Head of Cybersecurity Operations and Infrastructure Security Job Snapshot - Role: Head of Cybersecurity Operations and Infrastructure Security - Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Industry: Banking - Function: Computer-Network Security - Experience: Not specified - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site Position Overview Dicetek LLC is seeking an experienced cybersecurity leader for a full-time, on-site opportunity in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The role is responsible for leading technical cybersecurity operations, protecting enterprise infrastructure, overseeing the Security Operations Centre (SOC), and ensuring effective implementation of security controls across networks, applications, cloud platforms, endpoints and operational technology environments. The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership across cybersecurity engineering, threat detection, incident response, identity security, vulnerability management and cyber resilience. Working closely with the VP of Digital & Technology, Information Security Governance and other stakeholders, the position will ensure that cybersecurity operations remain aligned with organisational policies, regulatory requirements and recognised security frameworks. The role also carries responsibility for cybersecurity team leadership, vendor performance, budget management and continuous improvement of the organisation 's security posture.
Job Details
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- City: Abu Dhabi
- Industry: Banking
- Function: Computer-Network Security
- Salary: Not disclosed
- Gender: No Preference
- Candidate Nationality: Not specified
- Job Type: Full Time
- Work Arrangement: On-site
Key Responsibilities
- Cybersecurity Strategy and Governance - Develop and execute the technical cybersecurity operations roadmap in alignment with organisational security policies and industry standards. - Implement cybersecurity controls and technical standards established by the Information Security Governance function. - Maintain appropriate segregation of duties between first-line cybersecurity operations and second-line information security governance. - Provide technical cybersecurity risk assurance to the VP of Digital & Technology and relevant governance stakeholders. - Embed security-by-design principles across technology initiatives, infrastructure projects and application environments. - Ensure cybersecurity operational practices support organisational risk management and control assurance requirements. - Coordinate with governance stakeholders on significant security risks, control weaknesses and remediation priorities.
- Network and Infrastructure Security - Oversee the design, implementation and operation of enterprise network security controls. - Manage security technologies including firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), Network Access Control (NAC) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). - Ensure secure remote access, network segmentation, web and email gateway protection, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation. - Lead the cybersecurity team responsible for protecting network and infrastructure environments. - Enforce secure network architecture and Zero Trust security principles. - Establish and maintain appropriate security hardening and baseline configuration requirements. - Oversee security controls across servers, endpoints, cloud platforms and operational technology environments. - Ensure continuous compliance with approved technical security standards. - Support the protection of connected Operational Technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems.
- Security Operations Centre and Threat Management - Direct continuous 24/7 security monitoring, threat detection, investigation and triage through the Security Operations Centre. - Oversee the operational effectiveness of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms. - Manage Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) capabilities. - Oversee Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) technologies and threat intelligence capabilities. - Develop and continuously improve security detection rules, monitoring use cases and investigation processes. - Improve threat detection accuracy by reducing false positives and strengthening security event correlation. - Drive improvements in threat detection and incident response times. - Lead proactive threat hunting activities to identify potential security exposures. - Oversee adversary emulation activities to assess the resilience of enterprise technology environments. - Evaluate emerging threats and ensure monitoring capabilities remain aligned with the evolving threat landscape.
- Identity and Privileged Access Security - Oversee Identity and Access Management (IAM) controls across relevant technology environments. - Manage Privileged Access Management (PAM) security requirements. - Coordinate with IT teams to maintain effective joiner, mover and leaver access processes. - Ensure privileged accounts are protected through appropriate access controls. - Monitor identity security risks and coordinate remediation of identified weaknesses. - Support consistent implementation of identity and privileged access security standards.
- Application Security and DevSecOps - Integrate application security requirements throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). - Oversee secure code review practices and application security assessments. - Ensure appropriate use of Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST). - Oversee API security controls and associated testing requirements. - Promote DevSecOps practices across application development and technology delivery activities. - Coordinate with development and technology teams to address identified application security risks. - Support the implementation of security-by-design principals in software development and integration activities.
- Vulnerability, Patch and Configuration Management - Manage the enterprise vulnerability management lifecycle from discovery through remediation and reporting. - Establish risk-based vulnerability prioritisation practices. - Coordinate vulnerability remediation with IT operations and relevant technology teams. - Oversee patch management coordination and secure configuration requirements. - Monitor remediation activities against agreed service-level agreements. - Track outstanding vulnerabilities and escalating critical security exposures. - Ensure security weaknesses are appropriately documented and progressed toward closure. - Monitor the effectiveness of vulnerability management and configuration security controls. - Provide management visibility of remediation progress and unresolved security risks.
- Cyber Incident Response and Resilience - Lead technical cybersecurity incident response activities across enterprise technology environments. - Oversee incident preparation, detection, containment, eradication, recovery and post-incident review. - Develop, maintain and regularly test cybersecurity incident response playbooks and procedures. - coordinate technical investigations and response activities during cybersecurity incidents. - Conduct tabletop exercises to evaluate incident readiness and response effectiveness. - Ensure timely escalation of significant cybersecurity incidents. - Coordinate regulatory notification requirements with the Information Security Governance function. - Review incident findings and implement improvements to response capabilities. - Contribute cybersecurity requirements to business continuity planning. - Support disaster recovery planning to strengthen organisational cyber resilience.
- Security Compliance, Audit and Control Assurance - Ensure technical cybersecurity controls operate effectively and remain aligned with approved security requirements. - Maintain evidence demonstrating the implementation and effectiveness of operational security controls. - Support internal and external audits and regulatory assessments. - Coordinate the preparation of technical security documentation and control evidence. - Monitor cybersecurity control exceptions and associated remediation actions. - Ensure security incidents, operational risks and control weaknesses are documented and escalated appropriately. - Track corrective actions through to closure. - Work with Information Security Governance to support regulatory compliance and control assurance activities.
- Cybersecurity Performance and Executive Reporting - Establish and monitor cybersecurity Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). - Define and track relevant cybersecurity Key Risk Indicators (KRIs). - Develop management dashboards covering security operations performance and risk exposure. - Report cybersecurity incidents, operational risks and remediation progress to leadership. - Provide management updates on threat detection capabilities, security control effectiveness and operational improvements. - Highlight significant security risks requiring management attention or governance decisions. - Maintain accurate reporting on outstanding security issues and control exceptions. - Support informed decision-making through clear and timely cybersecurity reporting.
- Cybersecurity Team Leadership - Lead and develop a multidisciplinary cybersecurity team covering network security, security operations and identity and access management. - Establish clear team objectives, responsibilities and performance expectations. - Manage individual and team performance against agreed operational goals. - Support professional development and continuous improvement of technical capabilities. - Promote collaboration across cybersecurity, IT operations and governance functions. - Build and retain a high-performing cybersecurity team. - Support the development of an Emiratisation-aligned cybersecurity talent pipeline. - Foster a culture of security awareness, accountability and operational excellence.
- Budget and Vendor Management - Support the preparation and management of the cybersecurity operations budget. - Monitor cybersecurity expenditure and resource utilisation. - Ensure cost-effective use of cybersecurity technologies, services and operational resources. - Maintain alignment with applicable procurement policies and procedures. - Manage cybersecurity vendors, managed security service providers and technology partners. - Monitor vendor performance against agreed service-level agreements and operational outcomes. - Coordinate improvements where vendor performance or service delivery does not meet expectations. - Evaluate cybersecurity tools and services against organisational security requirements.
- Continuous Security Improvement - Monitor emerging cybersecurity threats and changes in the technology risk landscape. - Evaluate new security technologies and relevant industry practices. - Identify opportunities to strengthen threat detection, prevention and response capabilities. - Recommend improvements to cybersecurity architecture, operational controls and monitoring processes. - Support the adoption of effective security engineering and automation practices. - Drive ongoing improvements in cybersecurity resilience and operational maturity.
Required Technical Expertise
- Network and Infrastructure Security - Enterprise network security architecture. - Firewalls and next-generation firewall technologies. - Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems. - Network Access Control. - Virtual Private Networks and secure remote access. - Network segmentation and Zero Trust architecture. - Web and email security gateways. - DDoS protection. - Server, endpoint and infrastructure hardening.
- Security Operations and Threat Detection - Security Operations Centre management. - SIEM platforms. - EDR and XDR technologies. - SOAR capabilities. - Threat intelligence. - Security event monitoring and investigation. - Threat hunting. - Adversary emulation. - Cyber incident response.
- Cloud and Emerging Technology Security - Cloud security controls. - Endpoint and server security. - Operational Technology security. - Internet of Things security. - Infrastructure configuration security. - Cyber resilience and recovery requirements.
- Identity and Application Security - Identity and Access Management. - Privileged Access Management. - Joiner, mover and leaver access controls. - Application security. - Secure code review. - Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing. - API security. - DevSecOps. - Secure Software Development Life Cycle practices.
- Risk, Compliance and Security Assurance - Vulnerability management. - Patch and configuration management. - Cybersecurity risk reporting. - Security compliance and control assurance. - Audit evidence preparation. - Security incident escalation. - Remediation tracking. - Cybersecurity performance reporting.
- Leadership and Operational Management - Cybersecurity strategy execution. - Technical security team leadership. - Security operations performance management. - Cybersecurity budget management. - Vendor and managed service provider oversight. - Service-level agreement management. - Cross-functional stakeholder coordination. - Continuous security improvement.
Regulatory and Technical Frameworks
- UAE Information Assurance Standards.
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0.
- ISO/IEC 27001.
Leadership and Professional Competencies
- Strong leadership capabilities across multidisciplinary cybersecurity teams.
- Ability to oversee complex security operations and technical control environments.
- Strategic understanding of enterprise cybersecurity risks and operational priorities.
- Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills during security incidents.
- Ability to coordinate cybersecurity activities across technical and governance functions.
- Effective communication with senior leadership and relevant stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of cybersecurity governance and segregation of duties.
- Ability to manage competing operational priorities and critical remediation activities.
- Experience overseeing security technology vendors and managed service providers.
- Commitment to continuous improvement, technical capability development and security accountability.
Role Expectations
The Head of Cybersecurity Operations and Infrastructure Security will be accountable for the effective management and continuous improvement of technical cybersecurity operations. The position requires strong leadership across network and infrastructure security, SOC operations, threat management, identity protection, application security, vulnerability remediation and incident response. The successful candidate will ensure cybersecurity controls are implemented effectively, security incidents are managed appropriately and operational risks are communicated to relevant leadership and governance stakeholders. The role also requires close coordination with the Information Security Governance function to maintain clear operational accountability, support audit and regulatory requirements, and strengthen the organisation 's overall cybersecurity resilience.