Senior Risk Analyst, SPEAR Special Programs & Projects
Amazon•Published 1 days ago•First seen 13 hours ago
Design the threat model for the world's most critical infrastructure. The SP2 Risk team within Amazon Security's SPEAR (Special Programs, Evaluations, Assessments & Response) organization is expanding its Design Based Threat (DBT) capability to determine what each facility should be designed to withstand based on its unique threat environment, location, and risk profile.
We are seeking a Physical Security Risk Specialist to drive this work. You will assess threat landscapes across global regions, characterize adversary capabilities, and translate that intelligence into quantitative design guidance that shapes how facilities are physically built and protected. Today, the team has a validated risk scoring methodology integrated into fleet-wide prioritization. Your role is to take that foundation further: developing the threat characterization layer that tells us not just where gaps exist, but what specific threats each site must be resilient against given its geography, surroundings, and operational context.
This is security work with direct, visible impact. Your threat assessments will inform the physical security standards that govern construction decisions across hundreds of facilities worldwide. When you identify that a site's environment demands a different protection profile, that analysis flows into the standards that design engineers build from. You will partner across risk, governance, compliance, and design engineering teams to close the loop between threat intelligence and real-world implementation.
This position is remote, and the candidate may be based anywhere globally. The role requires approximately 50% international travel to conduct on-site assessments and engage with regional security teams.
What you will do:
(-) Expand and mature the Design Based Threat framework: characterize threat actors, define attack vectors, and translate that analysis into quantitative design guidance for new and existing facilities
(-) Conduct physical security risk assessments across global facility types and synthesize findings into patterns that inform security standards and investment priorities
(-) Advance enterprise risk models that provide automated, data-driven risk reporting across the fleet
(-) Partner with standards, compliance, and design engineering teams to ensure threat intelligence shapes how facilities are built, not just how they are evaluated after construction
(-)Deliver risk posture briefings, threat context, and strategic recommendations to senior security leadership
(-) Evaluate emerging technologies and security measures for application against identified threat scenarios
What makes this role unique:
(-) You are scaling something with proven foundations. The DBT capability has validated methodology in place. You will extend its reach, deepen its sophistication, and drive it across the full portfolio.
(-) Your analysis directly changes what gets built. This is not advisory work that sits on a shelf. Your threat characterizations feed the standards that govern facility construction.
(-) You will work across the full risk lifecycle: from threat intelligence collection through quantitative modeling to design guidance that shapes real-world construction decisions.
Key job responsibilities
* Builds data and metric driven programs, collaborating with wider business partners to agree on, goals, objectives and performance outcomes
* Creates and managing risk / resilience programs at a global level, encompassing both proactive preparedness and proportionate reactive capabilities
* Conducts analytical deep dives to identify vulnerabilities and root causes leading to comprehensive risk reporting
* Completes detailed threat and risk assessments, producing comprehensive risk treatment plans and recommendations
* Partners and collaborating across functional lines to develop and manage business aligned standards, procedures and processes for the effective identification and mitigation of security risks
* Be a self-starter with the ability to work alone
* Create and document risk analysis products later used in reports for the most Senior level Amazon Security Leadership.
* Remain connected with industry trends and events. Develop and maintain personal relationships with key industry personnel and manufacturers.
A day in the life
The SP2 Risk function provides the analytical foundation that informs how physical security standards are written and where compliance effort is prioritized across a global data center fleet. Central to this role is building a Design Based Threat (DBT) capability: developing threat-informed security design guidance that right-sizes protection to each facility's actual risk profile based on location, environment, and threat landscape. Rather than applying uniform security solutions everywhere, you will drive the shift toward quantitative, intelligence-led design decisions that ensure security investment is proportional to real-world conditions.
About the team
Diverse Experiences
Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Why Amazon Security?
At Amazon, security is central to maintaining customer trust and delivering delightful customer experiences. Our organization is responsible for creating and maintaining a high bar for security across all of Amazon’s products and services. We offer talented security professionals the chance to accelerate their careers with opportunities to build experience in a wide variety of areas including cloud, devices, retail, entertainment, healthcare, operations, and physical stores.
Inclusive Team Culture
In Amazon Security, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Ongoing DEI events and learning experiences inspire us to continue learning and to embrace our uniqueness. Addressing the toughest security challenges requires that we seek out and celebrate a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices.
Training & Career Growth
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, training, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
USA, VA, Virtual Location - Virginia - 119,300.00 - 208,900.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Virtual Location - Washington - 119,300.00 - 208,900.00 USD annually
We are seeking a Physical Security Risk Specialist to drive this work. You will assess threat landscapes across global regions, characterize adversary capabilities, and translate that intelligence into quantitative design guidance that shapes how facilities are physically built and protected. Today, the team has a validated risk scoring methodology integrated into fleet-wide prioritization. Your role is to take that foundation further: developing the threat characterization layer that tells us not just where gaps exist, but what specific threats each site must be resilient against given its geography, surroundings, and operational context.
This is security work with direct, visible impact. Your threat assessments will inform the physical security standards that govern construction decisions across hundreds of facilities worldwide. When you identify that a site's environment demands a different protection profile, that analysis flows into the standards that design engineers build from. You will partner across risk, governance, compliance, and design engineering teams to close the loop between threat intelligence and real-world implementation.
This position is remote, and the candidate may be based anywhere globally. The role requires approximately 50% international travel to conduct on-site assessments and engage with regional security teams.
What you will do:
(-) Expand and mature the Design Based Threat framework: characterize threat actors, define attack vectors, and translate that analysis into quantitative design guidance for new and existing facilities
(-) Conduct physical security risk assessments across global facility types and synthesize findings into patterns that inform security standards and investment priorities
(-) Advance enterprise risk models that provide automated, data-driven risk reporting across the fleet
(-) Partner with standards, compliance, and design engineering teams to ensure threat intelligence shapes how facilities are built, not just how they are evaluated after construction
(-)Deliver risk posture briefings, threat context, and strategic recommendations to senior security leadership
(-) Evaluate emerging technologies and security measures for application against identified threat scenarios
What makes this role unique:
(-) You are scaling something with proven foundations. The DBT capability has validated methodology in place. You will extend its reach, deepen its sophistication, and drive it across the full portfolio.
(-) Your analysis directly changes what gets built. This is not advisory work that sits on a shelf. Your threat characterizations feed the standards that govern facility construction.
(-) You will work across the full risk lifecycle: from threat intelligence collection through quantitative modeling to design guidance that shapes real-world construction decisions.
Key job responsibilities
* Builds data and metric driven programs, collaborating with wider business partners to agree on, goals, objectives and performance outcomes
* Creates and managing risk / resilience programs at a global level, encompassing both proactive preparedness and proportionate reactive capabilities
* Conducts analytical deep dives to identify vulnerabilities and root causes leading to comprehensive risk reporting
* Completes detailed threat and risk assessments, producing comprehensive risk treatment plans and recommendations
* Partners and collaborating across functional lines to develop and manage business aligned standards, procedures and processes for the effective identification and mitigation of security risks
* Be a self-starter with the ability to work alone
* Create and document risk analysis products later used in reports for the most Senior level Amazon Security Leadership.
* Remain connected with industry trends and events. Develop and maintain personal relationships with key industry personnel and manufacturers.
A day in the life
The SP2 Risk function provides the analytical foundation that informs how physical security standards are written and where compliance effort is prioritized across a global data center fleet. Central to this role is building a Design Based Threat (DBT) capability: developing threat-informed security design guidance that right-sizes protection to each facility's actual risk profile based on location, environment, and threat landscape. Rather than applying uniform security solutions everywhere, you will drive the shift toward quantitative, intelligence-led design decisions that ensure security investment is proportional to real-world conditions.
About the team
Diverse Experiences
Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Why Amazon Security?
At Amazon, security is central to maintaining customer trust and delivering delightful customer experiences. Our organization is responsible for creating and maintaining a high bar for security across all of Amazon’s products and services. We offer talented security professionals the chance to accelerate their careers with opportunities to build experience in a wide variety of areas including cloud, devices, retail, entertainment, healthcare, operations, and physical stores.
Inclusive Team Culture
In Amazon Security, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Ongoing DEI events and learning experiences inspire us to continue learning and to embrace our uniqueness. Addressing the toughest security challenges requires that we seek out and celebrate a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices.
Training & Career Growth
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, training, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
Basic Qualifications
- 5+ years of HR, privacy, legal, compliance or risk management experience
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent, or 10+ years of related field experience
- 5+ years of working cross functionally across several teams experience
- 5+ years of experience in Physical Security Principles, Access Control, Intrusion Detection, and video surveillance and management systems.
- 5+ years of experience collaborating with partner agencies/entities in order to complete the mission.
- Project management and delivery (PRINCE2, PMP, or equivalent certification).
- Industry certification in security risk management (ASIS CPP, CSMP or equivalent)
- Ability to travel worldwide.
Preferred Qualifications
- 6+ years of program management, project management or product management experience
- Experience in written and verbal communication with the ability to present complex technical information in a clear and concise manner to executives and non-technical leaders
- Experience with continuous improvement cycles and analytical methodology.
- Familiarity with risk, business continuity and data management platforms (BSI, Audit board etc)
- Applicable physical security industry specific qualifications, certifications, and or education.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, VA, Virtual Location - Virginia - 119,300.00 - 208,900.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Virtual Location - Washington - 119,300.00 - 208,900.00 USD annually