Lead IT Security Engineer

About Alaan

We are an AI-powered expense management platform designed to simplify finance for businesses in the Middle East, helping them save both time and money. Our platform offers everything businesses need to manage and control their expenses in one place, including smart corporate cards, AI-powered automation and insights, streamlined accounting, and centralized dashboards.

Since 2022, over 1000 businesses in the UAE—from startups to enterprises like Al Barari, Rove, Rivoli, Punjab National Bank, and CarSwitch—have used Alaan to control their spending and reduce costs. Together, our customers have saved over AED 100 million using Alaan.

About the role

We are looking for a Lead IT Security Engineer with 7–10 years of hands-on experience in securing cloud infrastructure and enterprise environments. In this leadership role, you will take ownership of securing our AWS and GCP environments, leading the implementation of Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions such as CyberArk, and driving organization-wide adoption of security best practices across engineering and DevOps.You will closely collaborate with DevOps, Engineering, and Compliance teams to continuously harden our infrastructure, guide security strategy, and ensure alignment with industry-leading principles.

What you'll do

• Lead security strategy and implementation for AWS and GCP environments, covering IAM, VPC, networking, access control, and observability.
• Architect and oversee the deployment of Privileged Access Management (PAM) tools (e.g., CyberArk) and ensure secure integration across critical systems.
• Champion secret management practices, removing credentials from Git repositories; implement preventive controls using Git hooks and CI/CD enforcement tools.
• Work with engineering and DevOps teams to embed security into every phase of the development lifecycle.
• Establish and enforce endpoint security policies (e.g., MDM, patch management, audit readiness) for all engineering devices.
• Conduct regular security reviews, including access audits, misconfiguration scans, and policy validation.
• Lead security incident response efforts and provide forensic analysis where needed.
• Partner with engineering leaders to review architecture decisions and ensure secure design patterns.
• Support and guide compliance initiatives (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS) with relevant controls and documentation.

What we are looking for

• 7–10 years of experience in IT Security or Cloud Security roles, with recent leadership responsibilities.
• Deep hands-on expertise in securing AWS and GCP environments, especially around IAM, network security, and logging.
• Proven experience deploying and managing PAM solutions like CyberArk.
• Strong grasp of DevSecOps practices and secure CI/CD implementations.
• Experience with MDM and endpoint protection solutions (e.g., Jamf, Intune, CrowdStrike).
• Proficient with tools for secrets detection and policy enforcement (e.g., GitLeaks, TruffleHog).
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to lead cross-functional conversations on security posture and risk.

Bonus (Preferred, not required)

• Knowledge of application-layer security including OAuth, OpenID, and secure API design.
• Experience securing Kubernetes workloads and multi-tenant environments.
• Background in fintech or other highly regulated industries.

What's in it for you

• Contribute to building the Middle East’s most beloved fintech brand from the ground up
• Benefit from a role with significant ownership and accountability
• Thrive in a flexible hybrid culture with ample work-life balance
• Participate in exciting offsite events
• Competitive salary and equity
• Enjoy additional perks like travel allowances, gym memberships, and more