Program Manager

Program Manager required to join Australia's National Research and Education Network (NREN). We connect over one million users—researchers, faculty, staff and students—at institutions across Australia, supporting education and research across a diverse range disciplines including high energy physics, climate science, genomics, radio astronomy and the arts.  We are an organisation of innovators, doers, and courageous thinkers. We are not constrained by traditional products and solutions, and we constantly strive to build the solutions that our customers will need tomorrow – today. If you have the imagination, foresight and drive to build the future why not come and join us? 

About AARNet  

Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet) was established in 1989 and is widely regarded as the founder of the Internet in Australia and renowned as the architect, builder and operator of world-class network infrastructure for research and education.   

We are Australia's National Research and Education Network (NREN). We connect over one million users—researchers, faculty, staff and students—at institutions across Australia, supporting education and research across a diverse range disciplines including high energy physics, climate science, genomics, radio astronomy and the arts.  

Nationally, AARNet interconnects Australian universities, the CSIRO, and other organisations who have a research and education mission, or with whom the education and research sector interacts. These include hospitals, vocational training providers, schools and museums. Internationally, AARNet interconnects the Australian Research and Education (R & E) community to the world – and continuously develops new capabilities and partnerships to facilitate seamless data access and transfer.   

AARNet also offers a suite of supporting applications to our customers. These include network and collaboration services such as CloudStor and Zoom, that enable innovation in the delivery of research and education. 

We are an organisation of innovators, doers, and courageous thinkers. We are not constrained by traditional products and solutions, and we constantly strive to build the solutions that our customers will need tomorrow – today. If you have the imagination, foresight and drive to build the future why not come and join us? 

The Role 

The Cyber Program within AARNet is responsible for delivering a portfolio of security-related projects and services. These initiatives safeguard critical research data, intellectual property, and sensitive information, while enabling new cybersecurity capabilities for our customers across the research and education sector. The Program Manager, Cyber Security will oversee a complex, multi-stakeholder program of work focused on AARNet's Security Services, including the Security Operations Centre and related cybersecurity products. This role is accountable for the end-to-end delivery of cybersecurity initiatives, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned to organisational strategy. 

The individual in this role will be responsible for managing project budgets, sprint planning & scheduling, resource allocation, project execution, risk and issues management, customer and management reporting, presentations, and stakeholder management. 

The successful candidate will work with various team members to plan, execute project related activities, report to stakeholders, and ensure AARNet management has a "single-point of truth" on the status and health of the programme of work. Further, the role will assist in the development and consistent use of AARNet's project management frameworks and engagement models.  

Responsibilities 

• Provide strategic oversight across a portfolio of cybersecurity projects. 
• Drive end-to-end delivery from initiation to post-implementation review. 
• Manage program budgets, reporting, and financial tracking. 
• Develop and maintain program schedules, milestones, and interdependencies. 
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks and issues across the portfolio. 
• Ensure strong stakeholder engagement, including executive, customer, and vendor management. 
• Guide teams through change management processes, ensuring adoption and alignment. 
• Support project managers in applying consistent methodologies, templates, and frameworks. 
• Oversee governance forums, program reporting, and executive updates. 
• Foster collaboration and accountability across internal teams and external partners. 

Expertise, experience & qualifications 

• Strong background in program/project delivery within cybersecurity or IT security services. 
• Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale, complex, multi-stakeholder programs. 
• Experience working with both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, ideally within a PMO. 
• Strong governance, risk, and compliance knowledge in a security context. 
• Proven change management and training experience. 
• Strong communication, facilitation, and presentation skills. 
• Budget management, scheduling, and resource planning expertise. 
• Experience with collaboration tools (Confluence, SharePoint, Jira). 
• Ability to manage competing priorities and influence stakeholders at all levels. 
• IT and Project/Program Management Certifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, MSP, Agile) preferred. 
• Previous experience in business analysis, solutions architecture, or technical leadership advantageous. 
• May require Australia security clearance upon employment 

Important skills 

• Strong technical IT and cybersecurity background. 
• Ability to lead and engage teams across change and transformation journeys. 
• Strong documentation and reporting skills. 
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement and workshop facilitation. 
• Ability to multitask across competing priorities with sound judgement and escalation management. 
• Strong understanding of program and project management methodologies. 

Conditions of employment  

AARNet is committed to diversity and providing equal opportunity to all. We're a great place to work if you want to make a difference.   

AARNet provides competitive remuneration and a host of other benefits including: 

• 17% superannuation; 

• Flexible work options; 

• Options to purchase additional Annual Leave; 

• 2 days paid Women's Wellness Leave per month; 

• 24 weeks paid – Maternity Leave; 

• Welcome back to AARNet superannuation payment – for unpaid Maternity Leave; 

• 4 weeks paid Birth Trauma Leave; 

• 24 weeks paid - Adoption Leave; 

• Welcome back to AARNet superannuation payment – for unpaid Adoption Leave; 

• 16 weeks paid – Paternity Leave; 

• 20 days paid - Family & Domestic Violence Leave; 

• 2 days paid Family Wedding Leave; 

• 4 weeks paid - Death of a Child Leave; 

• 4 weeks paid - Death of a Close Family Member Leave; 

• 5 days paid – Natural Disaster Leave; 

• Strong Equal Opportunity focus;  

• Sector leader in Social Responsibility and Ethics; and 

• A culture and company structure that allows your career to grow with access to leading edge technologies