Akamai WAF Subject Matter Expert

Impact Team; London; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking an Akamai WAF Subject Matter Expert to manage and optimize WAF solutions in a hybrid role. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in web application security, particularly in regulated environments, and will collaborate with various teams to ensure robust protection for web applications. This role requires strong communication skills and the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

• Extensive hands-on experience with Akamai WAF in regulated environments.
• Deep knowledge of web application security principles and DDoS mitigation.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, configure, and maintain Akamai WAF policies.
• Monitor, investigate, and respond to WAF alerts and incidents.
• Collaborate with IT and business teams to integrate WAF controls.

Skills

Web Application Security

Stakeholder Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

Akamai WAF

AWS

Azure

Job description

Job Description

Akamai WAF Subject Matter Expert

Outside IR35 Up to £600 per day.

London based – hybrid

Role Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Akamai Web Application Firewall (WAF) to join our information security team. You will be responsible for the end-to-end management, optimization, and strategic oversight of Akamai WAF solutions, ensuring robust protection for our web applications in a highly regulated insurance environment. This is a hands-on technical role with a strong consultative and collaborative element.

1. Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, configure, and maintain Akamai WAF policies and rulesets to protect public-facing applications against evolving web threats.
• Analyze web behaviour and performance, establishing baselines and thresholds for application security and availability.
• Lead the onboarding of new web services onto the Akamai WAF platform, including transitions from monitoring to enforcement modes.
• Perform ongoing policy tuning and rule optimization to minimize false positives and maximize legitimate traffic flow.
• Monitor, investigate, and respond to WAF alerts, logs, and incidents, including vulnerability identification and mitigation.
• Collaborate with IT, DevOps, and business teams to integrate WAF controls seamlessly across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Ensure compliance with internal security policies, insurance industry regulations, and audit requirements.
• Document configurations, standards, and best practices; provide training and guidance to team members.
• Stay abreast of the latest security threats and Akamai platform updates, advising on improvements and emerging best practices.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Extensive hands-on experience with Akamai WAF (Kona Site Defender) in large-scale, regulated environments (preferably financial or insurance sectors).
• Deep knowledge of web application security principles, OWASP Top 10, and DDoS mitigation.
• Proficient in designing and tuning WAF rules, managing false positives, and integrating with DevOps/CI-CD pipelines.
• Strong understanding of network security architectures (firewalls, proxies, DNS, DMZ).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and hybrid deployments.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks relevant to insurance and financial services (e.g., Lloyd’s, PRA, FSA) is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Experience with Akamai APIs for automation and reporting is a plus.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Akamai Certified Professional, CISSP, CISM, or similar) are advantageous.