Security Architect

Security Architect

South Africa (Hybrid/Remote options available depending on company policy)

Telecommunications

Fixed-Term Contract (3 Years)

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) / Head of Security Architecture

Role Overview

Our client, a leading player in the South African Telecommunications sector, is seeking a highly skilled Security Architect to join their team on a 3-year contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and implementing robust security frameworks that protect critical telecommunications infrastructure and customer data.

You will play a pivotal role in modernizing the security landscape, ensuring that identity management, access control, and data governance are aligned with industry best practices and regulatory requirements (such as POPIA).

Key Responsibilities

Security Architecture & Design

Develop and maintain the enterprise security architecture roadmap, ensuring alignment with business strategy and telco industry standards (e.g., TM Forum, 3GPP).

Design end-to-end security solutions for complex telecommunications systems, including 5G, cloud infrastructure, and BSS/OSS environments.

Evaluate emerging security technologies and provide recommendations for adoption.

Identity & Access Management (IAM)

OAuth2 Implementation: Architect and oversee the implementation of OAuth2 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) frameworks for secure API access and third-party integrations.

RBAC Strategy: Design and refine Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) models to ensure the principle of least privilege across all systems.

Define identity lifecycle management processes, including provisioning, de-provisioning, and privileged access management (PAM).

Data Security & Governance

Data Classification: Lead the implementation of a comprehensive data classification framework to categorize data based on sensitivity and business impact.

Define data protection controls (encryption, masking, tokenization) based on classification levels.

Ensure compliance with South African regulations, specifically the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and GDPR where applicable.

Risk & Assessment

Information-Security Assessment: Conduct rigorous information-security assessments (including threat modeling and vulnerability assessments) on new and existing architectures.

Perform security reviews of third-party vendors and partners to ensure they meet the organization's security standards.

Identify architectural gaps and provide remediation strategies to mitigate risks.

Stakeholder Engagement

Collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Network Engineers, and Software Developers to embed security-by-design principles.

Communicate complex security concepts to non-technical stakeholders and executive leadership.

Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior security staff.

Required Skills & Experience

Experience: Minimum of 7+ years in Information Security, with at least 3 years in a Security Architect role.

Industry Background: Proven experience within the Telecommunications industry is essential.

Identity Protocols: Deep technical expertise in OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, and JWT.

Access Control: Extensive experience designing and implementing RBAC and ABAC models.

Data Governance: Hands-on experience with Data Classification methodologies and tools.

Assessment: Demonstrated experience conducting Information-Security Assessments (risk assessments, gap analysis, threat modeling).

Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of POPIA, GDPR, and telco-specific security regulations.

Cloud Security: Experience with securing cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).

Desired Certifications

CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)

SABSA (Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture)

TOGAF

CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional)

CISSP-ISSAP (Information Systems Security Architecture Professional)

Behavioral Competencies

Analytical Thinking: Ability to analyze complex technical problems and break them down into manageable solutions.

Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving telecommunications environment.

Integrity: High level of professional ethics and integrity.

To Apply: please email me a detailed CV: ***email_hidden***