Security Architect

Key Responsibilities

• Security Architecture Design: Design and maintain a comprehensive enterprise security architecture that aligns with the bank’s business goals and regulatory requirements.
• Security Reviews: Conduct rigorous security architecture reviews for all new IT projects, ensuring that security “by design” and “by default” principles are integrated from the start.
• Standards Enforcement: Develop and enforce technical security standards for identity and access management (IAM), encryption, and network segmentation across all environments.
• Vulnerability Management: Proactively identify architectural gaps and vulnerabilities within the bank’s existing ecosystem and propose scalable technical solutions to mitigate risks.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with senior leadership and stakeholders to translate complex security requirements into actionable technical roadmaps and investment priorities.
• Technology Implementation: Oversee the selection and implementation of advanced security technologies, ensuring they integrate seamlessly with the bank’s current stack and long-term strategy.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Information System, Cyber Security, Cyber Forensic, or any equivalent field.
• Experience: At least seven years’ post-qualification experience.
• Industry Knowledge: Extensive experience in designing security for financial systems, including knowledge of PCI-DSS, SWIFT CSP, and the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019).
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in using security tools and technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, SIEM, and vulnerability management tools.
• Frameworks: Familiarity with industry standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST, MITRE ATT&CK matrix).
• Modern Strategies: Deep understanding of modern defense-in-depth strategies, including Zero Trust architecture.
• Certifications: Candidates should ideally hold advanced professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, SABSA, or TOGAF, along with role-specific cloud security certifications.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional strategic thinking and the ability to visualize long-term security posture.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills to influence the Board and senior management.
• Advanced ability to perform risk-based decision-making.
• Excellent technical documentation skills for architectural blueprints and compliance reports for the Central Bank of Kenya.
• Proactive mindset toward innovation, including AI-driven threat detection.
• Strong vendor management skills to ensure third-party compliance with security standards.