Security Analyst

Introduction

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa’s activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT telescope in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.

Position: Security Analyst Business Unit: South Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory Location: Cape Town, Western Cape

Position Details

Position Summary: SARAO requires a detail-oriented cyber security analyst who will be responsible for protecting IT/OT infrastructure (including networks, hardware and software, Engineering & Industrial Control systems, Building Management Systems) from a range of cyber threats. You will monitor networks and systems, detect security threats ('events'), analyze and assess alarms, and report on threats, intrusion attempts and false alarms and malware, either resolving them or escalating them, depending on the severity.

Key Responsibilities: Participate in Cyber Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) in the identification, containment, eradication, and resolution of security issues. Monitor for attacks, intrusions and unusual, unauthorized or illegal activity using OSINT, SIEM, Fail2Ban, Packet Analyzer, Firewalls, log aggregators and End-Point Protection tools. Analyzing security incidents & breaches to identify the root cause. Investigate security alerts from security log aggregators and provide incident response. Analyzing & responding to help desk security incidents. Monitor identity and access management, including monitoring for abuse of permissions by authorized system users. Conducting triage on security assessments & vulnerability testing reports and analyze the risk severity. Assisting with analysis of third-party vendors security and collaborating with them to meet security requirements. Research and evaluate emerging cyber security threats and suggest ways to manage them. Assist with continuously updating the SARAO’s incident response, disaster recovery plans & risk register. Assist with the creation, maintenance and delivery of cyber security awareness training for colleagues. Assist Senior Security Administrator with R&D of new solutions and their deployment. Provide feedback to Senior Security Administrator for continuous improvement . Give advice and guidance to staff on issues such as spam and unwanted or malicious emails.

Additional Notes: Presentation and communication skills Self-driven and able to self-manage Ability to learn new technologies, solutions & keen interest in acquiring new skills. Ability to constructively interact with various stakeholders including Management, other Employees/Teams, Service Providers and Vendors. Analytic and Report writing Team player - willingness to help colleagues and provide organizational support, and to fit in with organizational culture and methodologies

Requirements

Qualification: Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Information Technology/Systems or Computer Science/Systems, AND IT Security Certification (CompTIA Security+ or equivalent)

Experience: 3 years in the field of Information Technology with Security Monitoring, Threat Management and Incident Response and experience with security operations

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Understanding of some of these protocols: UDP, SNMP, SMTP, PGP, SFTP, SSH, IPSec, VPN, LDAP, HTTP, SSL/TLS, PKI and DNS. Understanding of LAN, WAN, VLANs, VM, IP Tables and End-Point security. Understanding of operating systems such as Windows, macOS and Linux Trouble shooting techniques, helpdesk and end-user support. Understanding of DevOps & DevSecOps practices, logs monitoring & security events analysis.

How to Apply

Closing Date: Tuesday, 10 Nov 2026

The NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities. Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant's suitability for the position. The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided. Contact Information

Recruitment Support: peopleandculture@nrf.ac.za