Senior Application Security Specialist

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Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

The Application Security Lead makes sure software reaches production with known risks found, fixed or formally accepted. The role sets the application security standards developers work to, runs the tooling and testing that verifies them, and signs off security before release.

It is a hands-on lead role. Lead is expected to read scan output, scope tests and challenge findings alongside the two analysts, while owning the service as a whole.

The service areas below are the team's current remit. The Lead owns all seven and delivers them through the two analysts.

• →Manages Application Security Analysts: workload allocation, performance reviews, development plans and technical coaching.
• →Builds the bench: cross-skills the analysts so no single service area depends on one person.
• →Partners with development and delivery leads so security work is planned into sprints rather than raised at release.
• →Manages external penetration testing providers: scoping, scheduling, quality of findings and spend against budget.
• →Escalates risks that cannot be remediated in SLA to the Manager, Information and Cybersecurity with a clear recommendation.

- Security requirements in design, threat modelling on new and changed systems

- SAST in CI/CD pipelines, software composition analysis for open-source components, and secrets scanning. Owns tool coverage, rule tuning and false-positive rates.

- DAST and API security testing, scoping and coordinating penetration tests with external providers, and retesting fixed findings to closure.

- Security assessments of applications the business buys, SaaS configuration reviews, and the security requirements written into contracts with Procurement and Legal.

- SSO and MFA integration standards, API authentication standards, and web application firewall rules.

-Security reviews of AI integrations, testing for prompt injection and data leakage, and protection of AI API keys and connections.

The Lead also keeps the application security standard, the finding severity and remediation-SLA model, and the exception and risk-acceptance process current, and reports application risk to the Manager, Information and Cybersecurity.

• National diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or equivalent. Demonstrable experience may substitute for the qualification.
• 5+ years in application security or security testing, of which at least 3 years in a dedicated application security role.
• 2+ years leading a team, a squad or a security workstream, formally or as a technical lead.
• Hands-on experience with SAST, SCA, DAST and secrets scanning tooling, and with embedding them in CI/CD pipelines.
• Working knowledge of OWASP Top 10, OWASP ASVS and API Security Top 10, and of the SDLC controls expected under a recognised framework such as ISO 27001 or NIST CSF.

- Other industry certifications are advantageous (i.e., ISO 27001/27002, CISM, etc.)

• One or more of OSCP, CISSP or equivalent.
• Financial services or insurance experience, including familiarity with POPIA and the regulatory expectations on an insurer's software estate.
• Cloud application security experience on Azure or AWS, including container and pipeline security.

• Designs and tunes security tooling in pipelines so it catches real issues without stalling delivery.
• Scopes and interprets penetration tests and can tell a genuine exploit path from a scanner artefact.
• Models threats against modern architectures: APIs, microservices, SaaS integrations and AI services.
• Assesses identity and access design: OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SAML, token handling and WAF policy.
  

• Matric and relevant Information Technology Qualification – diploma or degree
• 3-5 years Information or cyber security related experience
• Security Awareness and Culture Professional (SACP)
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Established experience in phishing simulations and training programs
• Administration of a learning / phishing platform

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

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