Senior Engineer – Security Operation Center

Role Overview

The Senior SOC Analyst at USIU-Africa plays a pivotal role in maintaining the security of the university’s information systems. This position involves proactive monitoring, incident detection, analysis, and response to ensure that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of IT resources are maintained at all times. The Senior SOC Analyst will work closely with other IT Division technical teams to enhance security measures and address potential vulnerabilities within the university’s digital ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

Security Monitoring and Threat Detection

• Work in 24/7 rotational shifts to monitor security alerts generated by various security tools deployed within the university.
• Respond promptly to security alerts within defined procedural SLAs and policies.
• Conduct continuous monitoring to detect and mitigate potential threats.

Incident Response Support

• Investigate security incidents to determine their source, scope, and impact.
• Develop and implement incident response plans to mitigate security threats.
• Conduct vulnerability and risk assessment exercises to preemptively identify risks.
• Collaborate with internal teams to manage and remediate security breaches and incidents.

Security Tools and Technologies

• Maintain and optimize security tools, including SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems), and EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response Solutions).
• Identify and correlate security events to ensure prompt response to threats.
• Continuously improve security measures based on analysis of system vulnerabilities.

Security Operations Administration

• Maintain cybersecurity asset inventories and documentation.
• Support onboarding of log sources into monitoring platforms.
• Support administration of cybersecurity platforms as assigned.

Log Analysis

• Review system logs from different sources to analyze behaviour and detect policy violations.
• Take corrective action based on log analysis insights to mitigate security threats.

Threat Intelligence Research

• Monitor and research emerging attack patterns and cyber threats.
• Stay up to date with industry best practices and trends in cybersecurity.
• Implement proactive threat intelligence measures to mitigate evolving security risks.

Compliance and Governance

• Assist in implementing incident response procedures.
• Ensure that the university’s Information Security efforts comply with relevant industry standards and regulations.
• Manage General IT Controls (ITC) to maintain robust security governance.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security or a related field from a recognized university. Master’s Degree in Information Security or a related field will be an added advantage.
• Certifications: Relevant professional certification such as CISSP, CEH, or CHFI. Additional industry certifications (e.g., CISM, LPT, OSCP) are highly desirable. Membership in a recognized professional body.
• Experience: Minimum of four (4) years of experience in a full-time information security role, with at least two (2) years of experience in a Security Operations Centre (SOC) role. Experience in a higher education environment is an added advantage.
• Technical Competencies: Advanced knowledge of SIEM, SOAR, EDR solutions, enterprise antivirus systems, networks, firewalls, web proxies, Windows, Linux, and risk frameworks (NIST SP-800, ISO 27001, NIST CSF).