Vice President (Cyber Defense) - Banking and Finance

Looking to make an impact in Malaysia’s dynamic banking sector?

Join a leading financial services organization delivering integrated banking solutions across consumer, business, and Islamic banking, as well as stockbroking and related services. This role involves working on innovative banking products, digital channels, and customer-focused initiatives, while collaborating with experienced professionals across branches and specialized centers. Gain exposure to strategic projects that drive customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.

Strengthen enterprise security and shape the future of cyber defense in Malaysia. Apply now!

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership & SOC Vision
  • Define the long-term strategy, roadmap, and maturity plan for the SOC (aligned to frameworks like NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK, FFIEC, and Maturity level benchmarks).
  • Establish and refine SOC operating models (in-house, hybrid, outsourced MSSP).
  • Drive uplift of detection, response, hunting, automation, and intel functions.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Ensure SOC operations comply with Bank Negara RMiT, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, FFIEC, and all relevant regulatory mandates.
  • Oversee audit readiness, regulatory submissions, and risk reporting for SOC activities.
  • Define SOC policies, procedures, KPIs, SLAs, and governance mechanisms.
• Cyber Threat Detection & Incident Response Oversight
  • Provide executive leadership for major incident response, including crisis management and coordination with senior management.
  • Ensure high-quality detection engineering, threat modelling, and incident handling practices.
  • Oversee forensic investigations and ensure chain-of-custody integrity.
• Technology & Modernization
  • Own the strategic architecture of monitoring and response technologies such as SIEM, SOAR, EDR, NDR,  threat intelligence platforms, and native security tools.
  • Drive automation and orchestration to improve SOC efficiency and reduce MTTD/MTTR.
  • Partner with Cyber Engineering to optimize log onboarding and detection pipelines.
• Threat Intelligence & Proactive Defense
  • Oversee threat intelligence acquisition, analysis, and integration into SOC workflows.
  •  Guide threat hunting programs targeting advanced attacks, insider threats, fraud-linked behavior, and emerging TTPs.
  • Maintain visibility into global and regional financial sector threat trends.
• People Leadership & Capability Development
  • Lead and mentor SOC managers, incident responders, analysts, and threat hunters.
  • Build and maintain a strong talent pipeline, including training, certification, and succession planning.
  •  Foster a culture of analytical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Reporting & Executive Communication
  • Provide regular briefings to CISO, GCDIO, Risk Committees, and Board-level governance bodies.
  • Present insights on threat landscapes, SOC readiness, trends, vulnerabilities, and systemic risks.
  • Deliver post incident reports, RCA summaries, and strategic improvement plans.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Reduction in MTTD and MTTR across SOC operations.
• SOC maturity roadmap progression (year-on-year improvement).
• Availability, uptime, and performance of SOC platforms.
• Regulatory compliance and audit outcomes (no major findings).
•  Effectiveness of threat hunting outcomes and detection coverage expansion.
• Talent retention, analyst development, and operational stability.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of cybersecurity experience, including at least 5 years leading SOC or Incident Response teams, preferably in financial institutions.
• Proven success leading complex cyber operations in high risk environments.
• Deep expertise in SIEM, SOAR, endpoint detection, threat intelligence, and cloud security.
• Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements for banks.
• Experience leading executive-level communication during cyber crisis events.

Preferred Certifications:

• CISSP, CISM, CCSP
• GIAC (GCIA, GCIH, GCTI, GMON, GRID)
• Incident response certifications (GCFA, GREM)

Preferred Skills:

• Executive presence, strong communication, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to lead teams during high-pressure cyber incidents.
• Strategic thinker with strong operational discipline.

Salary:

• Competitive Salary based on experience