• To make the most of your application experience, please limit yourself to two applications within a six-month period.
• EY accepts applications for this position on an on-going basis.
• For those living in California, please click here for additional information.
• At EY, our values set the foundation for how we work and the behaviors we expect of our people. Any misrepresentation or falsification of information or lack of integrity at any point in the recruiting process may result in withdrawal of your candidacy, revocation of an offer or immediate termination of employment.

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