Senior IT Security Leader

Job description

JOB PURPOSE: Own build readiness, testing orchestration, and controlled handover, coordinating with the Design team for inputs. Enforce gates, close defects, and produce audit-ready validation packs for assigned programs across corporate and asset IT Security programs. Core Responsibilities: Readiness governance and gates · Operate exit-gate governance across environments; verify prerequisites (access, certs, backups, rollback). · Supervise Go/No-Go forums and ensure documentation of risks, exceptions, and compensating controls with Cybersecurity sign-off. · Maintain change calendars aligned to asset windows and blackout periods. Test planning, data, and environments · Supervise the build of end-to-end test plans covering functional, negative, resilience, and integration scenarios. · Ensure observer participation (Ops, platform SMEs) for test credibility. Defect, risk, and issue management · Manage defect triage; assign owners/severity; track fix SLAs and re-tests. · Maintain RAID logs; escalate blockers; quantify residual risk at release. Validation packs and traceability · Supervise compilation of validation packs (plans, results, evidence, traceability matrices); ensure versioned storage and approvals. · Ensure achievement of first-pass acceptance by QA/Excellence and ensure quick resolution of returns. Handover and run readiness · Validate runbooks, monitoring/alerting, and L1/L2 training completion; confirm operational SLOs and DR artifacts. · Confirm SIEM/SOAR mappings and case workflows prior to go-live. · Stakeholder coordination and communications · Facilitate cutover rehearsals; publish comms plans, RACI, and hyper care schedules. · Provide weekly readiness dashboards and risk summaries to governance forums. Continuous improvement · Track change success rate and checklists accordingly. Security Control Evaluation, POC, and Implementation · Lead the evaluation of IT Security controls, technologies, and solutions to ensure alignment with organizational strategy, Cybersecurity requirements, business priorities, and operational needs. · Oversee Proof of Concept activities, including scope definition, success criteria, stakeholder alignment, execution oversight, and outcome reporting. · Assess solution suitability based on security effectiveness, integration capability, scalability, compliance alignment, operational impact, supportability, and long-term value. · Recommend fit-for-purpose IT Security controls and technology solutions based on outcomes, risk reduction value, operational readiness, and enterprise direction.

Requirements

• Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or equivalent from a recognized and accredited university is required.
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or equivalent from a recognized and accredited university is preferred.
• Years of Experience:
• 6-8 years in a relevant industry, preferably with majority in IT security delivery across corporate and asset environments.

Skills