Practice Lead, Cybersecurity

CGIAR is seeking a Practice Lead for Cybersecurity in Abu Dhabi, responsible for developing and implementing a global cybersecurity strategy to protect its digital assets and operations. The role involves managing cyber risks, ensuring compliance, and collaborating with various CGIAR Centers to embed secure practices. The position reports to the Chief Digital Transformation Officer and is critical for CGIAR's digital transformation efforts in the agrifood systems sector.
Reports to: Chief Digital Transformation Officer


Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates


Grade: SO7 / CG12
Date Published: 13 May 2025


Closing Date for Applications: 4 June 2025 at 16:00 CEST


About CGIAR CGIAR is a global research partnership for a foodsecure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is conducted closely with hundreds of partners including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the private sector.
About the Position CGIAR’s Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) part of its P25 portfolio is driving the digital transformation of CGIAR and its mission. With strong institutional and human capacity, the DTA aims to harness the power of AI, ML, LLMs, robotics, data science and cybersecurity to create global public goods critical to the agrifood systems (AFS) that enable smallholder farmers to benefit from the digital revolution, paving the way for a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive transformation of smallholder production systems.
A key enabler of the DTA is strategic partnerships with leading technology companies and experts. The UAE Presidential Court has pledged support for the establishment of the CGIAR AI Hub in Abu Dhabi (Hub). The Hub will provide essential AI/ML data cyber security capacities to CGIAR’s science programs, CGIAR Centers, partners and technology actors in the global tech ecosystem offering direct access to key players in the global technology ecosystem.


Through collaborative efforts the Hub will codevelop, amongst others, agriculture-specific LLMs and computer vision-assisted phenotyping approaches.


As CGIAR deepens its digital transformation, cybersecurity is mission‑critical to protecting the trust, integrity and resilience of its research data and operations. Operating at the institutional level and reporting to the Chief Digital Transformation Officer, the Practice Lead Cybersecurity is CGIAR’s senior‑most authority on cybersecurity responsible for safeguarding the organization’s digital assets, infrastructure, and systems across its global operations.


The Practice Lead
Cybersecurity will lead the development and implementation of CGIAR’s global cybersecurity strategy, ensuring robust governance, risk management and compliance frameworks are in place to protect both science and operational systems.


Based in Abu Dhabi, the Practice Lead Cybersecurity will collaborate closely with CGIAR Centers, science programs and enabling functions to embed secure‑by‑design principles, build system‑wide cyber resilience and establish a Center of Excellence on Cybersecurity to support best practices, capacity building and continuous improvement.


Key Responsibilities Lead the development and implementation of CGIAR’s institutional cybersecurity strategy ensuring alignment with CGIAR’s digital transformation agenda and enterprise risk management frameworks. Proactively manage system‑wide cyber risks, including threat intelligence, incident response, disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Oversee the implementation of secure‑by‑design principles in all new system rollouts, data initiatives and digital platforms to ensure built‑in resilience from the outset. Lead regular audits and assessments, including penetration testing, vulnerability scans and compliance reviews, in accordance with international standards and donor requirements. Ensure compliance with global data protection and cybersecurity regulations, including GDPR and other regional requirements while upholding CGIAR’s commitments to open science and digital public goods. Engagement Serve as CGIAR’s lead adviser on cybersecurity matters, engaging with institutional leadership, risk committees and internal audit functions to guide strategic decisions on digital risk and resilience. Engage with cybersecurity experts in CGIAR Centres to identify common priorities, develop shared plans and exchange information and share best practices. Represent CGIAR in global cybersecurity and digital trust networks, with particular attention to cybersecurity standards and innovations relevant to research, agriculture and sustainable development domains, contributing to international best practices, partnerships and thought leadership. Delivery Design and oversee a comprehensive cybersecurity governance model for CGIAR’s federated system covering science platforms, enterprise applications, data infrastructure and cloud environments. Establish and lead a CGIAR‑wide Center of Excellence on Cybersecurity, delivering shared services, technical standard