Application Security Specialist

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Job description

Application Security Specialist | Long-Term Project | Financial Enterpsie

As a Senior Application Security Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening the security of our application landscape. Your mission is to continuously improve security measures as we undergo significant IT transformations, including our transition to the cloud, the implementation of DevOps practices, and the adoption of Agile methodologies. Your work will ensure that our banking products are secure from the start by embedding security into the design process through collaboration with our development teams.

In this role, you will secure not just individual applications but also take a holistic view of the organization's security posture. You'll actively collaborate with teams across the bank, brainstorm security strategies, and provide expert advice to ensure that information security is an integral part of our technology journey. This is a hands-on role focused on co-creation and "security by design."

Key Responsibilities:

• Application Security Leadership: Lead efforts to secure our diverse application landscape, setting the standard for application security across the organization.
• Security in Cloud and IT Transformations: Ensure security in cloud migration, particularly in Azure, and during transitions to DevOps and Agile frameworks.
• Collaboration with Development Teams: Work closely with development teams to ensure security considerations are prioritized in every phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
• Vendor and Contract Security Reviews: Conduct security reviews of vendor contracts, including for SaaS and COTS applications, to ensure compliance with organizational security standards.
• Risk Management & Stakeholder Communication: Act as the security advisor, balancing business needs with potential risks, and providing quick, creative solutions to emerging threats.
• Continuous Security Improvement: Identify recurring security themes across the organization and push for ongoing improvements in application security.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate complex security issues clearly and persuasively to both technical and non-technical audiences, including management and diverse teams from different cultural backgrounds.

Key Results (SMART Objectives):

• Security Leadership: Be recognized as the content expert for application security within the organization and maintain a comprehensive overview of the security posture across all applications.
• Cloud Migration Support: Provide hands-on support for application migrations, particularly to the Azure cloud platform, ensuring secure transitions.
• Risk Mitigation: Quickly identify security risks and propose smart, efficient alternatives to minimize their impact.
• Effective Communication: Consistently convey security strategies and solutions in a clear and concise manner, even under time constraints.
• Continuous Improvement: Proactively identify areas for security improvement and drive initiatives to implement these enhancements across the organization.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Experience: 10+ years of experience in IT security, specifically in application security.
• Cloud Security Expertise: Extensive experience with cloud security, particularly with Azure public cloud environments.
• Security Reviews: Proven ability to perform security assessments of vendor contracts, including SaaS and COTS applications.
• Security Standards & Best Practices: Strong knowledge of security frameworks such as secure SDLC and security by design principles.
• Technical & Organizational Balance: Ability to balance technical security measures with organizational mitigating factors.
• Education: Degree in Information Science or related fields.
• Certifications: Professional security certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, CEH, CISA, CISM, or CCSK.
• Stakeholder Management: Experience managing stakeholders in a multi-cultural, international environment.
• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills in English; fluency in Dutch is a plus.

Additional Information:

This role requires a senior security specialist who is hands-on enough to perform in-depth security assessments of application architecture (with a focus on Azure as the platform) and senior enough to drive common objectives across various teams within the bank. You will be a key player in ensuring the security of our application infrastructure as we continue our transformation journey.

About Levy Professionals:

Since 2000, we provide professional solutions to organizations ranging from tech start-ups to global players. From our offices in Amsterdam and London we have built an international and local network of skilled employed professionals and contractors fuelled by our passion for connecting skills with projects. Over the years we have fulfilled over 1700 requirements and nowadays we consistently have 250+ professionals recruited and relocated from 14 countries allocated to various projects. Our strength is the way that we see and treat people. This will always be a key factor in our strategy for many years to come.

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