Posted:2 hours ago
By:Hiring Kenya
Company Details
Industry:
Information Technology and Services
Description:
Safaricom is the leading provider of converged communication solutions in Kenya. In addition to providing a broad range of first-class products and services for Telephony, Broadband Internet and Financial services, Safaricom seeks to uplift the welfare of Kenyans through value-added services and support for community projects. With over 29 Million subscribers and an estimated market share of 67%, the Company has the widest modern mobile network coverage in Kenya and prides in its experienced shareholders, attractive tariffs, a nationwide network of effective dealers, high caliber staff and management enabling it to maintain its position as the region’s mobile market leader.
Job Description
Responsibilities
Design and Development
- Architect and implement advanced automation frameworks tailored to organizational needs, with a strong focus on scalability and resilience.
- Build custom security tools and scripts internally to address unique business requirements and integrate them seamlessly into existing environments.
Optimization & Strategy
- Optimize existing cybersecurity tools (e.g., SOAR, IPS, WAF, EDR, API security, PVMG, and others), ensuring full utilization and enhancing their efficiency through automation.
- Activate and configure built-in security features within enterprise applications to maximize protection.
- Drive the overall security automation strategy, defining and executing a clear roadmap aligned with organizational objectives.
Collaboration & Improvement
- Collaborate closely across teams, working with security operations, engineering, and application teams to identify automation opportunities and implement robust solutions.
- Monitor, evaluate, and refine automation processes as part of a continuous improvement cycle to adapt to evolving threats and technologies.
Strategic Planning & Governance
- Define, analyze, and periodically review the cybersecurity strategy and roadmap based on the evolving threat landscape, ensuring identified risks are effectively mitigated.
- Architect and design cybersecurity systems in line with industry best practices, ensuring they meet critical user requirements for security, capacity, and performance.
- Define clear cybersecurity requirements and acceptance criteria for all new systems and initiatives.
- Ensure all security technology and processes implemented are continually improved to maximize their returns and benefits.
Procurement & Implementation Management
- Draft and evaluate Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposal (RFPs).
- Liaise with the Supply Chain department during the procurement process.
- Conduct thorough technical evaluations and Proofs of Concept (PoCs), collaborating closely with the Operations team.
- Select the optimal solution and present comprehensive justifications to the investment governance board.
- Ensure all vendors maintain up-to-date contracts through robust contract management practices.
- Manage all aspects of projects and vendor-related issues in line with best practices.
Operations & Continuous Improvement
- Implement, test, deploy, and commission new systems efficiently.
- Ensure proper change management and system handover processes are strictly followed.
- Recommend major upgrades where required, coordinating with the operations team during implementation, especially when design/architecture changes are involved.
- Ensure all implemented security systems have high availability and disaster recovery capabilities in accordance with best practices.
- Define metrics and report periodically to clearly demonstrate Return on Security Investment (ROSI).
Research & Development
- Conduct research and development on emerging areas in security.
- Present findings for sensitization and knowledge transfer to other team members and staff.
Core competencies, knowledge and experience:
Customer Obsession
- Deepen team connection to our customers and communities.
- Foster authentic relationships with customers and partners that build trust.
- Explicitly take customer-centric decisions and take personal ownership to achieve results.
- Simplify processes through digitalisation and promote a digital mindset and digital first customer experience.
- Stay focused on the big priorities, know when to make meaningful trade-offs and demonstrate brilliant execution.
Purpose
- Create an inspiring vision for your team to drive strategy and performance.
- Show ambition and courage, empowering others to go beyond the plan.
- Bold and challenge teams to reimagine how things are done.
- Prompt new thinking and ideas by asking “what if” questions.
- Use knowledge of the external environment (customers, partners, competition, external bodies) to identify and act on opportunities for growth at pace.
Innovation
- Create psychological safety so everyone can have an impact.
- Fuel innovative ideas from others and test them to enable growth.
- Explore successes and failures with curiosity and resilience; fearlessly recognizing lessons learned.
- Share your ongoing learning and personal purpose with others.
- Learn fast from digital adoption, using learnings to drive simplicity, scale and efficiency.
Collaboration
- Articulate your team’s role in making our strategy happen, prioritizing and aligning resources with current and future needs.
- Actively collaborate to break silos and hold your team accountable to do the same.
- Develop others to make the most of their talents and coach them to take ownership to get things done.
- Create an inclusive environment ensuring the safety and wellbeing of others.
- Live our Purpose and demonstrate the highest Standard of integrity.
Qualifications
- At least 5 years of progressive experience leading security automation, detection engineering, cloud security, and Zero Trust implementations in large scale, digital or fintech/telco environments.
- Bachelor’s degree in a core technical field (Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Engineering or related discipline) from a recognized institution of higher learning.
- Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, PowerShell, Java, or similar).
- Relevant postgraduate qualification is a strong advantage.
- Professional credentials such as CISSP, CCSP, CISM, GIAC (GCIA, GCTI, GRID), OSCP/OSWE, or cloud security certifications (Azure/AWS/GCP Security) are strongly desirable.
- Proven ability to design and operationalize policy as code, secure CI/CD pipelines, IaC security, container/Kubernetes protection, and multi cloud guardrails.
- Experience operating within squads/tribes, driving security automation adoption across engineering, operations, cloud, and digital product teams.
- Ability to translate complex security architecture decisions into clear, actionable guidance for engineering and business leadership.
- Track record managing multiple automation initiatives, delivering secure platforms, and meeting critical response, resilience, and transformation timelines.
- Demonstrated commitment to secure engineering standards, data protection, compliance frameworks, and responsible automation governance.
Salary: Discuss During Interview
Education: Diploma
Employment Type: Full Time