Head, Information Security & Compliance

United Arab Emirates University; Al Ain; On-site; AED 320,000 - 460,000; Full time

Job summary

United Arab Emirates University seeks an Information Security Head to lead the university's information security program, aligning governance, risk management, and operations with UAE and international standards. You will drive a resilient security architecture and oversee SOC operations, incident response, and security training.

You will partner with executive leadership to embed security across IT, OT, and cloud projects, perform risk assessments and audits, and report on security posture to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information security, Computer Science, or related field.
• 10+ years of senior cybersecurity leadership experience (CISO, Deputy CISO, Head of Security).
• Experience in large/complex environments and governance across IT, OT, and cloud.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee enterprise-wide information security strategy.
• Maintain security program covering cyber defense, data protection, and SOC operations.
• Establish, publish, and enforce security policies and procedures.
• Coordinate audits and ensure compliance with national and international standards.
• Lead SOC operations, incident response, and 24/7 monitoring.
• Manage risk assessments, vulnerability scans, and threat modeling.

Skills

Cybersecurity leadership

Risk management

Security governance

SOC operations

Incident response

Cloud security

Vendor risk

BCP/DR planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in information security or CS

Job description

Job Description:

Information Security Head serves as a key member of UAEU’s leadership team, responsible for safeguarding the university’s digital assets and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. This role oversees compliance with UAE cybersecurity regulations and international standards, while building a robust and resilient security infrastructure to protect against evolving threats. Information Security Head provides strategic direction for information security, risk management, and governance, and leads the development of high-performing cybersecurity teams to support UAEU’s mission and objectives.

• Develop and implement UAEU’s enterprise-wide information security strategy.
• Maintain a comprehensive security program covering cyber defense, data protection, and SOC operations.
• Establish and maintain security governance frameworks, policies, and procedures.
• Draft, publish, and enforce security policies for acceptable use, access control, and incident management.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate cybersecurity risks across IT, OT, and cloud environments.
• Conduct risk assessments, vulnerability scans, and threat modeling; prioritize remediation efforts.
• Ensure compliance with UAE national cybersecurity frameworks and international standards.
• Coordinate audits, maintain compliance evidence, and implement corrective actions.
• Oversee Security Operations Centre (SOC) operations and incident response.
• Manage 24 × 7 monitoring, detection, and response; validate SIEM (Splunk) and EDR integrations.
• Lead responses to security incidents, breaches, and investigations.
• Direct triage, containment, recovery, and post‑incident reviews.
• Develop and test business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
• Maintain BCP/DR documentation and conduct annual tests.
• Evaluate and manage security posture of vendors and service providers.
• Perform third‑party risk assessments and enforce contractual security clauses.
• Drive security awareness and training programs.
• Deliver employee training and phishing simulations, measure effectiveness.
• Manage security architecture and technology stack.
• Oversee SOAR, TIP, NDR, DRP, IAM implementations and secure configurations.
• Monitor and report on security posture to executive leadership.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports with SLA compliance and incident summaries.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to embed security in projects.
• Review new initiatives for risk before deployment.
• Ensure the continuous evaluation, adoption, and implementation of new security technologies and necessary upgrades to maintain a resilient and modern cybersecurity posture and stay ahead of emerging threats and technologies.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in information security, Computer Science, or related field.

Experience/Skills:

10+ years’ demonstrable experience in senior cybersecurity leadership (CISO, Deputy CISO, Head of Security) in large/complex environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in information security, Computer Science, or related field.