Cybersecurity Consultant - Threat Exposure & Vulnerability Management Specialist, Rome, Italy

WFP - World Food Programme; Roma; Remote; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

World Food Programme seeks a Cybersecurity Consultant to lead threat exposure and vulnerability management activities. You will coordinate adversarial validation, including penetration testing and red/purple team exercises, to identify exploitable gaps and prioritize remediation across IT infrastructure.

The role reports to the CISO and collaborates with global teams to integrate findings into detection processes while continuously refining techniques to minimize organizational risk.

Qualifications

• Education: University degree in Information Technology, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or related fields.
• Experience: At least 5-7 years of experience in cybersecurity, with focus on vulnerability management and threat exposure management.
• Knowledge & Skills: Security concepts, vulnerability scanning, remediation workflows, threat modeling, risk-based decisions, penetration testing, and adversarial emulation.
• Languages: Fluency in English (level C); second UN language desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design and coordinate adversarial validation activities such as penetration tests, threat exposure assessments, and red/purple team exercises to identify detection gaps and assess risk.
• Validate findings to confirm exploitability, assess risk levels, and guide remediation prioritization.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure timely mitigation of validated vulnerabilities or detection gaps.
• Develop reports and dashboards highlighting key findings, vulnerabilities, attack paths, and remediation progress for stakeholders.
• Communicate findings and remediation strategies to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Continuously refine validation techniques based on threat intelligence and evolving attack methods.
• Prioritize vulnerabilities based on validation outcomes, focusing on highest risk to operations.
• Perform other cybersecurity related duties as assigned.

Skills

Cybersecurity

Vulnerability management

Threat exposure management

Penetration testing

Adversarial emulation

Security auditing

Education

University degree in IT/Cybersecurity

Job description

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

15 October 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

ABOUT WFP

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE

Cybersecurity Consultant - Threat Exposure & Vulnerability Management Specialist

Type of contract: Regular Consultant (CST2)

Unit/Division: Technology Division, Information Security

Duty Station: Remote

Duration: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the general supervision of the CISO, the incumbent will lead efforts to enhance the organization's threat exposure & vulnerability management practices. This includes coordinating adversarial validation initiatives - such as penetration testing, threat exposure assessments, red/purple teaming - to identify and assess exploitable vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure and systems. The role focuses on validating risks and gaps, prioritizing remediation and controls, and aligning efforts with business priorities. The incumbent will collaborate with teams to integrate validation results into threat exposure and detection processes, while continuously monitoring, reporting, and refining adversarial validation practices to minimize organizational risk by addressing critical vulnerabilities and detection gaps.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Main responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Design and coordinate adversarial validation activities such as penetration tests, threat exposure assessments, and red/purple team exercises to identify detection gaps, exploitable weak points and assess their risk impact in real-world scenarios.
• Validate findings to confirm exploitability, assess risk levels, and guide prioritization of remediation efforts, leveraging team input and expertise and guiding integration into WFP’s threat exposure management program.
• Collaborate with relevant teams and provide technical direction to ensure timely mitigation of validated vulnerabilities or detection gaps.
• Develop clear reports and dashboards that highlight key findings, including critical vulnerabilities, attack paths, and remediation progress for stakeholder visibility.
• Communicate adversarial validation findings, risks, and remediation strategies effectively to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Continuously refine validation techniques based on emerging threat intelligence, vulnerabilities, and attack methods to maintain program relevance and effectiveness.
• Prioritize vulnerabilities based on adversarial validation outcomes, focusing on those posing the highest risk to the organization’s operations, and coordinate team efforts accordingly.
• Perform other cybersecurity related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Education: University Degree in Information Technology, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or related fields or a combination of relevant education and experience.
• Experience: At least 5-7 years of experience in cybersecurity, with focus on vulnerability management and threat exposure management.
• Knowledge & Skills: Sound IT Security skills, with both academic background and practical hands‑on experience. In-depth understanding of vulnerability management frameworks, processes, and best practices. Experience with vulnerability scanning processes, tools and remediation workflows. Familiarity with security concepts such as threat modeling, asset classification, and risk-based decision-making. Experience with penetration testing, and adversarial emulation activities that aid in identifying potential attack vectors and their impact. Previous experience in international or UN environments is valued, but not essential. IT Audit and/or PM certifications are desirable, though equivalent hands‑on experience is equally appreciated. Strong organisational and communication skills.
• Languages: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language desirable: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: [e-mail]

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

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WFP provides its staff with meaningful and impactful careers, continuous learning and training, and a multicultural and stimulating work environment.

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

Read more about WFP’s history here, and WFP’s mission here.

Want to hear what it’s like working for WFP? Check out our newsletter highlighting the career stories of our passionate staff here: Pathway to WFP | LinkedIn

Integrity, collaboration, commitment, humanity, inclusion. These values inspire everything we do every day, allowing us to work towards a world with zero hunger. You can read more about the values here. Our behaviour guides us in how we accomplish our mission. All WFP employees are expected to demonstrate the standards of behaviour described in the WFP Leadership Framework. Learn more about the WFP Leadership Framework here.