Sr Solution Adoption Engineer

Job Description:

We’re actively seeking a talented Sr Development Excellence Engineer with focus on applied Gen AI to application security to join our Engineering Excellence team in Newport Beach, CA.

• This role is hybrid in our Newport Beach, CA office. This a contract to hire role.

As a Sr Engineer you’ll move Pacific Life, and your career, forward by driving AI-assisted development and innovation in application security, security engineering across Pacific Life’s global platforms and systems.

How you’ll help move us forward:

Key Responsibilities

Application Security Leadership

• Define, establish and evolve secure software development lifecycles (SSDLC), embedding security controls, threat modeling, and automated testing into every phase.
• Design and implement robust security strategies for GenAI systems, including model security, agentic behavior, and runtime protection.
• Conduct security reviews, penetration testing, and red teaming for AI/GenAI offerings.
• Build and deploy security automation, static/dynamic analysis, and frameworks that scale security controls across products.
• Mentor engineers in secure-by-design principles and best practices.

Developer Experience & Enablement

• Develop tools, frameworks, and platforms that empower developers to build secure, high-quality software efficiently.
• Lead the creation of developer-centric documentation, guidance, and education, making secure development the default, seamless path.
• Collaborate with product and UX teams to deliver accessible, user-friendly experiences for developers.
• Drive adoption of secure coding standards and practices across engineering teams.

GenAI Integration & Innovation

• Lead the integration of Generative AI into engineering workflows (code reviews, vulnerability detection, documentation, developer support).
• Evaluate and improve prompt performance and AI-driven workflows for developer productivity and security.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for LLM deployment, operation, and monitoring.
• Provide guidance for responsible GenAI adoption by establishing robust AI governance frameworks, ensuring model safety, and promoting ethical deployment practices.

Technical Strategy & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Own the engineering technical design of next-generation security and developer platforms from inception to production.
• Collaborate with product, infrastructure, compliance, and AI/ML teams to align technical strategy with business and regulatory goals.
• Represent the company in external forums, conferences, and open-source collaborations.

Mentorship & Thought Leadership

• Mentor senior engineers and technical leaders, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Stay abreast of emerging GenAI, developer experience, and cybersecurity technologies, proactively proposing innovative solutions.
• Act as a thought leader and ambassador, representing the company at industry events and in the broader tech community.

The experience you bring:

• Extensive Engineering Background: 15+ years of progressive engineering experience, including more than 5 years in senior security leadership positions, driving complex technical initiatives from concept to successful deployment.
• Proven Security Leadership: Demonstrated success in designing, and implementing secure, scalable systems in high-volume consumer-facing and cloud-native environments, ensuring robust protection against evolving threats.
• Specialized Security Expertise: Advanced proficiency in application security, threat modeling, secure architecture, and vulnerability management, with a track record of proactively identifying and mitigating risks across diverse technology stacks.
• GenAI Integration & Innovation: Practical experience working with leading GenAI frameworks (such as Llama, LangChain, and Semantic Kernel) to enhance secure software development, including the adoption of responsible AI practices and governance models.
• Strategic Communication & Influence: Outstanding communication and stakeholder management abilities, adept at aligning technical strategies and security objectives across cross-functional teams, business leaders, and external partners.
• AI Governance & Ethical Deployment: Extensive experience establishing and overseeing AI governance frameworks, ensuring model safety, ethical deployment, and compliance with industry standards and best practices.
• Mentorship & Thought Leadership: Committed mentor to senior engineers and technical leaders, fostering a culture of in