Manager - Cyber Defence Strategy

Overview

Join GHD, a worldwide professional services organisation focused on engineering, architecture, environment, and advisory functions, as the Manager of Cyber Defence Strategy and Operations. This strategic and operational leadership role is key to directing GHD's cybersecurity posture, ensuring resilience and governance in an evolving threat landscape including AI security considerations. Based in Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane, this position reports directly to executive leadership and the Board Risk Committee.

Key Responsibilities

• Steer the multi-year enterprise cybersecurity strategy and develop the target-state security architecture.
• Advocate and communicate GHD's cybersecurity risk profile to the CTO, IS Leadership Team, and Board Risk Committee.
• Establish specialist sub-teams such as security architecture, vulnerability management, and cyber governance to support and extend Security Operations Centre functions.
• Manage the enterprise-wide vulnerability management programme ensuring timely and coordinated remediation with accountable ownership.
• Lead incident response efforts for significant cybersecurity events, coordinating collaboration across IT, Legal, HR, and Communications departments.
• Define and oversee the Zero Trust security programme across Azure, identity, and endpoint ecosystems.
• Govern GHD’s AI security stance, addressing agentic systems, non-human identities, and shadow AI risks.
• Ensure compliance readiness for frameworks like CMMC Level 2 and FedRAMP to support US Federal client engagements.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Over 12 years of experience in cybersecurity, including demonstrated leadership in building and managing specialist security functions beyond solely operating a SOC, preferably within large or multinational environments.
• In-depth knowledge spanning security strategy, operations, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and architecture encompassing cloud platforms (with emphasis on Azure), endpoints, networks, identities, applications, and data protection.
• Expertise in Zero Trust models and proficiency with Microsoft security tools including Defender, Sentinel, Entra ID, and Purview.
• Practical familiarity with regulatory and certification frameworks such as CMMC Level 2, FedRAMP, ASD Essential Eight, ISO 27001, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
• Successful history of guiding organisations through regulatory certifications and effectively presenting cyber risk matters to executives and boards.
• Experience commanding incident response and implementing enterprise security standards while maintaining collaborative stakeholder relationships.
• Certifications such as CISSP or CISM are mandatory; CMMC Registered Practitioner or Professional and Microsoft SC-100 or AZ-500 credentials are highly valued.

Why This Role is Valuable

• Lead a global cybersecurity function with direct influence and reporting access to the CTO and Board Risk Committee.
• Opportunity to design and grow a specialised cybersecurity team and develop enterprise-wide security architecture and strategy.
• Contribute to business growth by enabling security certifications that open federal client markets.
• Define AI security strategies at a critical period for threat evolution.
• Operate within GHD’s strategic imperative “We Master Technology” under its 2035 vision, impacting multiple continents.

Additional Information

GHD promotes hybrid work models to balance flexibility, well-being, productivity, and collaboration. The company values diversity and encourages applications from all backgrounds including Indigenous peoples and varied identities. GHD is committed to equal opportunity employment and an inclusive recruitment process.