Senior Cybersecurity Specialist - Network Security

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

20 June 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
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WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Senior Cybersecurity Specialist - Network Security

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Regular Consultant - CST2

UNIT/DIVISION: Technology Division, Information Security

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Remote working

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Under the general supervision of the Head of Cybersecurity Operations and the direct supervision of the Threat Detection & Response Lead, the incumbent will play a hands-on role in monitoring, investigating, and responding to cyber threats across WFP’s global environment. The role focuses on driving effective day-to-day security operations, with strong ownership of incident investigation, threat detection, and response activities across WFP’s infrastructure and network.

Working closely with other cybersecurity teams, the incumbent will contribute to continuous improvements in detection capabilities, security telemetry quality, and monitoring coverage, ensuring stronger visibility, faster triage, and more reliable response outcomes. The role also includes operational ownership of network security remediation activities, translating findings into concrete actions that reduce enterprise risk.

A key objective of the assignment is to strengthen the consistency and reliability of security monitoring data and detection signals, enhancing the organization’s ability to detect, investigate, and respond to threats in a timely and auditable manner.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Main responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Monitor WFP environment for potential cyber incidents using available tools and telemetry, including Microsoft security consoles, the IR platform, and Threat Intel sources, while improving monitoring coverage and signal quality, reducing blind spots, and ensuring corporate assets comply with organizational logging requirements, and maintaining visibility over DLP-related events.
• Provide Tier 2/3 investigation and analysis for potential cyber incidents, including DLP incidents, using available telemetry and tools, including producing clear incident narratives, technical findings, and recommended containment and remediation actions with traceability to evidence.
• Provide assistance to vulnerability management/network security activities and the TECI consulting practice to the business, acting as a senior technical focal point for network security remediation initiatives, control improvements, and risk driven prioritization across stakeholders
• Identify and evaluate tools and/or services needed to establish regular incident detection and response across WFP infrastructure, produce proposals with options, cost and operational impact, and lead implementation of selected improvements with minimal supervision.
• Contribute to SOAR and playbook development and guarded automation for enrichment, scoping, triage, and routine containment, ensuring that sensitive steps include appropriate approvals and that actions remain auditable.
• Coordinate remediation actions for network security exposures and incidents, translating findings into implementable change requests, tracking closure, escalating as needed, and supporting the implementation of security controls aligned with cybersecurity strategy and prioritized risk activities.
• Support tickets routed to TECI, including taking ownership of complex cases, driving them to closure, and improving runbooks and documentation to reduce repeat issues and analyst toil.
• Perform other cybersecurity related duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

University degree in computer science/engineering or an equivalent discipline

Experience:

6-8 years’ relevant experience in the areas of SIEM, Incident Management, Network Security and/or Security Platforms/Tools administration

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong practical experience in cybersecurity operations, including incident response, investigation, and threat analysis.
• Hands-on expertise with modern security platforms and telemetry, including SIEM, endpoint, identity, and cloud signals.
• Solid understanding of detection engineering concepts and query-based analytics such as KQL or equivalent.
• Experience translating security findings into actionable remediation and operational improvements across technical teams.
• Comfortable working with automation, enrichment, and scripting (e.g. PowerShell or Python) to improve efficiency and reduce noise.

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory with an intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is desirable.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.
• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.
• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.