Network Security Lead

The Network & Network Security Lead will play a major role in ensuring the integrity, performance, and security of the organization’s networking environment. This position requires an expert-level understanding of complex network and security architectures along with hands-on abilities to troubleshoot high-impact issues. The individual will also lead cross-functional teams to deliver secure and resilient infrastructure, particularly in a regulated financial environment.

Location: Riyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Work Conditions: Full-time; Hybrid collaboration with global teams, availability for critical incidents and changes outside of normal working hours.

Key Responsibilities & Duties:

• Architecture & Design Leadership: Lead the design and evolution of enterprise network and security architecture to align with business and compliance requirements, integrating network security principles in all architectural decisions.
• Advanced Troubleshooting & Problem Resolution: Resolve high-severity incidents across various networking layers (1-7) including firewalls, routing, DNS, proxies, and cloud networking. Conduct root cause analysis and implement long-term preventive measures.
• Multiskilling & Cross-Functional Expertise: Mentor team members across various technologies including routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, and SD-WAN, fostering skill development within the team.
• Security Posture & Threat Management: Implement and maintain strategies for network segmentation, access control, and zero-trust. Collaborate on incident response and threat mitigation.
• Operations Oversight & Optimization: Oversee network performance, availability, and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Project Leadership: Manage critical infrastructure projects, ensuring secure rollout of new services and systems across departments.
• Vendor & Contract Management: Evaluate and manage vendors and service providers, ensuring SLA compliance.
• Compliance & Audit Readiness: Maintain necessary documentation for compliance with financial sector audits (e.g., PCI-DSS, ISO 27001).
• Monitoring & Incident Detection: Experience with proactive monitoring using tools like SIEM, NMS to manage operational and security incidents.
• Team Development: Coach team members, conduct performance reviews, and promote a culture of continuous learning.
• Documentation: Ensure all documentation aligns with compliance and organizational standards.

Skills & Qualifications:

• 7+ years of relevant experience, with at least 3 years in a similar role.
• Deep expertise in enterprise networking and network security.
• Full-stack network knowledge (routing, switching, DNS, VPN, cloud networking).
• Strong troubleshooting skills in complex multi-vendor environments.
• Familiarity with compliance frameworks (Cybersecurity Framework, ISO 27001, NIST).
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Network Engineering, or related field.
• Preferred certifications: Cisco CCIE, CISSP / CISM, Cloud certifications (AWS/Azure Network Specialty).

Language Requirements:
Not specified.