Senior Cybersecurity Operations Specialist

About the Role

DEFEND is dedicated to delivering exceptional cyber resilience through precision-engineered solutions and expert frontline defense. In the role of Senior Cybersecurity Operations Specialist, you will provide in-depth monitoring, investigation, and response services to safeguard client environments, enhance operational efficiency, and mentor teammates utilizing your experience, judgement, and advanced technical expertise.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate across internal departments and stakeholders to deliver top-tier security services.
• Continuously monitor security alerts and events to detect potential threats and evolving risks.
• Conduct thorough alert triage, detailed investigations, and analyses to determine threat severity, impact, and necessary response steps.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for handling complex or high-risk security incidents.
• Analyze threat scope and impacts, document findings precisely, and integrate threat intelligence for actionable insights.
• Contribute to the creation and refinement of client-facing reports and operational documentation of exceptional quality.
• Support major incident response processes, including participation in post-incident reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide mentorship and share knowledge with other analysts to elevate overall team performance and consistency.
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation ensuring fast and effective response during critical events.
• Maintain meticulous records of all security monitoring and incident response activities.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated expertise in threat detection methodologies.
• Proven experience in handling incident response scenarios.
• Background in threat intelligence gathering and proactive threat hunting.
• Strong skills in report writing and comprehensive documentation.
• Excellent communication abilities tailored for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Effective investigative and remediation skills.
• Team-oriented mindset with a willingness to assist and uplift colleagues.

Technical Proficiencies

• Microsoft Defender platform
• Microsoft Sentinel SIEM tool
• Kusto Query Language (KQL) for log analysis
• Alert analysis, scripting, and automation capabilities
• Professional report writing

Employee Benefits and Culture

DEFEND strives to forge a cyber resilient world, empowering daily life improvements through security. Recognized as Microsoft's Global Partner of the Year for 2025, DEFEND is rapidly growing with a diverse portfolio of clients. We foster a collaborative culture focused on employee development, career progression, and inclusive innovation.

• Additional 3.5% contribution to KiwiSaver on top of base salary
• Comprehensive Southern Cross Health Insurance coverage
• Discounts on mobile and broadband services for employees and their families
• Flexible hybrid working environment
• Home office setup allowance
• Access to Employee Assistance Programs addressing various wellbeing needs

Diversity and Inclusion

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply, even if some criteria are unmet. We believe in fostering a thriving environment for all team members.

Additional Information

Position includes participation in a 24/7 on-call rotation to ensure timely incident response. Location: Wellington, New Zealand.