Senior Threat Detection Engineer

COGNNA; Medina; On-site; SAR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP program

On-site Almadina office

Certifications & trainings

Ownership culture

Job summary

COGNNA in Almadina is seeking a Threat Detection Engineer to design high-impact detection strategies, build automation, and elevate SOC operations. You will mentor rising cyber talent and collaborate with threat intel, incident response, and platform engineering teams.

The role focuses on building high-fidelity detections, translating attacker techniques into actionable logic, and advancing SOC maturity. Fluency in English and Arabic is valued for cross-team collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Design high-impact detection strategies and automate detection testing.
• Build correlation rules and behavioral detections within COGNNA security platforms.
• Lead platform engineering for XDR, SIEM, and SOC stacks.
• Mentor junior team members and collaborate with threat intel, IR, and platform engineering teams.
• Stay updated on global and regional threats and ensure compliance alignment.

Skills

SIEM

EDR

Network security

Scripting (Python/PowerShell)

OS internals

Threat intelligence

Cloud security

Education

Bachelor's in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field

Job description

As a Threat Detection Engineer at COGNNA, you'll design high-impact detection strategies, build powerful automation, and elevate SOC operations to a world-class standard. You'll also mentor rising cyber talent and collaborate with teams across threat intel, incident response, and platform engineering.

Advanced Threat Detection Engineering

• Build high-fidelity correlation rules and behavioral detections within the COGNNA security platforms
• Translate adversary TTPs (MITRE ATT&CK), threat intel, and vulnerability data into actionable logic
• Identify detection gaps and introduce new data sources to cover evolving threat landscapes
• Automate detection testing and maintain detection quality over time

Platform Engineering & Optimization

• Lead architecture and optimization of XDR, SIEM, and SOC tech stacks for scale and resilience
• Streamline log ingestion pipelines — from parsing to normalization and enrichment
• Build scripts and automations (Python, PowerShell) to enhance SOC efficiency
• Integrate tools across the SOC stack to enable seamless workflows and response.

Threat Hunting & Incident Response

• Collaborate with intel and IR teams to enrich detection use cases and support threat hunts
• Provide Tier-3+ support for incident investigations and post-mortem analysis

Mentorship & SOC Maturity

• Improve SOC playbooks, SOPs, and detection engineering workflows
• Stay updated on global and regional threats — and evolve detection accordingly
• Ensure compliance alignment (e.g., NCA ECC, SAMA CSF)

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of experience with hands–on expertise in developing and maintaining complex detection use cases
• Strong understanding of attacker behavior, IR fundamentals, and digital forensics.

Technical Skills (You're a Power User!)

• SIEM: Expert in SIEM queries (SPL, KQL, Lucene), rule tuning, UEBA, and scaling
• EDR: Deep knowledge of EDR tools and endpoint detection tactics
• Network Security: Pro at packet analysis (Wireshark), IDS/IPS, and NetFlow
• Scripting: Advanced skills in Python and/or PowerShell for automation and integration
• OS Internals: Mastery of Windows/Linux/macOS logging, artifacts, and forensic value
• Threat Intelligence: Skilled in turning threat intel into real-time detection logic
• Cloud Security: Strong command of monitoring IaaS/PaaS/SaaS environments

Certifications (Highly Preferred)

• SANS GIAC (GDAT, GMON, GCIA, GCTI, GCIH)
• Offsec (OSDA)
• INE (eCTHP, eCIR)
• (ISC)² CISSP, CSSLP

Soft Skills

• Exceptional analytical thinking and creative problem-solving
• Excellent communication (English & Arabic), including technical reporting
• Strong mentorship abilities and a collaborative spirit
• Self-motivated, focused, and passionate about cyber defense
• Capable of juggling priorities under high-pressure situations

Benefits

• Impact that Matters - Build products that shape the future of cybersecurity and protect organizations globally.
• On-Site Collaboration - Be at the heart of innovation in our Almadina office, working side by side with passionate experts.
• Continuous Growth - Access to certifications, trainings, and opportunities to sharpen your expertise.
• Ownership Mindset - Benefit from our ESOP program and grow with COGNNA's success.
• Culture of Trust - We empower talent, encourage ownership, and celebrate real outcomes.