Senior Cybersecurity Operations Specialist

Government Technology Agency; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading public sector technology agency in Singapore seeks a Security Services Specialist to enhance security testing and implement secure-by-design practices across ministries. You will define standards, lead Red Team exercises, and engage stakeholders to foster a culture of security. The ideal candidate has 8-10 years of cybersecurity experience and proficiency in secure development lifecycles. Join us to drive Singapore's Smart Nation initiative by building secure digital government solutions.

Benefits

Continuous learning opportunities

Generous leave benefits

Flexible work arrangements

Qualifications

• 8 to 10 years of deep technical experience in Cybersecurity.
• Proven track record in conducting penetration tests for various environments.
• Experience in manual and automated source code reviews.

Responsibilities

• Establish Ministry-wide framework for security testing.
• Lead and execute complex Red Teaming exercises.
• Consult with Agency Directors to promote secure-by-design culture.

Skills

Cybersecurity expertise

Secure software development

Offensive security proficiency

Analytical mindset

Education

Relevant Professional Certifications (OSCP, OSWE, etc.)

Tools

SAST tools (e.g., Checkmarx, Fortify)

DAST tools (e.g., Burp Suite)

Cloud and DevOps tools

Job description

What the role is

GovTech is the lead agency driving Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives and public sector digital transformation. As the Centre of Excellence for Infocomm Technology and Smart Systems (ICT & SS), GovTech develops the Singapore Government’s capabilities in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, Application Development, Smart City Technology, Digital Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity.

At GovTech, we offer you a purposeful career to make lives better where we empower our people to master their craft through robust learning and development opportunities all year round.

Play a part in Singapore’s vision to build a Smart Nation and embark on your meaningful journey to build tech for public good. Join us to advance our mission and shape your future with us today!

Learn more about GovTech at tech.gov.sg.

What you will be working on

The Cyber Security Group (CSG) is the cybersecurity arm of GovTech. CSG is committed to create a digital government that is safe and secure. CSG delivers technical and operational capabilities to counteract cyber threats, provides thought leadership on transformative cybersecurity governance and policies and to strengthen the cybersecurity posture of government agencies in a manner that is sustainable, pragmatic, and effective.

To enhance infocomm security capabilities in GovTech and the Whole-of-Government (WOG), GovTech appoints Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) teams at the various ministries to oversee infocomm security management.

As the Security Services Specialist within the Ministry CISO (MCISO) Office, you will be the domain expert responsible for elevating the security testing and "Secure-by-Design" capabilities across the entire Ministry Family. You will bridge the gap between high-level governance and technical implementation, ensuring that all agencies under the Ministry’s purview adopt consistent, high-quality security practices. Your role is pivotal in shifting the Ministry from a reactive security posture to a proactive, resilient one.

Key Responsibilities

Security Testing Governance & Standardisation

• Establish Standards: Define and maintain the Ministry-wide framework for security testing (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing - VAPT).
• SOP Development: Create and roll out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide Agency project teams on engaging external security vendors and managing internal testing cycles.
• Quality Assurance: Develop "Quality Rubrics" to help agencies evaluate the performance of pen-testers. You will conduct periodic sampling of testing reports and project involvements to ensure quality and rigour across the Ministry Family.

Advanced Technical Operations

• Red Teaming & Critical Testing: Lead and execute complex Red Teaming exercises and deep-dive penetration tests on the Ministry’s high-impact systems.
• Adversary Simulation: Utilise knowledge of the latest Adversary Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to simulate real-world attacks, helping agencies identify blind spots in their prevention, detection and response capabilities.
• Environmental Scanning: Proactively monitor the global threat landscape to identify emerging threats and evolving actor TTPs. Assess how these changes impact the Ministry's current security posture and update testing standards accordingly.

Secure-by-Design & Source Code Excellence

• Secure Coding Standards: Establish Ministry-wide secure coding guidelines (e.g., based on OWASP, SANS) to ensure developers build security into the application layer from day one.
• Source Code Analysis: Lead the strategy for Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Software Composition Analysis (SCA). You will evaluate tools that automate the detection of vulnerabilities in source code and third-party libraries.
• CI/CD Integration: Evaluate, recommend, and provide guidance on integrating security tools into the agencies’ DevOps pipelines (DevSecOps).
• Code Quality Oversight: Review and recommend systems that help to boost code quality, ensuring that security is treated as a core component of "clean code."
• Technology Foresight: Stay abreast of technology changes (e.g., Cloud-native security, AI-driven development) and recommend systems/technologies that enhance code quality and resilience.

Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy

• Consultative Leadership: Act as a trusted advisor to Agency CIOs, ACISOs, and Project Owners to educate them and inculcate a culture of secure-by-design.
• Community of Practice: Establish a platform for knowledge sharing among security practitioners within the Ministry Family to harmonise security testing efforts.

What we are looking for

Experience

• Years of Experience: 8 to 10 years of deep technical experience in Cybersecurity, with a strong focus on offensive security and application security.
• Domain Expertise: Proven track record in conducting penetration tests for Web Applications, IT Systems (on-premises and cloud environments), and complex Network architectures.
• Code Review Mastery: Experience in performing manual and automated source code reviews to identify logic flaws, injection vulnerabilities, and cryptographic weaknesses.

Technical Skills

• Secure Development: Deep understanding of secure software development lifecycles (SSDLC) and the ability to read/analyze common programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, .NET, JavaScript).
• Source Code Analysis Tools: Proficiency with enterprise-grade SAST, DAST, SCA and VAPT tools (e.g., Checkmarx, Fortify, SonarQube, Snyk, Burp Suite).
• Offensive Security: Proficiency in manual and automated testing tools; deep understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK framework and common TTPs.
• Cloud & DevOps: Experience with Government Commercial Cloud (GCC) environments and practical knowledge of Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions.
• Certifications: Professional certifications such as OSCP, OSWE (Offensive Security Web Expert), CASE (Certified Application Security Engineer), or GWEB are highly desirable.

Soft Skills

• Influence & Diplomacy: Ability to communicate complex technical risks to non-technical stakeholders (CIOs/Project Owners) and influence change without direct reporting lines.
• Analytical Mindset: Ability to spot patterns in "bad" testing jobs or recurring code vulnerabilities and provide constructive feedback to improve agency-level performance.
• Intellectual Curiosity: A strong commitment to continuous learning and keeping pace with the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.

Other Requirements

• This role is open to Singaporeans Only

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company as we believe that diversity is meaningful to innovation. Our employee benefits are based on a total rewards approach, offering a holistic and market-competitive suite of perks. This includes generous leave benefits to meet your work-life needs. We trust that you will get the job done wherever you are, and whatever works best for you – so work from home or take a break to exercise if you need to*. We also believe it’s important for you to keep honing your craft in the constantly-evolving tech landscape, so we provide and support a plethora of in-house and external learning and development opportunities all year round.

Subject to the nature of your job role that might require you to be onsite during fixed hours.

About Government Technology Agency

The Government Technology Agency (GovTech) is the lead agency driving Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives and public sector digital transformation. As the Centre of Excellence for Infocomm Technology and Smart Systems (ICT & SS), GovTech develops the Singapore Government’s capabilities in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, Application Development, Smart City Technology, Digital Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity. At GovTech, we offer you a purposeful career to make lives better. We empower our people to master their craft through continuous and robust learning and development opportunities all year round. Our GovTechies embody our Agile, Bold and Collaborative values to deliver impactful solutions. GovTech aims to transform the delivery of Government digital services by taking an "outside-in" view, putting citizens and businesses at the heart of everything we do. Play a part in Singapore’s vision to build a Smart Nation and embark on your meaningful journey to build tech for public good. Join us to advance our mission and shape your future with us today! Learn more about GovTech at tech.gov.sg.