Senior Threat Detection Engineer

About the Role

COGNNA is seeking a Senior Threat Detection Engineer to join their team in Medina, Al Madinah Province. This full-time role focuses on designing detection strategies, building automation, and enhancing Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities. The position requires 2-5 years of experience in a relevant field.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Threat Detection Engineer will be responsible for developing and optimizing threat detection mechanisms, improving security platforms, and supporting incident response efforts. This includes mentoring junior talent and collaborating with various security teams.

Advanced Threat Detection Engineering

• Build high-fidelity correlation rules and behavioral detections within COGNNA security platforms.
• Translate adversary TTPs (MITRE ATT&CK), threat intelligence, and vulnerability data into actionable detection logic.
• Identify detection gaps and integrate new data sources to address evolving threat landscapes.
• Automate detection testing and ensure sustained detection quality.

Platform Engineering and Optimization

• Lead the architecture and optimization of XDR, SIEM, and SOC technology stacks for scalability and resilience.
• Streamline log ingestion pipelines, covering parsing, normalization, and enrichment processes.
• Develop scripts and automations using Python and PowerShell to enhance SOC efficiency.
• Integrate tools across the SOC stack to facilitate seamless workflows and response capabilities.

Threat Hunting and Incident Response Support

• Collaborate with threat intelligence and incident response teams to enrich detection use cases and support threat hunting activities.
• Provide Tier-3+ support for incident investigations and post-mortem analysis.

SOC Maturity and Compliance

• Improve SOC playbooks, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and detection engineering workflows.
• Stay informed on global and regional threats and adapt detection strategies accordingly.
• Ensure alignment with compliance standards such as NCA ECC and SAMA CSF.
• Mentor emerging cyber talent within the team.