OT Penetration Tester (Freelance) - Perm - Dubai
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About the Role
Our client is seeking an elite OT Penetration Tester to join their mission-critical team in Dubai. This freelance opportunity is designed for those who thrive on safeguarding the world's most vital infrastructure from electric grids to water treatment plants and who understand that in OT, safety and resilience are everything. You'll be at the forefront of defending operational technology environments, ensuring that the systems powering our cities and industries remain secure, reliable, and future-ready.
Why This Role Matters
As an OT Penetration Tester, you will be instrumental in protecting critical infrastructure across the utility sector. Your expertise will directly impact the safety, reliability, and operational continuity of essential services. The stakes are high: your work will help prevent real-world disruptions, mitigate emerging threats, and ensure compliance with national and international cybersecurity standards. This is your chance to drive meaningful change where it matters most.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and implement advanced OT penetration testing methodologies tailored for utility sector environments, including electric grids, water/wastewater facilities, natural gas networks, and renewable energy systems.
- Build and maintain specialized security testing capabilities for ICS/SCADA protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-104, OPC UA, BACnet, Profinet, EtherNet/IP, and other utility-specific protocols.
- Deliver high-quality penetration testing aligned with UAE national cybersecurity frameworks (NESA, DESC, TDRA) and sector-specific regulations.
- Continuously improve OT penetration testing methodologies, service offerings, and best practices.
- Provide strategic insights on emerging OT threats, client needs, and opportunities to enhance service capabilities.
- Ensure all testing activities align with client risk profiles, contractual obligations, and long-term objectives.
- Participate in pre-sales discussions, offering technical expertise for proposals, scoping, and solution design.
- Create and maintain comprehensive knowledge repositories on OT vulnerabilities, exploit techniques, vendor-specific weaknesses, and industry threat intelligence.
- Design and execute red team exercises and adversary emulation scenarios simulating real-world attack campaigns.
- Perform safe, controlled penetration testing on OT networks, ICS/SCADA systems, PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, and industrial communication protocols.
- Assess network segmentation, firewall rules, access controls, and industrial communication pathways.
- Identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and attack vectors while ensuring zero disruption to client operations.
- Produce high-quality technical reports for both technical and executive audiences, including risk ratings and remediation guidance.
- Present findings to diverse audiences, translating complex technical issues into business risk language for C-suite, engineering, operations, compliance, and board-level stakeholders.
- Validate remediation actions and conduct re-testing as part of the managed service lifecycle.
- Support incident response engagements with exploitation insights and OT threat analysis.
- Ensure all activities comply with UAE laws, client contracts, and industry standards (IEC 62443, NIST 800-82).
Technical Skills & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Electrical/Control Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Professional certifications preferred: GICSP, GRID, ISA/IEC 62443, OSCP, OSWP, OSCE, OSEP, CEH, CPT, GPEN, GXPN.
- Deep understanding of IEC 62443, NIST 800-82, and UAE national cybersecurity frameworks (NESA, DESC, TDRA).
- 810 years of hands-on experience in penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, or red teaming.
- Minimum 3 years working specifically with OT/ICS/SCADA environments in utilities, oil & gas, manufacturing, or critical infrastructure.
- Expertise in OT/ICS architectures, industrial networks, and control system components.
- Advanced skills in penetration testing tools and techniques (manual and automated).
- Ability to perform: Network penetration testing, ICS protocol analysis, firewall and segmentation assessments, wireless security testing, and secure configuration reviews.
- Strong understanding of OT-specific risks such as safety impacts, operational downtime, and system availability.
- Familiarity with SIEM, SOC processes, and incident response in OT environments.
Language Proficiency
- Fluency in English is required. Additional language skills are a plus.
Other Requirements
- Demonstrated ownership, problem-solving mindset, and a drive for impact.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Experience working within regulated environments and adhering to industry standards.
- Commitment to a safety-first approach in all testing activities.
This is a freelance position based in Dubai, offering the opportunity to work on high-impact projects with leading organizations in the region. RELYzIT Talent is committed to placing elite tech talent in roles that drive innovation and real-world impact.
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