Database Administrator and IT Security Officer

Position: Database Administrator and IT Security Officer
Location: Blantyre, Malawi
Company: National Switch Limited (Natswitch)
Reports to: IT Manager

Role Overview

The IT Security and Database Administration (DBA) Officer is responsible for developing implementing, and maintaining a secure, resilient, and compliant technology environment for the national payment switch.

The role ensures that the switch and its connected participants operate under robust cybersecurity and data protection frameworks that align with intemational Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and principles, and relevant nabonal regulatory and data protection laws.

The officer will safeguard the confidenbiality, integrity, and availablity of systems and data, ensure compliance with information security standards, and strengthen the cybersecurity posture of the entire national payment ecosystern.

Key Responsibilities

Cybersecurity Governance and Strategy

• Develop and maintain a Cybersecurity Framework and Strategy aligned with PCI DSS, NIST CSF ISO/EC 27001, and GDPR security principles
• Establish and implement polcies covering access control, risk management, incident response, data protection, and business continuity
• Identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks across the nabonal switch ecosystem, including all participants and Govemment platforms
• Lead the development of ecosystem-wide security baselines and enforce compliance through periodic risk assessments and audits
• Ensure governance structures exist to oversee information security, cyber resilience, and data privacy compliance

IT Security Management

• Implement and manage information security controls, standards, and policies in line with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and other applicable frameworks
• Monitor security events, logs, and alerts to detect, investigate, and respond to potential threats or breaches Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration tests; coordinate remediation activities with relevant teams Manage user access controls, roles, and privileges across systerns and applications
• Ensure endpoint, network, and application security tools (firewalls, IDS/PS, antivirus, SIEM, etr.) are effectively configured and updated
• Develop and test incident response and disaster recovery procedures
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of cybersecurity threats, trends, and technologies
• Support audits and compliance reviews by providing technical evidence and implementing audit recommendations
• Conduct periodic information security awareness sessions for staff

Ecosystem Threat Monitoring and Incident Management

• Continuously monitor the entire national switch ecosystern for potential security threats, intrusions, or anomalies using SIEM and other monitoring tools
• Correlate security events from participant institutions and national infrastructure to identify cross-ecosystem threats
• Conduct vulnerabiity assessments, penetration testing, and threat intelligence analysis to pre-empt attacks Develop and maintain an Incident Response Plan (IRP) aligned with intemational respond principles, defining escalation paths, containment, and communication protocols
• Coordinate incident response across internal teams, participants, and edemal stakeholders such as regulators and national CERTs
• Lead post-incident reviews to implement comective actions and strengthen preventive controls

Datahase Administration

• Install, configure, and maintain enterprise databases supporting the national switch operations
• Ensure high availability, backup, and recovery mechanisms are in place for all databases
• Optimize database performance, capacity, and storage planning
• Develop and maintain database security policies and access controls
• Monitor database health, usage, and performance metrics
• Manage data replication, synchronization, and clustering setups
• Ensure compliance with data prutection and privacy regulations in database management
• Support application development teams in database design, queries, and data integrity management
• Automate database maintenance tasks and maintain comprehensive documentation
• Implement database access controls, encryption, and data masking and encryption mechanisms consistent with international integrity and confidentiality principle.
• Manage database backups, replication, failover, and disaster recovery processes to ensure high availability
• Optimize database performance, conduct capacity planning, and ensure transaction integrity
• Maintain audit trails and logging mechanisms that support accountability and forensic readiness
• Enforce data retention and deletion policies in line with regulations and storage limitation principles
• Define, monitor, and enforce performance and capacity thresholds for:
• Storage space utlization
• CPU and memory consummation
• Processing speed and transaction throughput
• Database table and index sizes
• Query response times and system latency
• Conduct capacity planning to anticipate future performance and storage needs based on transaction growth trends
• Optimize database structures, indeves, and queries for performance efficiency
• Implement database encryption, user access managerent, and auditing in line with GDPR and NIST standards.
• Maintain up-to-date database documentation including scheras, configurations, and version control

Data Protection and Compliance

• Implement and enforce data protection measures ensuring that personal and transaction data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently
• Ensure data minimization and purpose limitation, collect and retain only data necessary for payment processing and compliance
• Establish data retention schedules and ensure secure deletion or anonymization of data in line with international and national data protection laws
• Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for new systems, products, use cases and integrations Support and coordinate with the Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure alignment with privacy and data handling obligations
• Ensure that all national switch ecosystem participants adhere to data protection clauses in service level agreements (SLAs)

Compliance, Policy Development, and Continuous Improvement

• Align all security and data protection policies with ISO 27001 and other international standards and local Payment Systems Regulations
• Coordinate internal and external security and data protection audits, addressing identified vulnerabilities and compliance gaps
• Develop and maintain documentation for cybersecurity governance, data processing registers, and incident logs
• Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned, internal reviews, and technology updates
• Support alignment with PCI DSS for card payment security and CFT/AML data integrity requirements

Capacity Building and Stakeholder Collaboration

• Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness sessions for staff, participants, and service providers
• Provide technical guidance on secure integration, AP protection, key management, and application security
• Collaborate with regulators, national cybersecurity agencies, and ecosystem participants on cyber resilience initiatives
• Represent the organization in industry cybersecurity working groups and information-sharing platforms

Support and Collaboration

• Work closely with the Systems, Network, and Application teams to ensure seamless system performance and integration
• Provide technical support during deployments, upgrades, and maintenance windows Participate in business continuity planning and testing exercises
• Liaise with vendors and service providers for security and database solutions

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related discipline
• Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or related field is an added advantage

Professional Certifications (desirable)

• Cybersecurity – CISSP, CISM, CEH, CompTIA Security+, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer/Auditor, NIST CSF Practitioner
• Networking – CCNA, CCNP, CCSA, or OCSE
• Database – Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), Microsoft SOL Server, PostgreSQL certification
• Data Protection – Certified Data Protection Officer (CDPO), CIPP/E, or equivalent

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in IT Security, Cybersecurity Govemance, and Database Administration roles
• Proven experience in implementing cybersecurity frameworks and data protection controls that are aligned to intemational principles and standards
• Experience in financial systerns, payment infrastructure, or regulated ICT environments is highly desirable

Skills

• Deep understanding of international cybersecurity frameworks (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover) and principles lawfulness, minimization, integrity, accountability)
• Proficiency in SIEM tools, intrusion detection/prevention systems, firewalls, DLP, encryption, and access management
• Strong knowledge of database administration, query optimization, and replication technologies
• Understanding of payment ecosystem architectures, network security, and API security
• Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and incident investigation skills.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills for both technical and executive audiences.
• High integrity, confidentiality, and attention to detail
• Strong knowledge of cybersecurity technologies such as SIEM, IDS/PS, endpoint protection, data loss prevention (DLP), firewalls, and encryption
• Understanding of payment system architectures, API security, and network segmentation
• Excellent analytical and investigative skills for threat and incident managerent
• Strong report writing, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply cybersecurity and data protection regulations to technical conters

Personal Attributes

• High integrity and ethics, demonstrating trustworthiness and adherence to strict confidentiality in handing sensitive data
• Attention to detail, by maintaining precision in system monitoring configuration, and data protection Analytical and critical thinking by having capabilities to assess risks, analyze incidents, and develope sound mitigation strategies
• Proactive and innovative by anticipating threats and implerenting forward-looking cybersecurity measures
• Resilient under pressure by maintaining composure and decisiveness during security incidents or system and service outages
• Collaborative and tear-oriented by working effectively across departments and with ederal ecosystem participant.
• Continuous leamer iho keeps abreast of evolving cybersecurity threats, standards, and technologies
• Strong communication skills by being able to translate complex technical concepts into clear language for nontechnical audiences
• Strategic mindset by balancing technical rigor with long-term organizational goals in cybersecurity and resilience.

Application Details

Interested candidates should send their aoplications, including a detailed Curriculum Vitae, copies of certificates, plus names and addresses of three traceable referees to the address or email below not later than 1 December 2025

The Chief Executive Officer,
National Switch Limited,
Ulimi Building, 2nd Floor,
P O Box 2334,
Blantyre
Email: hr@natswitch.mw
(Clearly state the position being applied for in the email subject.)