Senior Cyber Security Officer

Join us to make a difference for all students in NSW

Position details

• Clerk Grade 9/10
• Ongoing, full time role
• Close to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements available

About the role

We are seeking a skilled Senior Cyber Security Officer to join NESA's growing Cyber Security team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in strengthening security operations and protecting critical information assets across the organisation.

In this role, you will lead a multi-disciplinary team, provide expert advice on emerging threats, and drive initiatives that uplift NESA's cyber security maturity. You'll also work closely with stakeholders across the organisation, providing technical guidance, influencing decision-making, and embedding best practice frameworks to ensure compliance and resilience.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated cyber security leader who enjoys building capability, improving processes, and driving meaningful change in a collaborative environment.

On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for:

• Leading the delivery of information and cyber security initiatives and uplift projects.
• Providing expert advice, support, and investigation during incident response.
• Guiding staff in producing actionable intelligence and reporting on emerging threats.
• Developing processes within the security operations area to strengthen resilience.
• Providing technical guidance on security frameworks and system hardening (NIST, OSINT, OWASP).
• Reviewing security risks and recommending enhancements to controls and practices.
• Collaborating with senior stakeholders to ensure compliance, legal, and regulatory requirements are met.
• Preparing briefs, submissions, and reports to support the timely delivery of cyber security initiatives.
• Coaching, mentoring, and developing a team of specialists.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Demonstrated ability to lead cyber security initiatives in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Strong experience developing processes and delivering uplift projects in security operations.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders.
• A collaborative approach, with experience working effectively across teams and functions.
• Strong knowledge of security frameworks, policies, and risk management methodologies.
• Experience in incident response, vulnerability assessment, and providing technical guidance.

Essential requirements

• Extensive experience working within a cyber security role.
• Experience with NIST, ISO27001, or ISM and strong stakeholder management skills.
• Good understanding of infrastructure level technologies.
• Good knowledge of security policy framework, risk management methodology, process, IT risk management systems, tools, and conducting security risk assessments.
• Experience in performing high level analysis, review and support the planning and management of security projects.

For further information on this role, we invite you to download the role description.

About us

At the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) we work with the NSW community to drive improvements in student achievement.

We achieve this by supporting all school sectors with high-quality syllabuses, assessment (including managing the HSC and NAPLAN), teaching standards (e.g., accrediting teachers) and school environments (including setting and monitoring school standards).

To find out more about the important work we do for NSW visit our website.

Ready to join us?

Select apply and attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages). Also address the 2 targeted questions below in your online application:

1. Can you describe a time when you developed or improved a process within a security operations environment? How did you ensure the solution was effective, and what impact did it have on the organisation's overall cyber resilience?
2. This role requires leading uplift projects and working collaboratively with stakeholders outside your directorate. Can you provide an example of how you successfully influenced or engaged others to support a cyber security initiative, particularly in a complex or high-pressure environment?

Advice on applying for NSW Public Sector roles

If you need reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and workplace, please reach out to the contact person above.

Close date: Thursday, 9 October at 11.59pm AEST

Thank you for your interest, we look forward to receiving your application.

Important information

We particularly welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people of all ages, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans and refugees.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For ongoing roles, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Australian Temporary Residents may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.

A Talent Pool (valid for 18 months) may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles.