Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

This position is responsible for implementing Information Security across Aldar Education, ensuring the effective implementation of security programmes, day-to-day cyber security operations, and implementing long-term security strategy across all HQ and school environments. The Manager will work closely with the Senior Manager and IT Infrastructure team to embed security controls at every layer of the technology estate, and liaison with the Group InfoSec team and internal teams to align governance, policies, and enterprise-wide security standards. The role leads the organisation's response to cyber threats, drives a culture of security awareness, and ensures Aldar Education's posture is continuously strengthened in line with modern cyber security practices.

Since its inception in 2007 with just 250 students, Aldar Education has grown into a highly sought-after education provider, with more than 25 owned and managed premium and super-premium schools and academies- in partnership with some of the world s most prestigious institutions including Rugby School, King s College Wimbledon, and Cranleigh. The Group now serves over 38,000 students through 5,000 educators from more than 100 nationalities to deliver world-class education across a broad range of curricula and learning pathways from nursery through to K12.

At Aldar Education, our impact goes far beyond the classroom: we are proud to contribute to the UAE s vision for a sustainable, knowledge-based economy through premium education. With this in mind, we hire educators and industry professionals who not only embody our values and cultural ethos but also bring a genuine passion for education qualities central to our mission of shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Main Duties

• Partner with teams to implement and maintain enterprise-wide information security governance, policies, and controls across all Aldar Education schools and HQ.
• Design and implement, and continuous improvement of a Zero Trust security architecture across network, identity, and application layers.
• Manage a comprehensive information security programme aligned to ISO/IEC 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), CIS Controls, and applicable UAE data protection regulations including PDPL.
• Enforce and implement Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) controls to enforce least-privilege principles across all systems and platforms.
• Implement the organisation's cloud security posture, including security configurations for Microsoft 365, Azure, and other cloud platforms used across Aldar Education, leveraging CSPM and CNAPP tooling.
• Follow Incident Response lifecycle detection, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident review ensuring lessons learned are captured and controls are strengthened.
• Proactively support regular threat intelligence reviews, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to proactively identify and remediate risks across the environment.
• Maintain, regularly test, and improve Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans for all critical IT systems and data assets.
• Develop, enforce, and review data classification and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to protect student, staff, and institutional data across all environments.
• Implement security awareness programme including phishing simulation exercises for all staff, contractors, and system users to build a security-conscious culture.
• Follow security-by-design and DevSecOps principles into all technology projects, system implementations, and application development lifecycles.
• Monitor emerging threats, vulnerabilities, attacker techniques (using MITRE ATT&CK), and regulatory changes; advise leadership on appropriate and timely risk responses.
• Liaise with Operations, Infrastructure, and Application teams to ensure consistent application of security controls across all layers of the IT environment.

Specific Duties

• Optimise the Darktrace AI-powered email and network security solution, including regular model tuning to reduce false positives and improve detection fidelity.
• Administer continuous vulnerability management, patch prioritisation, and web application security scanning across all environments.
• Manage the Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform to correlate endpoint, identity, network, and cloud telemetry for unified, high-fidelity threat detection and response.
• Administer the Microsoft 365 Defender suite including Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity, Defender for Office 365, and Defender for Cloud Apps to protect the organisation's collaboration and productivity environment.
• Implement and maintain ISMS controls across server and network infrastructure, ensuring ongoing alignment with ISO/IEC 27001 certification requirements.
• Plan and coordinate IT security audits both internal reviews and third-party assessments to satisfy ISMS, regulatory, and Group requirements.
• Implement and manage a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) to enforce data security policies and monitor shadow IT across cloud services used by staff and students.
• Manage Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Bot Manager to protect web-facing applications and APIs from application-layer attacks and automated threats.
• Manage DNS ETP and EdgeDNS for secure DNS resolution, malicious domain filtering, and endpoint traffic protection.
• Oversee Mobile Device Management (MDM) security policies including BYOD controls for all student and staff devices across the estate.
• Coordinate and supervise approved vendors to perform VAPT and DR tests; review findings, prioritise and track remediation to closure.
• Manage cloud security posture for Azure and Microsoft 365 environments using Microsoft Secure Score, Defender for Cloud, and associated compliance dashboards.
• Coordinate with principal vendors for new security projects and the resolution of operational security issues, ensuring accountability and timely delivery.

Desired Candidate Profile

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Cybersecurity, or a related discipline.
• ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer or Lead Auditor certification (required).
• CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) or CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) required or strongly preferred.
• Cloud security certification such as CCSP, Microsoft AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer), or equivalent (preferred).
• CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control) or equivalent risk certification (advantageous).

Minimum Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience in Information Security or Cybersecurity roles.
• Demonstrable experience managing security in a cloud-heavy environment (Microsoft 365 / Azure or equivalent).
• Proven experience with SOC operations, incident response, and threat intelligence programmes.
• Strong understanding of ISO/IEC 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, and UAE data protection regulations (PDPL).
• Strong understanding of enterprise risk management frameworks.

Job Specific Knowledge & Skills

u>Job Specific Knowledge:

• Zero Trust Architecture principles and practical implementation across network, identity, and application tiers.
• Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP).
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) e.g., Microsoft Entra ID, CyberArk, or equivalent.
• SIEM and SOAR platforms correlation rule development, playbook automation, alert triage, and tuning.
• Extended Detection and Response (XDR) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and data classification policy design and enforcement.
• Web Application Firewall (WAF) management, tuning, and API security.
• Vulnerability Management full VMDR lifecycle from discovery through remediation validation.
• Network security next-generation firewalls, DNS security, micro-segmentation, and network access control.
• Threat intelligence platforms and practical application of the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
• Security awareness programme design and phishing simulation platforms.
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning, testing, and improvement.
• Compliance and risk assessment aligned to ISO 27001, NIST, CIS, and UAE regulatory requirements.
• Secure-by-design and DevSecOps principles for integration into technology delivery lifecycles.

u>General Skills:

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to assess complex risk scenarios.
• Excellent written and verbal communication able to convey technical risk clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams and functions.
• Highly self-motivated with keen attention to detail and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to prioritise and manage competing demands effectively in a high-pressure environment.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to balance security requirements with business and operational needs.