Security Operations Officer – Data Security Specialist

Role Overview

An established technology solutions and services company in Doha is looking for a seasoned Security Operations Officer with deep data security expertise. The role centers on strengthening security operations, spotting and addressing threats, and supporting protection efforts during major sports events as well as outside event periods. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to secure information systems and improve data protection across the organization.

Data Security Engineering

• Build and deploy controls that protect data across enterprise systems, cloud platforms, and AI-based solutions.
• Set up and operate tools for data loss prevention, masking, and tokenization.
• Partner with application and infrastructure teams to integrate security into data lifecycle processes.
• Roll out data discovery and classification capabilities to locate, sort, and tag sensitive information across the business.
• Track the organization’s data security posture on an ongoing basis and prepare compliance and risk reporting.
• Support incident response efforts when investigating or handling data-related incidents, including insider activity and breaches.

Cloud Data Security

• Deploy and manage data protection measures in Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure.
• Protect databases and data lake environments.
• Apply encryption controls for data at rest, in transit, and in use, including BYOK approaches.
• Implement cloud-native solutions for data discovery and classification.
• Oversee secrets management and secure access to storage systems.
• Put controls in place for governance of AI-related data.

Cryptography

• Set cryptographic standards and key management practices, and ensure they are followed.
• Manage encryption for data stored, transmitted, and actively processed within the enterprise.
• Maintain alignment with internal and industry-wide cryptography requirements.

Data Privacy

• Support compliance with privacy laws and frameworks such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PDPPL.
• Integrate privacy-by-design expectations into technical safeguards.
• Advance classification and governance initiatives that protect personal and sensitive data.

Database Security

• Protect both structured and unstructured repositories, including relational and NoSQL databases.
• Implement database activity monitoring and user access controls.
• Carry out periodic hardening and security assessments of database systems.

Collaboration and Governance

• Work with stakeholders to shape and execute data protection strategies.
• Ensure alignment with Qatar NCSA requirements and relevant international standards.
• Assess data security risks in vendor relationships and third-party integrations.
• Review and approve agreements related to data sharing.
• Define, monitor, and report on data security KPIs and metrics.
• Maintain dashboards used for continuous monitoring of data security status.
• Keep up with evolving threats, technologies, and best practices in the field.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of experience in information security, with strong exposure to data protection, cryptography, and database security.
• Arabic language skills are preferred.
• Practical, hands-on experience with cloud environments, especially GCP and Azure.
• Strong grasp of encryption standards, cryptographic protocols, and key management processes.
• Experience with secrets management platforms such as HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, or GCP Secret Manager.
• Demonstrated ability to secure data protection controls across multi-cloud environments.
• Experience with data masking, tokenization, and anonymization methods.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related discipline.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, CDPSE, or CCSK are expected.
• Cloud security certifications for GCP, Azure, or AWS Security Specialty are preferred.

Required Skillsets

• Experience with data loss prevention platforms such as Forcepoint, Microsoft Purview, or Google Cloud DLP.
• Ability to implement anonymization, pseudonymization, and masking approaches.
• Hands-on configuration and monitoring of database activity monitoring solutions like Imperva or IBM Guardium.
• Working knowledge of data discovery and classification tools such as Forcepoint and Microsoft Purview.
• Strong understanding of cryptography and key management platforms, including KMS, GCP Cloud KMS, and Azure Key Vault.
• Ability to secure relational databases, NoSQL systems, and data lake environments.
• Experience conducting database vulnerability assessments and security audits.
• Familiarity with secret management tools and CI/CD integration.

Additional Information

This role is based in Doha, Qatar and supports both mega sports event operations and non-event periods. The employer is an established technology solutions and services provider.

Terms and Conditions

No stipend or salary details were provided in the source material. The number of openings was also not specified.