Senior Specialist – Network & Cybersecurity

Role Name : Senior Specialist – Network & Cybersecurity
Location : UAE
Role Type : Contractual (Yearly Renewable Contract)

Overview

Team lead role covering both Network SME/vendor oversight and hands-on Cyber Security work
Manages DLP policies and security events; administers email security gateways
Works closely with the SOC team; maintains VPNs
Ensures compliance with AECB (Etihad Credit Bureau) policies
Supports IT projects, documents network configurations, and engages with leadership, InfoSec and Audit on security needs
Maintains patches on security devices and drives network availability through troubleshooting and root cause analysis

Responsibilities

Security Operations & Threat Defense

First line of defense for the Bureau’s overall security posture
Administers, monitors and tunes email security gateway, threat isolation engine, and anti-spam solutions
Maintains and oversees Internet proxy infrastructure; monitors events, logs and alerts in real time
Conducts threat hunting; works with SOC on SIEM use cases and SOAR playbooks
Configures, maintains and monitors Endpoint Security and EDR solutions
Keeps security devices and appliances patched per OEM recommendations

Cloud & Modern Infrastructure Security

Administers and secures cloud workloads (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, microservices) on platforms like Azure using CASB, SASE, EASM
Defines and enforces security reference architectures and secure design patterns
Reviews system architectures proposed by dev/infra teams
Performs formal Security Impact Assessments before go-live on new deployments

Data Protection & Information Security

Designs, deploys and optimizes DLP policies across endpoints, network, cloud, email, storage, SaaS
Classifies sensitive data and enforces data discovery/classification
Monitors DLP events, investigates and triages incidents, drives incident response
Reviews DLP effectiveness, manages agent patching, supports training/awareness
Secures applications via encryption and cryptographic controls

Vulnerability, Risk & Security Assurance

Drives the vulnerability management program (e.g. Qualys VMDR) – asset discovery, scanning, risk-based prioritization, reporting
Performs threat modelling, periodic VA, application security scans, defines security baselines
Ensures ongoing compliance with policies, IT standards, regulatory and audit expectations
Tracks regulatory compliance, audit outcomes, KPIs and KRIs

Network & Connectivity Security

Ensures network/wireless security aligned with policies, ITIL/ITSM and change control
Ensures compliance with procedures and safety isolation for networking projects
Improves availability via issue analysis, root cause identification, corrective action
Maintains documentation for network architecture, configs, mappings, policies, DR

Team & Governance

Provides line management/oversight for Network Specialists
Coordinates with Network teams on security controls and risk without direct operational ownership
Validates user onboarding/offboarding for access hygiene and license optimization
Provides end-to-end security support for IT projects and programs
Engages executive management/department leaders on security needs
Scouts emerging security technologies and runs proof-of-concepts
Builds real-time security dashboards for CIO, directors, managers, ops teams

Qualifications

Bachelor’s in cybersecurity, computer science, IT or related (or equivalent experience) – required; relevant Master’s – preferred
Proficient English – required; Arabic – preferred
Strong communication/presentation skills and vendor negotiation skills – required
Familiarity with PCI-DSS, NIST CSF, ISO27K – required
10+ years IT experience with 5+ years in cybersecurity – required
Credit bureau/data-business domain experience – preferred
Proven team leadership and Cyber/Firewall administration track record – required
CISSP or AZ-500 – preferred
Enterprise security solutioning knowledge – required
VA experience on Tenable/Qualys or similar – required
5 years on a SIEM platform (Splunk, ArcSight, Sentinel, QRadar, LogRhythm) – required
DLP policy, monitoring and reporting experience – required
ITIL/ITSM understanding for incident, problem and change management – required
Able to lead a team, work independently, handle pressure and ambiguity, and demonstrate structured, analytical problem-solving – required