Data Security Specialist – Microsoft Purview

About the role

The Data Security Specialist will own and evolve the client’s data protection controls using Microsoft Purview and related Microsoft technologies. You will ensure that sensitive healthcare and financial data is classified, protected, monitored and governed in line with POPIA and other regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities

• Design, implement and maintain data security policies in Microsoft Purview, including sensitivity labels, classification schemas, DLP, retention, records management and insider risk controls across M365 workloads.
• Perform data discovery and exposure assessments using a Data Security Posture Management approach, refining protection policies to minimise risk.
• Configure, tune and monitor DLP, information protection and insider‑risk policies; analyse alerts, drive remediation and manage exception processes.
• Integrate Purview with Defender for Cloud Apps, Microsoft Sentinel and the Defender suite to feed data‑security events into broader threat detection and response.
• Collaborate with privacy, legal, risk and business data owners to translate POPIA and sector‑specific regulations into concrete Purview policies.
• Define and report data‑security KPIs such as classified data coverage, DLP incident trends and insider‑risk metrics; support audits and cyber‑security forums.
• Partner with IAM engineers and Azure leads to align AI/Copilot access, cloud data movement and identity‑driven controls with classification requirements.
• Develop user guidance, training material and incident‑response playbooks for DLP exceptions.
• Contribute to AI security governance by extending Purview controls to AI‑enabled workloads.

Required profile

• 4–8+ years of experience in data security, information protection, compliance or privacy within a Microsoft 365/Azure environment.
• Hands‑on experience designing and operating Purview DLP, sensitivity labels and data classification in a regulated industry (financial services, healthcare or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of POPIA and its practical implications for data classification, processing and breach notification.

Required skills

• Microsoft Purview
• Microsoft 365
• Azure
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
• Sensitivity Labels
• Data Classification
• Defender for Cloud Apps
• Microsoft Sentinel
• Microsoft Defender suite
• AI/Copilot integration
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)