Security Architect - Group Technology

Alexforbes; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth & Development

Strategic Impact

Innovation

Leadership Exposure

Purpose

Job summary

Alexforbes is seeking an experienced Security Architect to design, govern, and optimize the organisation's security architecture across private and public clouds. You will shape secure patterns, serve as a design authority, and embed risk-based controls within enterprise initiatives.

You will mentor security engineers and collaborate with stakeholders to drive transformation, governance, and compliance, ensuring architecture aligns with business goals and regulatory commitments.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years' overall IT industry experience.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in security architecture, security design, or security engineering roles.
• Experience across private and public cloud environments, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS platforms.
• Experience implementing secure architecture solutions within enterprise environments.
• Experience developing and implementing enterprise security frameworks and governance models.
• Experience supporting digital transformation, cloud migration, and technology modernisation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Design secure architecture patterns aligned with enterprise architecture standards and technology roadmaps.
• Act as the security design authority for projects, programmes, and strategic initiatives.
• Translate security policies and standards into practical design controls and implementation guidance.
• Develop and maintain security architecture artefacts, control mappings, reference architectures, and design standards.
• Promote reusable security patterns and architectural best practices across the organisation.
• Drive the security architecture strategy and roadmap in alignment with Enterprise Architecture principles.
• Establish and maintain a Security Architecture Centre of Excellence (CoE).
• Ensure security architecture remains aligned to business strategy and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to enterprise architecture governance, compliance, and design review processes.
• Support execution of the Group Cyber Security Strategy across technology domains.

Skills

Security Architecture

Security Engineering

Infrastructure Security

Application Security

Identity & Access Management

DevSecOps

Data Protection & Privacy

AI Security & Governance

Zero Trust Architecture

Security Risk Assessments

Enterprise Security Governance

Education

National Senior Certificate (Matric / Grade 12)

Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology or related field (NQF 7)

Postgraduate qualification in Information Technology or related field (NQF 8)

Tools

AWS

IAM Solutions

CI/CD Security

API Security

SIEM/SOAR Platforms

Data Security Technologies

Secure cloud deployment and architecture

Hybrid and multi-cloud security

Network security

Cloud governance and compliance

Infrastructure security controls

Job description

We're seeking a highly skilled and experienced Security Architect to design, develop, and manage the organisation's security architecture. This role plays a critical part in designing and guiding the implementation of secure technology solutions across the enterprise, ensuring that systems remain scalable, resilient, and aligned with business goals and regulatory commitments.

The Security Architect will work closely with security engineers, analysts, architects, and business stakeholders to define and implement security standards, frameworks, governance practices, and architectural principles. The role is responsible for embedding security into enterprise technology strategies, cloud adoption, digital transformation initiatives, and business solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Security Architecture & Design

• Design secure architecture patterns aligned with enterprise architecture standards and technology roadmaps.
• Act as the security design authority for projects, programmes, and strategic initiatives.
• Translate security policies and standards into practical design controls and implementation guidance.
• Develop and maintain security architecture artefacts, control mappings, reference architectures, and design standards.
• Promote reusable security patterns and architectural best practices across the organisation.

Security Governance & Strategy

• Drive the security architecture strategy and roadmap in alignment with Enterprise Architecture principles.
• Establish and maintain a Security Architecture Centre of Excellence (CoE).
• Ensure security architecture remains aligned to business strategy and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to enterprise architecture governance, compliance, and design review processes.
• Support execution of the Group Cyber Security Strategy across technology domains.

Technology Evaluation & Innovation

• Evaluate new technologies, products, platforms, and solutions for alignment with enterprise security strategy.
• Assess emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and technology trends.
• Recommend secure adoption strategies for cloud, data, AI, application, and infrastructure technologies.
• Promote innovation while maintaining strong security and governance controls.

Risk Assessment & Security Assurance

• Conduct architecture risk assessments and threat modelling exercises.
• Identify security risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support risk-based decision-making throughout solution design and implementation.
• Ensure secure architecture principles are embedded across all technology initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Information Security, Infrastructure, Cloud, Application, Data, and Engineering teams.
• Work closely with business stakeholders to understand and address security requirements.
• Provide technical guidance and advisory services to project and delivery teams.
• Communicate security risks, architectural decisions, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Leadership & Capability Development

• Mentor architects, engineers, and junior security professionals.
• Build organisational capability through coaching, knowledge sharing, and architecture leadership.
• Lead diverse stakeholder groups toward successful security outcomes.
• Drive continuous improvement across security architecture practices.

Qualifications

• National Senior Certificate (Matric / Grade 12)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology or related field (NQF 7)

Recommended

• Postgraduate qualification in Information Technology or related field (NQF 8)
• TOGAF Certification

Advantageous

• CISSP
• CISM
• CCSP
• Azure Security Certifications
• AWS Security Certifications

Experience

• Minimum 10 years' overall IT industry experience.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in security architecture, security design, or security engineering roles.
• Experience across private and public cloud environments, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS platforms.
• Experience implementing secure architecture solutions within enterprise environments.
• Experience developing and implementing enterprise security frameworks and governance models.
• Experience supporting digital transformation, cloud migration, and technology modernisation initiatives.

Technical Experience

• Security Architecture
• Security Engineering
• Infrastructure Security
• Application Security
• Identity & Access Management
• DevSecOps
• Data Protection & Privacy
• AI Security & Governance
• Zero Trust Architecture
• Security Risk Assessments
• Enterprise Security Governance

Hands-On Exposure To

• AWS
• IAM Solutions
• CI/CD Security
• API Security
• SIEM/SOAR Platforms
• Data Security Technologies
• Secure cloud deployment and architecture
• Hybrid and multi-cloud security
• Network security
• Cloud governance and compliance
• Infrastructure security controls

Application Security

• Secure software architecture
• DevSecOps
• Identity and access security
• CI/CD security integration

Data Security & AI Governance

• Data classification and protection
• Encryption and tokenisation
• Privacy-enhancing technologies
• AI governance

Enterprise Security Architecture

• Security frameworks and standards
• Security reference architectures
• Security strategy development

Why Join Alexforbes

• At Alexforbes, we build careers.
• Growth & Development: Access to industry-leading security, cloud, and architecture initiatives.
• Strategic Impact: Influence enterprise-wide security and technology decisions.
• Innovation: Help shape secure digital transformation and emerging technology adoption.
• Leadership Exposure: Collaborate with senior stakeholders across Technology and Enterprise Architecture.
• Purpose: Protect critical business services, data, customers, and organisational assets through secure design and architecture.