Principal Specialist: Tech Consult (FTC) at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Job Purpose

• To develop implementation plans and provide strategic leadership advice in multiple projects, technologies and technical consulting strategies, in order to achieve overall organisational objectives. 

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Honours / Postgraduate Diploma (NQF 8) IT, Computer Science or Similar AND 10-12 years' experience in Enterprise IT Security Architecture, of which 6-8 years is at a Senior specialist level / Architect level.

ALTERNATIVE #

• Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma IT, Computer Science or Similar (NQF 7) with Cybersecurity or architecture certification (e.g. CISSP, CISM, CCSP, TOGAF Security) AND 12 - 15 years’ IT Security Architecture experience of which 6-8 years is at a Senior Specialist level/Architect level.

Minimum Functional Requirements

• Enterprise Cybersecurity Architecture (conceptual, logical, and physical levels)
• Secure infrastructure design for AI and data platforms (data protection, access control, encryption, model security)
• Security architecture for web applications, portals, APIs, and digital channels
• Integration security covering APIs, messaging, RPC, file transfer, and service-based architectures
• Identity and Access Management (IAM), including privileged access and federation
• Secure network and platform architecture (on prem, hybrid, and cloud-ready designs)
• Application and platform security principles (OWASP, Zero Trust, defence-in-depth)

Relevant IT certification:

• Cybersecurity or architecture certification (e.g. CISSP, CISM, CCSP, TOGAF Security)

Job Outputs:

Process

• To provide enterprise-level cybersecurity architecture and technical consulting leadership within the IT Security Operations division by designing secure infrastructure, platforms, and integration patterns that support, AI and advanced analytics platforms, enterprise case management systems, Secure, scalable taxpayer digital portals
• Design secure end to end architectures for AI platforms, case management systems, and taxpayer portals, with consideration for operational security requirements
• Define security architecture standards, patterns, and reference architectures that can be effectively implemented and supported within an IT Security Operations environment
• Embed security controls into infrastructure, application, and integration designs to support monitoring, detection, and response capabilities
• Conduct architecture risk assessments and provide remediation guidance aligned to operational risk management practices
• Provide authoritative cybersecurity architecture advice to delivery teams, IT Security Operations, and other stakeholders
• Influence solution design decisions to ensure security, resilience, and operational supportability
• Translate cybersecurity policy, regulatory, and operational requirements into practical, supportable designs
• Ensure solution architectures are aligned with IT Security Operations capabilities, including incident response, threat detection, vulnerability management, and continuous monitoring
• Collaborate with IT Security Operations teams to ensure architectures support effective security operations, logging, alerting, and forensic readiness
• Support the operationalisation of security controls by ensuring clear handover from design to build and run phases
• Analyse and make recommendations about improvements to specialist systems, procedures, policies and practices.
• Contribute to the optimum utilisation of org. resources, advising on effective planning and development of area of specialisation resource plans.
• Develop multiple practices in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks, supporting tactical development and excellence.
• Draw on own technical or professional expertise, knowledge & experience to identify & recommend tactical solutions to defined problems in practices.
• Influence and communicate across business areas impacted by practice area to minimise resistance and ensure on-boarding of new thinking.
• Integrate business information, compare, analyse & produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies & inconsistencies for decision making purposes.
• Optimise goal achievement through tactical strategy development and optimisation of practises, processes & systems across an internal value chain.
• Plan for value-added, continuous multiple practice and system improvement optimisation to deliver on objectives and to enhance tactical excellence.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; developing best practice solutions.
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, practice areas and associated procedures and execute the implementation of change and innovation.
• Translate top down policy, apply modification in relation to own practice area and communicate impact to relevant stakeholders.
• Provide support to integration projects by applying the required specialised skills in terms of architecture, data, design, services, processes, monitoring and patterns.
• Ability to apply multi-skilled capabilities to influence, identify and resolve complex issues in the IT environment.
• Engage with relevant stakeholders and establish operational and IT transformational demand.
• Successfully deliver projects, impactful improvements initiatives & business as usual enhancements, improve effectiveness, service and productivity.

Governance

• Develop and/or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability.

People

• Engage business, IT, and IT Security Operations teams to ensure security requirements are understood, adopted, and operationally supported
• Support digital transformation initiatives through trusted security architecture leadership within an IT Security Operations context
• Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.
• Provide specialist know-how, support, advice and practice thought leadership in area of expertise.

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of specialisation.

Client

• Develop & ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence & encourage others to provide exceptional stakeholder service.
• Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.
• Provide authoritative, specialist expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail 
• Building Sustainability 
• Commitment to Continuous Learning 
• Conceptual Ability 
• Customer Service   
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Organisational Awareness 
• Problem Solving and Analysis 
• Respect
• Trust

Technical competencies

• Application Development and Maintenance 
• Business Knowledge 
• Creative and Innovative Thinking 
• Efficiency improvement
• Functional Policies and Procedures 
• IT Knowledge 
• Knowledge of IT Governance and Business  
• Policy analysis 
• Reporting
• System Thinking 
• Technical Expertise  

Dedaline:31st March,2026