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We have an urgent requirement for  Head of SOC Analyst experience in NICE Framework in banking   domain (Must) .is required for our banking clients in Abu Dhabi ,UAE

  • Cybersecurity experience with proven leadership of Security Operations Centers and security operations teams.--Must
  • Role profile based on the NICE Framework (NIST SP 800-181r1), Components v2.2.0. Derived from the work role Executive Cybersecurity Leadership (OG-WRL-007, primary), bundled with Program Management (OG-WRL-010, additional) and Cybersecurity Workforce Management (OG-WRL-003, additional).--Must
  • Strong expertise in SOC governance, cyber operations, risk management, service delivery, regulatory compliance, and security strategy execution.--Must
  • Experience managing SOC budgets, workforce planning, vendor governance, outsourcing transitions, and operational performance management.
  • Proven ability to work with CISO-level leadership, manage enterprise security programs, and drive SOC transformation initiatives within regulated banking environments
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Role Overview:

The Head of SOC holds disciplinary leadership for both teams of the in-house Security Operations Center (Analysis and Engineering) and acts as the tiebreaker whenever functional and operational leadership disagree.The role is accountable towards the CISO for SOC performance and for detection and response coverage of the bank's critical environments. It owns SOC budget, staffing and contracting and decides on recruiting, appraisal, compensation and promotion, taking the functional assessment of the Principal Analyst and the Principal Engineer as binding input and deviating from it only with a documented rationale.It steers the transition from the current external SOC service provider to a fully in-house operated SOC and ensures that external partners are only Responsible or Consulted, never Accountable.As a member of the SOC Steering Committee chaired by the CISO, it translates the bank's security strategy and regulatory obligations into SOC priorities.
Key ResponsibilitiesSOC Leadership & Strategy

  • Align SOC priorities with organizational cybersecurity strategy and regulatory requirements.
  • Translate security objectives into operational security monitoring and response programs.
  • Serve as the leadership authority for SOC Analysis and SOC Engineering teams.
  • Participate in SOC Steering Committee initiatives and strategic cybersecurity planning.

Operational Management

  • Own SOC operational performance, service quality, and detection and response coverage.
  • Define and monitor SOC KPIs, service targets, and operational effectiveness.
  • Establish and manage internal Operational Level Agreements (OLAs).
  • Ensure successful delivery of SOC services across critical business environments.

Budget & Resource Management

  • Manage SOC budgets, staffing plans, vendor contracts, and cybersecurity tooling investments.
  • Allocate resources across analysis and engineering teams.
  • Perform workforce planning, hiring, retention, compensation, and promotion management.
  • Conduct cost-benefit analysis for staffing and sourcing decisions.

Governance & Risk Management

  • Assess cybersecurity risks related to security operations, coverage gaps, and third-party dependencies.
  • Ensure outsourced services meet contractual and security obligations.
  • Oversee governance, compliance, and regulatory requirements impacting SOC operations.
  • Report SOC risks, coverage gaps, and performance metrics to executive leadership and CISO.

Vendor & Transformation Management

  • Lead transition activities from external SOC providers to in-house operations.
  • Manage third-party security service providers and strategic partnerships.
  • Ensure delivery of contractual obligations, knowledge transfer, runbooks, and operational documentation.
  • Drive continuous improvement of SOC processes, capabilities, and operating models.

Stakeholder Management

  • Collaborate with IT Operations, Cloud Teams, AML, Fraud, Payments, Compliance, and Executive Leadership.
  • Present SOC performance, risks, and strategic recommendations to senior management.
  • Resolve operational and organizational conflicts impacting cybersecurity operations.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Cyber Security, Information Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
  • Proven experience managing enterprise-scale Security Operations Centers.
  • Strong experience leading multidisciplinary cybersecurity teams.
  • Experience managing cybersecurity budgets and vendor relationships.
  • Excellent understanding of banking regulatory requirements and security governance.
  • Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.