Head of Cyber Defense JB-26748

About us:

At Cal, we believe in the power of change. We lead innovations and initiate countless transformations.

We are shaping the future of payments, influencing and improving the reality for hundreds of thousands of customers and businesses in Israel.

We believe in our people, encourage professionalism, excellence, personal development

and we're dedicated provide the best employee experience.

We invite you to join the transformation and take part in shaping our shared story.

About the role:

We are seeking a Head of Cyber Defense to lead the organization's cyber security, monitoring, and incident response operations. This role involves managing professional teams, continuously enhancing cyber defense capabilities, and driving technological innovation through the integration of AI-powered security solutions while adapting the security framework to the evolving threat landscape of the financial sector.

• Lead the organization's Cyber Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT), with overall responsibility for real-time monitoring, detection, investigation (forensics), and management of critical cyber incidents under pressure.
• Integrate AI technologies into the security ecosystem to improve response times and operational efficiency, while establishing policies, procedures, and controls for the secure use of AI across the organization.
• Lead proactive security initiatives, including Red Team exercises, Threat Hunting, Cyber Threat Intelligence, and SOAR automation development.
• Drive cross-functional initiatives with IT, Development, and external vendors, while maintaining ongoing engagement with senior management and the Board of Directors.

Requirements

• Proven experience managing professional cyber security teams and leading operational processes in areas such as SOC, SIEM, Incident Response, and Threat Hunting.
• At least 5 years of experience in cyber defense, incident response, and offensive security domains.
• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, cloud environments, and security technologies, including SIEM, EDR/XDR, DLP, WAF, and Anti-DDoS solutions.
• Familiarity with AI architectures, AI-driven SecOps solutions, and AI-related security risks, such as Prompt Injection and advanced phishing attacks.
• Financial and regulatory background – a significant advantage. Experience in a financial institution and familiarity with regulatory frameworks and standards such as Bank of Israel directives, NIST, and ISO 27001.
• Relevant certifications (advantage): CISSP, CISM, or cloud security certifications (AWS/Azure).
• Strong analytical thinking and a systems-oriented mindset.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.