DevOps Expert*

Akamai WAF Subject Matter Expert Outside IR35 Up to £600 per day . London based – hybrid ole Overview: We are seeking an experienced Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Akamai Web Application Firewall (WAF) to join our information security team. You will be responsible for the end-to-end management, optimization, and strategic oversight of Akamai WAF solutions, ensuring robust protection for our web applications in a highly regulated insurance environment. This is a hands-on technical role with a strong consultative and collaborative element. Key Responsibilities: Design, implement, configure, and maintain Akamai WAF policies and rulesets to protect public-facing applications against evolving web threats. Analyse web behaviour and performance, establishing baselines and thresholds for application security and availability. Lead the onboarding of new web services onto the Akamai WAF platform, including transitions from monitoring to enforcement modes. Perform ongoing policy tuning and rule optimization to minimize false positives and maximize legitimate traffic flow. Monitor, investigate, and respond to WAF alerts, logs, and incidents, including vulnerability identification and mitigation. Collaborate with IT, DevOps, and business teams to integrate WAF controls seamlessly across on-premises and cloud environments. Ensure compliance with internal security policies, insurance industry regulations, and audit requirements. Document configurations, standards, and best practices; provide training and guidance to team members. Stay abreast of the latest security threats and Akamai platform updates, advising on improvements and emerging best practices. Essential Skills & Experience: Extensive hands-on experience with Akamai WAF (Kona Site Defender) in large-scale, regulated environments (preferably financial or insurance sectors). Deep knowledge of web application security principles, OWASP Top 10, and DDoS mitigation. Proficient in designing and tuning WAF rules, managing false positives, and integrating with DevOps/CI-CD pipelines. Strong understanding of network security architectures (firewalls, proxies, DNS, DMZ). Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and hybrid deployments. Familiarity with regulatory frameworks relevant to insurance and financial services (e.g., Lloyd’s, PRA, FSA) is highly desirable. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences. Experience with Akamai APIs for automation and reporting is a plus. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field (or equivalent experience). Relevant certifications (e.g., Akamai Certified Professional, CISSP, CISM, or similar) are advantageous.