Senior Cybersecurity Advisor

About Us | Mō mātou 

At Enterprise Digital Services | Te Pūnaha Matihiko, we’re all about making it easier for people, communities, and government to connect in a secure, smart, future‑focused way. We help lift digital capability across the public sector and make sure Aotearoa continues to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

The role | Te tūnga 

We’re seeking a sharp, forward‑thinking Senior Cybersecurity Advisor to help shape and strengthen our organisation’s security posture. In this role, you’ll be a trusted expert guiding strategy, driving critical initiatives, and advising leaders on emerging threats and business‑critical risks.

The Senior Cybersecurity Advisor provides expert guidance on operational cybersecurity and assurance across the technical delivery landscape, supporting both the wider team and the Department. In this role, you will oversee day‑to‑day operational cybersecurity and drive improvements to processes, vulnerability management and security standards. 

You will also play a key role in reviewing project design documentation, operational handover and acceptance and major change requests; ensuring these align with business goals and enable the safe, secure, and effective delivery of business outcomes.

What You’ll Do:

• Support the Manager, Cybersecurity in the delivery and execution of the cybersecurity strategy
• Provide expert guidance on threat mitigation, risk management, and security best practice.
• Oversee and promote effective vulnerability remediation by ensuring security patching is planned, prioritised, and completed in accordance with risk and organisational standards.
• Partner with technical teams and leaders to translate complex security issues into clear, actionable insights.
• Champion continuous improvement in security capability, maturity, and resilience.
• Stay ahead of evolving threats and emerging technologies to protect what matters most.
• Mentor and support cybersecurity advisors by providing experienced guidance, encouraging critical thinking, and constructively challenging assumptions to ensure balanced, well‑reasoned security decisions that avoid groupthink.

What you bring | Nōu te rourou 

• Deep experience across cybersecurity domains (e.g. governance, risk, assurance, incident response, cloud security).
• Strong communication and stakeholder‑engagement skills with ability to influence at all levels.
• A strategic mindset paired with the ability to get your hands dirty when needed.
• A passion for lifting security culture and empowering others.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity.
• Knowledge and understanding of the New Zealand government’s Protective Security Requirements, New Zealand Information Security Manual, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), ISO/IEC 27001 and other similar frameworks.
• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent knowledge, skills, and experience, and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
• One or more cyber security certifications is desirable, but not essential e.g., CISSP, CEH, SABSA, CCSP, ISO/IEC 27001 or similar.
• Experience with Cloud platforms (Microsoft and AWS) and SaaS would be an advantage.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

For you | Mōu

At the Department of Internal Affairs, we are committed to offering a collaborative and innovative culture where your perspective and ideas will be welcomed. We want our people to thrive within a culture of best practice, while being able to set and achieve goals and being encouraged to challenge the status quo. 

To learn more about the diverse, important mahi we do at the Department and see why we're a great place to work check out our website https://www.dia.govt.nz/

Benefits - About Internal Affairs - Careers with us - Benefits - dia.govt.nz

To review the full job description, please click here

The appointing range for this role $136,502 - $169,869.

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono

We are unable to accept applications via email. Please click the apply button to submit your application.

We're committed to ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. Please reach out to our recruitment team below if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the process is accessible to you.

Applications for this role close Sunday 19 April 2026, 5pm. Please also note that you must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.

If you have any questions, please e-mail: Manager Cybersecurity, Gareth.Hickey@dia.govt.nz