About the Role We're looking for a Director of Application Security to architect and lead an AI-native, agent-driven Application Security function at Zeta.
This is a hands-on, player/coach leadership role focused on shifting security decisively left-embedding security intelligence directly into the software development lifecycle, CI/CD pipelines, and AI-powered development workflows.
Rather than operating as a traditional gate or review function, Application Security at Zeta is evolving into a continuous, autonomous capability: powered by policy-as-code, security agents, real-time risk signals, and deep integration with how engineers build software.
Zeta is at the forefront of the AI-native transformation of marketing, having launched Athena by Zeta-a superintelligent, conversational AI agent deeply embedded in the Zeta Marketing Platform. As Zeta accelerates into this AI-driven, agentic future, security is foundational-not optional.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Leadership & Strategy (AI-Native Player/Coach)- Define and drive an AI-native Application Security vision and roadmap.
- Design the operating model for agentic AppSec, including security copilots and policy-enforcing agents.
- Act as a hands-on technical leader shaping secure architectures.
- Build and mentor a modern Application Security team focused on leverage and automation.
Agentic Threat Modeling & Continuous Validation - Evolve threat modeling into continuous, system-aware analysis.
- Embed automated security reasoning into CI/CD and AI/ML pipelines.
- Lead AI-specific adversarial testing (prompt injection, model abuse, data leakage).
Shifting Security Left into the SDLC - Embed security agents directly into IDEs, PRs, and CI workflows.
- Deliver in-context security guidance without slowing velocity.
- Use continuous risk scoring to influence release decisions.
AI & Emerging Threat Defense - Own AppSec strategy for AI systems, models, prompts, and agents.
- Translate emerging AI risks into automated guardrails.
Security Culture & Enablement - Foster an ambient, automated security culture.
- Train engineers on secure AI-native system design.
WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED - 5-10+ years in AppSec, DevSecOps, or secure software development.
- Strong knowledge of OWASP, cloud-native systems, and API security.
- Familiarity with AI/ML security risks.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills.
WHY THIS ROLE This is a foundational opportunity to define what Application Security looks like in an AI-native enterprise-securing not just code, but decisions, agents, and intelligence at scale.
BENEFITS & PERKS- Unlimited PTO
- Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Employee Equity
- Employee Discounts, Virtual Wellness Classes, and Pet Insurance And more!!
SALARY RANGEThe salary range for this role is $275,000-$315,000 TC, depending on location and experience.
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