Senior IT Security Engineer

Sabenza IT & Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1 000 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm is seeking a Senior Information Security Engineer in Johannesburg to design and implement advanced security solutions for hybrid environments including Azure and Microsoft 365. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, relevant senior-level certifications, and proven experience in security architecture, operations, and compliance. Strong skills in threat detection, vulnerability management, and stakeholder engagement are essential. This full-time position offers a key role in enhancing organizational security posture.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in designing and implementing security controls.
• Leadership in managing security operations and incident responses.
• Expertise in vulnerability management and risk advisory.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement advanced security controls in hybrid environments.
• Oversee and optimize security platforms and incident management.
• Deliver security assurance through audits and compliance assessments.

Skills

Security architecture and engineering

Cloud security (Azure, Microsoft 365)

Threat detection and response

Identity and access management

Compliance (ISO 27001, NIST CSF)

Security awareness programs

Education

Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field

CISSP, CISM, or equivalent senior-level certification

Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert or SC-series certification

Job description

Johannesburg, South Africa | Posted on 22/01/2026

We are seeking a Senior Information Security Engineer to design, implement, and lead advanced security solutions across hybrid on-prem and cloud environments (Azure, Microsoft 365).

Key Responsibilities

1. Security Architecture & Engineering

Design and implement advanced security controls across on-prem, cloud, and SaaS environments (Azure, Microsoft 365).

Define and enforce security architecture standards.

Lead secure SDLC initiatives and application security assessments.

Configure and maintain enterprise firewalls and Web Application Firewalls (WAF).

2. Security Operations Leadership

Oversee and optimize security platforms (Firewalls, SIEM, EDR, DLP, Vulnerability Management).

Develop automation for threat detection and response integrated with ITSM tools.

Define operational playbooks and mentor junior engineers.

Manage and govern outsourced SOC services, SLAs, and performance metrics.

Lead major incident investigations, forensic analysis, and root cause analysis.

Act as escalation point for critical security incidents.

Drive proactive threat hunting initiatives.

4. Vulnerability & Patch Management

Define vulnerability management strategy.

Ensure timely remediation of critical risks.

Deliver executive-level risk and remediation reporting.

5. Identity & Access Management

Architect enterprise identity governance using Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD).

Implement privileged access management and Zero Trust principles.

6. Security Awareness

Design and deliver enterprise-wide security awareness programs.

Measure effectiveness and report outcomes to leadership.

7. Compliance & Risk Advisory

Ensure alignment with ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS Benchmarks, POPIA, GDPR, FSCA.

Lead technical audits, penetration tests, and red/blue team exercises.

8. Reporting & Executive Engagement

Deliver security dashboards, metrics, and board-level reporting.

Recommend and track continuous security posture improvements.

Produce detailed firewall and WAF configuration and performance reports.

Qualifications & Experience

Education & Certifications

Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field.

CISSP, CISM, or equivalent senior-level certification.

Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert or SC-series certification