Senior Data Governance & Classification Specialist

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and strategic advisory services to government entities to help them build their data asset registers and implement classification policies.
• Design guidelines and toolkits to enable government employees to classify data independently and efficiently.
• Measure the level of compliance of government entities with national data classification policies and submit periodic performance reports to decision-makers.
• Lead national initiatives to assess cybersecurity risks resulting from improper classification of sensitive data at the state level.
• Ensure alignment of different entities’ policies with national data protection and privacy legislation, and identify data sovereignty requirements.
• Evaluate global technical solutions in data classification and provide recommendations to government entities on the best tools suited to the national infrastructure.
• Organize national workshops and conferences to transfer knowledge and discuss challenges faced by institutions in implementing data classification projects.

Contract duration is 12 months, with the possibility of extension based on departmental requirements.

Requirements

Required Academic Degree

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Computer Science, or Management Information Systems.
• Strongly preferred: Master’s or PhD in Data Governance or Public Cybersecurity Policy.

Required Training Certificates (If required)

• CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) – Advanced level
• CGEIT (Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT)
• Audit and compliance certifications such as CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
• ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor / Implementer

Required Years of Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in data governance and security.
• Must include at least 4 years working on regulatory frameworks, national policies, or consulting for major government institutions.

Required Language Proficiency

• Arabic: Optional
• English: Required
• Other: Arabic preferred but not mandatory

Other Required Qualifications

• Regulatory background: Deep understanding of local data and privacy laws and national cybersecurity standards.
• Consulting skills: Strong ability to influence and negotiate with senior leadership across government entities.
• Strategic vision: Ability to link data classification to national priorities such as digital transformation, data economy, and digital sovereignty.
• Institutional excellence: Familiarity with government excellence standards and quality models (e.g., EFQM) to ensure world-class advisory services.