Senior Cybersecurity Consultant (LoD2 Technical Assurance Lead)

Position Title: Senior Cybersecurity Assurance Consultant (LoD2 / Internal Controls Auditor) aka Senior Technical Assurance Lead

Role Summary:

We are hiring a Senior Technical Assurance Lead to own the delivery of a Level of Defence 2 cybersecurity technical assurance programme for a major national oil and gas operator in Oman. You will lead an independent assurance function that tests whether cybersecurity controls actually operate as documented across the client's entire technology estate operating systems, databases, directory services, networks, applications, cloud, SOC and NOC, endpoints, storage and telecommunications. This is a hands-on leadership role, onsite in Muscat, for a 36-month engagement.

To establish and run a semi-independent technical assurance capability that produces evidence-based, defensible findings on the effectiveness of the client's cybersecurity controls; to build the methodology, tooling and reporting that underpin it; and to transfer that capability to the client's own assurance staff by the end of the engagement.

Responsible for leading and executing the Line of Defense (LoD) 2 cybersecurity assurance reviews, ensuring compliance with CIS benchmarks, internal policies, and enterprise standards. The consultant must demonstrate strong hands-on experience across infrastructure, databases, endpoints, and network security with reporting and audit readiness skills.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead technical assurance reviews for OS, DB, applications, cloud, and endpoints.
• Review controls: hardening, patching, secure configs, access controls, logging, etc.
• Validate configurations against CIS Benchmarks and internal baselines.
• Perform access reviews and analyze system evidence across platforms.
• Create assurance reports with severity ratings, remediation, and evidence mapping.
• Coordinate walkthroughs and evidence sessions with infra and app teams.
• Provide ad-hoc support for remediation advisory.
• Execute scripts to gather system logs, configuration snapshots, AD reports
• Validate patch levels, account settings, group policies, and protocol configs
• Work closely with infra and DB admins to coordinate evidence sessions
• Populate findings and observations based on templates and checklists
• Support in data validation, backup policy reviews, and monitoring logs
• Support report preparation with screenshots and extracted outputs
• Own the Technical Assurance Plan, control listing, risk rating criteria and assessment methodology, and secure client approval before execution begins
• Lead assurance assessments across twelve scope elements against sixteen cybersecurity domains, structured across People, Process and Technology dimensions
• Design and govern the custom script and query library used to extract configuration, log and access evidence from live systems
• Perform independent quality review of every finding before it enters a draft report you will not review your own testing
• Apply severity categorisation against the client's own risk methodology and matrix, and defend those ratings in discussion with system owners
• Conduct root cause analysis, distinguishing design gaps from operating failures, and categorise causes across People, Process and Technology
• Author and issue system-specific assessment reports, domain-level gap analysis, risk register entries and remediation roadmaps
• Present findings and the cybersecurity maturity scorecard to client leadership and governance forums
• Track remediation to closure and independently re-verify evidence before a finding is closed
• Deliver structured training and live shadow assessments to 8 to 10 client assurance staff, progressing them to independent execution
• Act as the senior technical interface to the client's cybersecurity, infrastructure and operations teams
  

Must-Have Skills:

• Deep knowledge of Windows Server, Linux (Red Hat), Active Directory
• Oracle DB, MS SQL Server, SOC/NOC controls
• Familiarity with CIS Benchmarks, NIST, ISO 27001
• Ability to write/execute scripts for validation (PowerShell, Bash, SQL queries)
• Risk-based thinking, report drafting, control categorization
• Admin knowledge in Windows, Linux, and database platforms
• Familiarity with tools like Nessus, Nmap, Wireshark, ADUC, SQL Developer
• Ability to interpret logs, group policies, endpoint hardening parameters
• Moderate scripting capability (PowerShell, Bash, basic SQL)
  

Preferred Certifications:

• CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
• CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
• CRISC, ISO 27001 LA/LI (optional bonus)
• CIS Benchmarks Practitioner (via Linux Foundation)
• OSCP or technical certs are a plus
• CompTIA Security+ or CySA+
• Microsoft Security Fundamentals or Azure Admin Associate
• RHCSA (Red Hat Certified SysAdmin) is a plus
• CIS Controls v8 Certificate (SANS/GIAC) bonus

Tools Knowledge:

SIEM - Splunk, IBM QRadar or Microsoft Sentinel search, correlation rules, log source coverage

Scripting - PowerShell and Bash for evidence extraction; SQL for database configuration review

Directory - Active Directory, ADUC, GPMC, Repadmin, DCdiag, PowerShell AD module

Benchmarking - CIS-CAT Pro, CIS Benchmarks, hardening baseline conformance testing

Vulnerability - Tenable Nessus, Qualys or Rapid7 interpretation and coverage validation

ITSM and GRC - ServiceNow or equivalent; Archer, MetricStream or comparable GRC platform

Reporting - Power BI or equivalent for dashboards and maturity scorecards