MAXPROLEARN
Website:
maxprolearn.com
Job details:
Senior Security Architect
Secure by Design | Information Security
Level Senior
Experience 10 to 15 years in information security, with at least 5 years in security
architecture
Reports to Lead Security Architect
Direct reports None. Mentors and reviews the work of the Security Architect
Location Jeddah (on site) or remote
Role Purpose
The Senior Security Architect is the security subject matter expert on assigned IT projects, from
initiation to go-live. The role applies the organization's Secure by Design (SbD) framework so that
security is built into solutions.
The role is the single security point of contact for the project lead, solution architect and project
manager. It gathers inputs from the other Information Security teams (Privacy, SOC, Vulnerability
Management and Cyber Assurance), passes them to the project, and makes sure their outputs are
delivered before go-live. The role also maintains the security architecture practice and mentors the
Security Architect.
Key Responsibilities
1. Secure by Design delivery
• Act as the security SME for each assigned project through every SbD phase: initiation, service
profiling, design, build, assurance and go-live approval.
• Engage with project proponents early. Explain the SbD process, help them raise the SbD request
and complete service profiling to set the project's risk level.
• Define security requirements for each project from the controls matrix, the requirements
catalog, applicable policies and regulations.
• Review high-level and low-level designs (HLD and LLD) for security and alignment with the
architecture principles. Raise design issues and follow them up until they are fixed.
• Run threat modelling on new or significantly changed solutions.
• Carry out security architecture assurance: confirm that what was built matches the endorsed
design and that all required controls are in place.
• Give security endorsement at project gates (for example, before procurement, before
infrastructure build and before go-live), and keep evidence of each decision.
2. Coordination with Information Security teams
• Broker inputs and outputs. Collect inputs from each team, pass them to the project lead,
solution architect or project manager, and track that the outputs are delivered on time.
• Privacy team. Obtain privacy controls and requirements for the solution, including data
protection and data sharing requirements, and include them in the project's security
requirements.
• SOC team. Identify the log sources the solution must send to Microsoft Sentinel, and define the
abuse cases and use cases the SOC needs to build detections and alerts.
• Vulnerability Management team. Make sure solutions are free of open vulnerabilities before
go-live, including code scanning (SAST), software composition analysis (SCA) and dynamic
testing (DAST) findings. Track remediation of anything raised.
• Penetration testing and Cyber Assurance team. Arrange assurance checks for SaaS solutions
and penetration testing for on-premises solutions before go-live. Make sure findings are fixed or
risk-assessed.
3. Risk assessment and risk register
• Run cyber risk assessments for each project, combining findings from design reviews, threat
models, scans, assurance checks and penetration tests.
• Record every finding in the risk register with a risk rating, recommended controls, risk owner and
treatment plan.
• Present risks to project stakeholders and decision-makers, and obtain formal risk acceptance
at the right authority level where a risk is not treated.
• Track treatment actions until the risk is closed or formally accepted.
4. Security architecture practice
• Maintain and improve practice assets: security architecture templates, risk assessment
templates, the security controls matrix, the reusable security requirements catalog and the SbD
profiling guide.
• Develop and maintain reusable security architecture patterns, such as SaaS and single sign-on
(SSO) integration with Microsoft Entra ID.
• Map controls to regulatory requirements (NCA ECC, CCC and PDPL) and to the organization's
security roadmap.
• Identify gaps and inconsistencies in the SbD framework and propose improvements.
5. Change, procurement and contract reviews
• Review changes submitted to the Change Advisory Board (CAB) for security impact and
alignment with architecture standards.
• Write security requirements for RFPs, prepare vendor security questions, and evaluate the
security sections of vendor proposals.
• Review contracts and data processing agreements for security clauses.
6. Mentoring and quality
• Mentor the Security Architect on SbD delivery, risk assessment and stakeholder engagement.
• Review the Security Architect's deliverables (requirements, design reviews, assurance evidence
and risk entries) before they are issued.
• Act as the escalation point for complex, high-risk or disputed projects.
Qualifications
Required
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Engineering or a related field.
• 10 to 15 years of information security experience, including at least 5 years in security
architecture or Secure by Design roles.
• CISSP or CISM certification.
• Working knowledge of Saudi regulations: NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC), Cloud
Cybersecurity Controls (CCC) and the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
• Proven experience running risk assessments and threat modelling and managing findings in a
risk register.
Preferred
• SABSA or TOGAF certification.
• Experience building or running a Secure by Design function or security architecture practice.
Technical Knowledge
• Cloud and SaaS security architecture (Microsoft Azure and SaaS platforms), including landing
zone design.
• Identity and access management with Microsoft Entra ID: SSO, MFA, conditional access, role-
based access, privileged identity management and access reviews.
• Network security: segmentation, firewalls, web application firewalls and secure remote access.
• Security monitoring with Microsoft Sentinel: log source onboarding and detection use cases.
• Secure software development: SAST, DAST and SCA tooling and how to interpret results.
• Endpoint protection (EDR), encryption, backup and recovery controls.
• Frameworks such as NIST CSF and ISO/IEC 27001.
Skills and Behaviours
• Explains security in plain business terms and positions security as a design partner, not only an
approval gate.
• Manages many projects in parallel and prioritizes by risk.
• Influences project teams, vendors and senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Writes clear, audit-ready documentation and keeps evidence of decisions.
• Coaches others and raises the quality of the team's work.
Success Measures
• Assigned projects pass through each SbD gate with endorsements and evidence on file.
• No project goes live with unresolved critical or high vulnerabilities, or untreated risks, without
formal acceptance.
• All risks identified are in the risk register with ratings, recommended controls and owners.
• Log sources and detection use cases are handed to the SOC before go-live.
• Practice assets are current and used by the team.
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