Operations Lead - Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)

About the Role

At DEFEND, we specialize in advancing cyber resilience by assisting organisations to continuously assess, validate, prioritise, and mitigate cyber risks. As the CTEM Operations Lead, your primary responsibility is to steer and enhance continuous threat exposure management processes, ensuring our clients maintain clear awareness of their attack surface, comprehend priority risks, and achieve tangible risk reduction results. Your leadership and collaboration with stakeholders will translate exposure insights into actionable security enhancements.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the operational execution of Continuous Threat Exposure Management services tailored to customer environments.
• Oversee vulnerability management, attack surface monitoring, security validation, and risk reduction efforts.
• Analyze exposure trends and data to identify critical risks that require remediation or mitigation to bolster cyber resilience.
• Work with customers to prioritize remediation activities using business risk assessments and threat intelligence.
• Organize validation processes to verify the effectiveness of security controls.
• Prepare both operational and executive-level reports that highlight risk patterns, progress in exposure reduction, and areas for improvement.
• Lead initiatives focused on refining CTEM processes for better efficiency and outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with detection engineering, security operations, governance, risk and compliance teams, and customers to ensure integrated risk management.

Candidate Profile

• In-depth expertise in contemporary CTEM methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with attack surface and exposure management tools and platforms.
• Familiarity with security frameworks and risk-based prioritization methods.
• Capability to articulate technical risks clearly to both technical teams and business leaders.
• Experience in developing operational workflows and reporting systems.
• Strong skills in stakeholder engagement and customer relationship management.
• A driven attitude toward continuous enhancements and achieving measurable security objectives.

Benefits and Company Culture

DEFEND aspires to shape a cyber resilient world that improves daily life. Experiencing remarkable expansion, we serve a diverse clientele and have earned accolades such as Microsoft's Global Partner of the Year for 2025. Working at DEFEND means opportunities for professional growth, a supportive and inclusive workplace culture that fosters innovation, and the chance to impact cybersecurity outcomes across the spectrum, from cultural awareness to technical security measures.

• Additional 3.5% KiwiSaver contributions beyond your salary.
• Coverage through Southern Cross Health Insurance.
• Discounted mobile and broadband plans for employees and their families.
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.
• Allowances to support home office setup.
• Access to employee assistance programs for diverse wellbeing support.

Diversity and Inclusion

We value a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds, recognizing that applicants from underrepresented groups may have concerns about fitting every listed qualification. We encourage all who believe they can contribute to apply and become part of our inclusive team, helping us create a cyber resilient future.