Security Operations Officer – Data Security Specialist

About the Role

Black & Grey HR is recruiting for a well-established technology solutions provider based in Doha, Qatar. They are looking for an experienced Security Operations Officer specializing in data security who will lead efforts in executing and improving security operations. The role involves vigilant threat monitoring and response, particularly around large sports events and routine periods, working collaboratively to enforce robust security measures across information systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deploy comprehensive data protection controls across enterprise systems, cloud platforms, and AI infrastructures.
• Implement and manage solutions including Data Loss Prevention (DLP), data masking, and tokenization tools.
• Coordinate with application and infrastructure teams to integrate security throughout the data lifecycle.
• Utilize data discovery and classification technologies to detect, classify, and label sensitive organizational data.
• Continuously monitor data security status and generate compliance and risk assessment reports.
• Support incident response activities related to data security incidents and internal threats.
• Manage data protection on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure environments, securing databases and data lakes.
• Configure encryption methods protecting data at rest, in transit, and in use, employing Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) strategies.
• Administer cloud-native data discovery, classification tools, secrets management, and AI data governance controls.
• Establish and enforce cryptographic standards and key management policies aligned with industry and organizational guidelines.
• Ensure compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PDPPL, embedding privacy-by-design principles into technical frameworks.
• Secure both structured and unstructured databases including relational and NoSQL types, using Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) and access controls.
• Conduct security audits and hardening assessments on database platforms.
• Partner with stakeholders on data protection strategies, ensuring adherence to Qatar’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) framework and international best practices.
• Perform security evaluations for vendors and third-party integrations and oversee data sharing policy enforcement.
• Define, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) and maintain ongoing data security dashboards.
• Stay abreast of emerging security threats, technologies, and methodologies.

Requirements

• Minimum of eight years’ experience in information security with a strong focus on data protection, cryptography, and database security.
• Arabic language proficiency preferred.
• Practical expertise with cloud platforms, especially Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure.
• Advanced knowledge of encryption standards, cryptographic protocols, and key management techniques.
• Experience with secrets management technologies such as HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, or GCP Secret Manager.
• Demonstrated success delivering cloud-native data protection across multi-cloud systems.
• Skills in data masking, tokenization, anonymization, pseudonymization, and related data privacy techniques.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a closely related discipline.
• Relevant certifications like CISSP, CCSP, CDPSE, or CCSK are essential.
• Preferred cloud security certifications include GCP, Azure, or AWS Security Specialty.

Technical Skillset

• Hands-on experience implementing and managing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools such as Forcepoint, Microsoft Purview, and Google Cloud DLP.
• Deep understanding of data anonymization, pseudonymization, and masking strategies.
• Proficiency configuring and monitoring Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) solutions like Imperva and IBM Guardium.
• Use of data discovery and classification tools including Forcepoint and Microsoft Purview.
• Strong command of cryptographic systems and key management services, including KMS solutions from GCP and Azure Key Vault.
• Expertise securing a variety of data environments, encompassing relational databases, NoSQL, and data lakes.
• Experience conducting database vulnerability evaluations and security audits.
• Knowledge of secrets management solutions integrated within CI/CD pipelines.