Cyber Defense Incident Responder - Associate Director

Ernst & Young Advisory Services Sdn Bhd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Wellness incentive

8 weeks flex leave per year

26 weeks parental leave

Job summary

EY Australia seeks a Senior Cyber Incident Response Coordinator to lead global incident management and coordinate complex investigations across teams, vendors, and leadership. You will be accountable for incident coordination, communication, and cross-border collaboration to protect EY’s information assets.

The role demands advanced skills in incident response, forensics, and post-event analysis, with a focus on continuous improvement and risk reduction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in CS/IS/Engineering or equivalent
• 10+ years in information security/related roles
• 5+ years in SOC/Threat Intelligence/Detection Engineering/related roles
• 3+ years in DFIR or incident coordination
• Expertise in cybersecurity incident response, forensics, chain-of-custody and legal/regulatory aspects

Responsibilities

• Coordinate complex global cybersecurity incident responses
• Liaise with GC, Data Privacy and Risk Management contacts
• Drive integration with other incident management programs
• Manage critical CIS projects as directed by leadership
• Mentor junior team members in incident response
• Develop processes for scalable incident response and continuous improvement

Skills

Incident response lifecycle

Global incident coordination

Communication skills

Diplomacy and decision-making

Leadership / mentorship

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science/Information Systems/Engineering

Tools

SIEM (Sentinel)

Azure cloud management

Forensic tools

Job description

Location: Sydney

Other locations: Anywhere in Country

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.

Join EY and help to build a better working world.

Technology has always been at the heart of what we do and deliver at EY. We need technology to keep an organization the size of ours working efficiently. We have 250,000 people in more than 140 countries, all of whom rely on secure technology to be able to do their job every single day. Everything from the laptops we use, to the ability to work remotely on our mobile devices and connecting our people and our clients, to enabling hundreds of internal tools and external solutions delivered to our clients. Technology solutions are integrated in the client services we deliver and is key to us being more innovative as an organization.

EY Technology supports our technology needs through three business units:

Client Technology (CT) - focuses on developing new technology services for our clients. It enables EY to identify new technology-based opportunities faster and pursue those opportunities more rapidly.

Enterprise Workplace Technology (EWT) – EWT supports our Core Business Services functions and will deliver fit-for-purpose technology infrastructure at the cheapest possible cost for quality services. EWT will also support our internal technology needs by focusing on a better user experience.

Information Security (InfoSec) - InfoSec prevents, detects, responds, and mitigates cybersecurity risk, protecting EY and client data, and our information management systems.

The opportunity

The Cyber & Investigative Services (CIS) Senior Cyber Incident Response Coordinator will exercise exemplary incident management techniques to coordinate incident response to cybersecurity events or incidents stemming from suspected threats on a global scale. Candidates for the role must have an exceptional comprehension of cybersecurity incident response plans and coordination of activities, establish and foster relationships on a global scale, and have superb verbal and written communication skills. Additionally, candidates must have a sense of diplomacy, ability to anticipate obstacles, and decision-making skills to handle the fast-paced world of cybersecurity incident management. Advanced skills in cybersecurity incident response, incident management, chain-of-custody, forensics, cybersecurity event analysis, and hands-on cybersecurity/digital-forensics skills are required.

Your key responsibilities

• Independently coordinate complex response efforts to global cybersecurity incidents caused by external threats that may involve nontraditional working hours
• Serve as a liaison and relationship manager to different businesses and interface with fellow team members and colleagues on other Information Security teams, as well as manage relationships with business partners, management, vendors, and external parties
• Establish, foster, and maintain relationships with General Counsel, Data Privacy/Protection, and Risk Management key contacts
• Drive and manage integration with other corporate incident management programs to ensure consistency and alignment with peer support teams within IT
• Oversee critical Cyber & Investigative Services projects as directed by leadership
• Serve as a counselor and manager for junior members of the Cyber Incident Response team
• Lead process and documentation development and improvements by the Cyber & Investigative Services team
• Develop and document processes to ensure consistent and scalable response operations, and ensure continuous improvement to the firm’s global cybersecurity incident response plan
• Independently, as well as upon request, develop and deliver metrics to leadership relevent to the operational improvement of the cybersecurity incident response process
• Responsible for reporting upon team’s performance and deficiencies in order to identify areas for improvement, as well as institute programs for correction or enhancement
• Draft communications and ensure timely reports/updates to leadership for their own cases and the cases of those reporting to them during and after an event/incident
• Own and/or oversee process and corresponding documenation
• Must be willing to be on-call off hours in rotation with other team members (Required)

Skills and attributes for success

• An exceptional comprehension of the incident response lifecycle in theory and practice
• The ability to coordinate high-profile, complex, and global cybersecurity incidents from the point of incident declaration through resolution
• Drive cybersecurity incident gap identification and post incident lesson’s learned efforts to resolution
• Have comprehensive knowledge in all domains of Information Security and associated technologies in the support of collaboration with partnering teams, eradication, and remediation efforts in support of cybersecurity incidents, and appropriate identification and assignment of gaps identified during response efforts
• Comfortable managing through ambiguity, making thoughtful and sound judgments during stressful environments
• Analyze findings in investigative matters, and develop fact-based reports
• Ability to identify and articulate opportunities for improvement while driving lessons learned activities
• Demonstrated integrity and judgment within a professional environment
• Inquisitive approach to analysis and peer review
• Application of emotional intelligence and calm under pressure
• Ability to appropriately balance work/personal priorities
• Talent management of direct reports with empathy and patience, while developing them professionally
• Exemplary presentation and communication skills across differing mediums, including written and verbal communication

To qualify for the role, you must have

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience
• Experience:
  • 10+ years’ collective experience between the following roles:
    • Information Security Professional
    • Information System Administration/Engineering
  • 5+ years’ collective experience between the following roles:
    • Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst/Manager
    • Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity Detection Engineering
    • Other relevant Cyber Defense functions
    • Attack & Penetration Testing (Active Defense)
    • eDiscovery or related role performing forensic functions
  • 3+ years’ collective experience between the following roles:
    • Cybersecurity Digital Forensics Incident Response (DFIR) Analyst/Manager
    • Cybersecurity Incident Coordinator
  • Intricate understanding of security threats, vulnerabilities, and incident response
  • Mastery of electronic investigation, forensic tools, and methodologies, including: log correlation and analysis, forensically handling electronic data, knowledge of the computer security investigative processes, malware identification and analysis
  • Familiarity, understanding, and comfort navigating legalities surrounding electronic-discovery/collection and analysis of digital evidence
  • Understanding of network topography and protocols
  • Understanding-of and adaptability-to regulatory stipulations regarding security incidents on a global scale
  • Experience in operationalizing automation to support process efficiency
  • Experience with SIEM technologies (i.e. Sentinel), cloud-based management and investigation consoles (i.e. Azure), and other Digital Forensics analysis tools
  • Deep understanding of both Windows and Unix/Linux based operating systems, and adaptability to easily and quickly respond to previously unknown interfaces/operating systems/consoles, as well as non-standard devices (i.e. kiosks, IoT devices, mobile phones, etc.)

Ideally, you’ll also

• Candidates must hold or be willing to pursue related professional certifications such as GCFE, GCFA, GCIH, CISA, CISM, CISSP, or CCIM

What we look for

• Demonstrated the highest level of integrity in a professional environment
• Ability and experienced in working independently
• Have a global mind-set for working with different cultures and backgrounds, while fostering and building lasting relationships
• Extremely knowledgeable in business industry standard security incident response process, procedures, and life-cycle
• Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail
• Excellent teaming and management skills
• Excellent social, communication, and writing skills

What we offer you

At EY, we’ll fuel you and your extraordinary talents in a diverse and inclusive culture of globally connected teams. We’re proud to be recognised as the #1 WORK180 Endorsed Employer in the Top 101 Employers for Women 2026. Learn more .

Career development: At EY, your career is yours to shape! We’ll develop you with future-focused skills and equip you with world-class experiences ey.com/au/careerdevelopment

Flexible work arrangements: Our flexible work policies empower you to balance your professional and personal life, fostering a culture of trust and autonomy.

A comprehensive benefits package : From a yearly wellness incentive, to access to additional 8 weeks of flex leave per year, and family-friendly policies, including 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave, we cater to your diverse needs to help you thrive both personally and professionally www.ey.com/au/benefits

Salary: We offer a competitive salary which is open to negotiation pending on skills and experience .

Acknowledgement of Country

EY acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which EY offices are located around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures, and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. Find out more about our vision for reconciliation at ey.com/en_au/careers/indigenous

Inclusiveness is core to who we are and how we work together, driving value for our people and for our business. We encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, cultures, sexual orientations, and gender identities and are committed to providing an equitable and barrier free recruitment experience for all. We encourage you to share any support and adjustments you need to be your best and participate equitably in our recruitment process. We understand sharing your needs with us can be daunting, so if you have questions before or during your application, we welcome you to get in touch at [e-mail] or [phone] (option 2). Anything you tell us will be kept completely confidential.

EY | Building a better working world

Our preferred applicant will be required to undertake employment screening by EY or our external third-party provider.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.