Cyber Security Specialist

JOB TITLE: SENIOR CYBERSECURITY ARCHITECT

LOCATION: 1000 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

LANGUAGES: DUTCH,FRENCH,ENGLISH

WORK MODE: 100%FULLTIME (HYBRID 2- 3 DAYS ONSITE PER WEEK)

CONTRACT DURATION: 04/01/2027 - 31/12/2027+POSSIBILE OF EXTENSION

JOB DESCRIPTION

Senior Cybersecurity Architect

Expert Profile | External release version

• Design, evolve and challenge Client's cybersecurity architecture in order to translate security, risk and compliance requirements into robust, realistic and maintainable technical solutions. The role is carried out in direct collaboration with Client's IT teams, in a logic of advice, co-construction, skills transfer and customer orientation. Any proposed change is subject to prior validation by Client before its implementation.
• As a Senior Cybersecurity Architect, you have a cross-functional role between security governance, IT architecture and technical teams. You will analyse the existing situation, define target architectures, assess risks and impacts, compare possible options and make recommendations that can be applied in a complex and highly interconnected IT environment.
• You apply the principles of Security by Design, Security by Default, Zero Trust, least privilege, defense in depth, segmentation and resilience. You will ensure a balance between security, availability, business needs, maintainability and operational constraints.

Role Positioning

• The position is an architectural and consulting role. It does not replace the CISO, Client's operational teams, or specialized technical experts working on particular technologies or products
• The position is an architectural and consulting role. It does not replace the CISO, Fedasil's operational teams, or specialized technical experts working on particular technologies or products.

Actor

CISO / Security Governance

• Defines the strategy, policies, risk framework, and security and compliance requirements.

Cybersecurity Architect

• Translates these requirements into architecture principles, target architectures, technical standards and recommendations.

Technical experts / operational teams

• Provide product expertise and work with the relevant teams to ensure the technical implementation of approved changes.

Client

• Maintains decision-making, prioritization, and validation of architectures and changes before implementation.

Profile and experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in complex enterprise IT environments, including at least 7 years in the field of cybersecurity and at least 5 years of demonstrable experience in a Security Architect or Cybersecurity Architect role. Architecture experience should be directly related to the design, review, and evolution of complex cybersecurity architectures. Experience limited to administration, operations, SOC, safety engineering, or product expertise cannot be considered equivalent to architectural experience.
• Proven experience in designing, reviewing and evolving security architectures covering several domains: network and connectivity, data center, identity and access, perimeter security, remote access, cloud/hybrid and security monitoring.
• Ability to produce and maintain high-level and detailed architectures, flow diagrams, communication matrices, segmentation principles, architecture decisions, and security requirements.
• Excellent understanding of enterprise security technologies and ability to reason independently of OEMs and suppliers.
• Good knowledge of identity and access architectures: IAM, MFA, privileged accounts, PKI, certificates, strong authentication and PAM principles.
• Good understanding of network architectures, segmentation, routing, high availability, interconnects, remote access and flow control mechanisms.
• Good understanding of systems, virtualization, datacenter, cloud/hybrid environments as well as continuity and resilience issues.
• Experience with logging, SIEM/SOC architectures and security monitoring: collection, correlation, detection, retention and traceability.
• Ability to perform technical risk analyses, challenge supplier proposals and make proportionate, actionable and documented recommendations.
• Ability to translate regulatory, governance and risk requirements into concrete controls and architecture decisions.

Standards, standards and certifications

• Mastery of the requirements and principles of ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ability to translate them into architecture requirements and technical controls.
• Good command of ISO/IEC 27002:2022 and ISO/IEC 27005:2022, including the selection of security measures and risk management related to architecture choices.
• Good knowledge of NIS2, GDPR and the main cybersecurity frameworks applicable to a public or regulated environment.
• Mastery of the CyberFundamentals (CyFun®) Framework of the Centre for Cyber Security Belgium (CCB), in its current version, its assurance levels and associated requirements, with the ability to translate them into architecture requirements and technical controls and to articulate them with NIS2 and ISO/IEC 27001.
• Working knowledge of complementary frameworks such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework and CIS Controls; Knowledge of continuity, incident management, and cloud security repositories is an asset.
• To confirm the expected level of seniority, the candidate must have at least a recognized cybersecurity certification at the senior level and demonstrate real competence in architecture. The following certifications are particularly relevant:
• CISSP (ISC2) or senior certification of comparable scope: highly anticipated.
• ISSAP (ISC2) and/or SABSA: highly appreciated to demonstrate specific competence in security architecture.
• ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer or Lead Auditor: appreciated; ISO/IEC 27005 / Risk Manager certification is also an asset.
• TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner or CCSP: complementary assets depending on the candidate's experience and scope.
• Certifications are not a substitute for experience: the candidate must be able to demonstrate, through concrete achievements, his or her ability to design, argue, document and evolve complex cybersecurity architectures.

Missions and expected contributions

• Analyze the existing cybersecurity architecture and make recommendations for evolution in line with the overall IT architecture, guidelines and requirements defined by Client.
• Identify and document risks, dependencies, vulnerabilities and points of weakness, then propose priority areas for improvement to Client for decision.
• Carry out or contribute to security architecture reviews in the context of new projects, migrations or significant changes, and submit the associated findings, risks and recommendations to Client.
• Propose and document, in collaboration with Client's IT teams, principles of segmentation, flow control, access, resilience and defence in depth. Their adoption remains subject to validation by Client.
• Analyzes identity, access, authentication, privileged account and trust requirements and makes corresponding architecture recommendations.
• Advise the teams concerned on the needs of logging, supervision, detection, traceability and integration with security supervision capabilities, without replacing Client operational managers or decision-makers.
• Propose and formalize, with Client's IT teams, standards, security patterns, hardening principles and reusable technical requirements. Any adoption or application is subject to prior validation by Client.
• Analyze and constructively challenge the technical proposals of suppliers, integrators or partners, identify impacts, dependencies, risks and alternatives, then advise Client in its arbitrations.
• Provide expertise during technical analyses related to major incidents, resilience, continuity or recovery, under the coordination and according to Client's decisions.
• Ensure a technological and regulatory watch and present to Client the changes likely to bring added value, accompanied by their justification, their benefits, risks and impacts.
• Support Client's IT teams in analyzing, understanding and, when requested, preparing the implementation of approved recommendations.
• Actively share knowledge and expertise with internal teams to foster their autonomy and avoid over-reliance on the consultant or vendor.

Change governance and Client validation

• The Cybersecurity Architect acts as an advisor and expert. It makes recommendations and proposes architectures; decisions, priorities and validations remain the responsibility of Client.
• Any proposal for significant changes must be documented and submitted to the officials designated by Client for prior validation.
• The technical, operational and security impacts, dependencies, risks, prerequisites and alternatives must be explained before decision.
• Where relevant, proposals include testing modalities, acceptance criteria, implementation plan, and rollback procedure.
• No direct modification of a production environment can be carried out on the sole initiative of the architect; Client's change management processes must be respected.

Collaboration, skills transfer and customer focus

• The mission must strengthen internal skills in the long term. The architect works with Client's IT teams and not in silos. Knowledge sharing and co-construction are an integral part of the mission.
• Work directly with IT, security, infrastructure, systems, network, operations and projects teams.
• Involve internal teams in analyses, architecture choices, reviews, tests and validations in order to promote understanding and ownership of decisions.
• Organize technical workshops, architecture reviews, knowledge sharing sessions and handovers adapted to the team level.
• Produce clear, structured, maintainable and usable documentation autonomously by Client.
• Be careful not to create unnecessary dependency on a consultant, supplier or builder.

Interpersonal skills and professional posture

• Customer orientation: Understand Client's needs, constraints and priorities before proposing a solution; seek a secure, proportionate, actionable and maintainable response.
• Listening and collaboration: Work in a spirit of partnership and value the knowledge of the environment held by the internal teams.
• Communication and pedagogy: Clearly explain complex topics to technical or non-technical interlocutors and adapt the level of detail to the audience.
• Constructive critical thinking: Knowing how to challenge a solution without imposing a response; argue on the basis of risks, facts and best practices and propose alternatives.
• Pragmatism: Avoid theoretical or oversized architectures and seek the best balance between security, availability, costs, operations and business needs.
• Transparency and integrity: Communicate assumptions, limitations, risks and uncertainties and promptly report any decision requiring Client arbitration.
• Rigour: Work in a structured, traceable and documented manner, with particular attention to the quality of deliverables and the follow-up of decisions.
• Responsible autonomy: Conduct analyses with autonomy while respecting Client's responsibilities, validation processes and decisions.
• Transmission: Actively share know-how and contribute to the progressive autonomy of internal teams.
• Technological neutrality: Advising in the interest of Client and objectively evaluating several options where relevant.

SKILLS

• Architect
• Cyber Security
• Firewall
• ISO27001
• NIST
• Risk Management
• SIEM
• SOC

QUESTIONS

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems Security, Networks and Telecommunications, Engineering Sciences or equivalent training?
• Do you have at least 10 years of global IT experience, including at least 7 years in the field of cybersecurity?
• Do you have hands-on experience with ISO/IEC 27001 and risk analysis applied to security architecture?
• Do you have real-world experience designing, reviewing, and evolving complex cybersecurity architectures, beyond a primarily operational or product expertise role?
• Do you have at least one recognized cybersecurity or architecture certification, such as CISSP, ISSAP, SABSA, ISO 27001, TOGAF, or equivalent?
• Do you have at least 5 years of demonstrable experience in a Security Architect or Cybersecurity Architect role?