Manager - Cybersecurity

Air Arabia; Sharjah; On-site; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading airline company in the UAE is seeking a Manager of Cyber Security to lead the enterprise cyber security strategy and oversee a dedicated team. This role requires strong expertise in managing on-premises and cloud environments, incident response, and compliance with industry regulations. The ideal candidate should possess a relevant Bachelor's degree, along with key certifications such as CISSP. Candidates with over 8 years in IT security and a proven track record in leadership are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of IT security experience, including managerial role for at least 3 years.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes security and cloud-native security tools.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise cyber security strategy and governance.
• Oversee SOC activities, including monitoring and incident response.
• Conduct regular risk assessments and manage security controls.

Skills

Cyber Security Strategy Development

Risk Management

Security Operations Management

Incident Response

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Vulnerability Assessment

Cloud Security

Database Security

Business Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Cyber Security or related field

CISSP or equivalent certification

Cloud Security Certifications (AWS, Azure, Oracle)

Tools

Kubernetes Security Tools

SIEM platforms

Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems

Job description

The Manager of Cyber Security is responsible for leading the enterprise cyber security strategy, operations, and governance across on‑premises and cloud environments. This role oversees a dedicated cyber security team responsible for protecting infrastructure (Windows/Linux servers, cloud platforms: Oracle, AWS, Azure, Kubernetes clusters, enterprise networking, and databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, MySQL, CouchDB). The Manager ensures compliance with industry regulations, reduces cyber risks, and implements proactive security measures to safeguard critical business systems and data.

Key Result Responsibilities

Strategic & Governance

• Develop and implement the organization’s cyber security roadmap aligned with business and regulatory requirements.
• Establish security policies, standards, and procedures across infrastructure, cloud, and application environments.
• Collaborate with the Manager of Cloud & Infrastructure Services or Technology Infrastructure Manager to embed security into system and network architecture.
• Manage security budgets, vendor relationships, and third‑party risk assessments.
• Ensure compliance with standards such as ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR, HIPAA, or local regulatory requirements.

Operational Security

• Oversee Security Operations Centre (SOC) activities, including monitoring, threat detection, and incident response.
• Manage vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and remediation plans.
• Implement and maintain security controls for servers, networks, cloud services, Kubernetes, and databases.
• Lead incident response and forensic investigations, ensuring timely resolution and root cause analysis.
• Ensure strong identity and access management (IAM), privilege escalation control, and zero‑trust practices.

Risk Management & Assurance

• Conduct regular risk assessments and security audits across IT infrastructure and applications.
• Manage enterprise endpoint protection, intrusion detection/prevention (IDS/IPS), and SIEM platforms.
• Drive awareness and training programs to promote a strong cyber security culture across the organization.
• Oversee data protection measures, encryption standards, and backup/recovery procedures.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor a dedicated cyber security team including analysts, engineers, and incident responders.
• Define KPIs and success metrics for cyber defence and resilience.
• Provide continuous skill development to stay ahead of evolving threats and technologies.

People Management

• Provides direction, coaching and guidance to team members for their career and professional development.
• Creates a conducive working environment to build and sustain a performance driven, engaged, and committed team.
• Ensures people management responsibilities are handled effectively in line with company procedures.

Qualifications (Academic, Training, Languages)

• Bachelor’s degree in cyber security, Information Technology, or related field (master’s preferred).
• CISSP, CISM, CISA, CEH, CCSP, or equivalent industry certifications.
• Cloud security certifications (AWS Security Specialty, Azure Security Engineer, Oracle Security).
• Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) is a plus.
• Fluent in English Language.
• Strong background securing Windows/Linux servers, cloud (AWS, Azure, Oracle), and enterprise networks.
• Knowledge of enterprise databases (Oracle, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, MySQL, CouchDB) and their security best practices.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Work Experience

• With 8+ years of IT security experience, with at least 3+ years in a managerial role.
• Hands‑on experience with Kubernetes security, container hardening, and cloud‑native security tools.
• Proven track record in leading incident response and crisis management.