ICT Operations Lead

BLACKROC Recruitment; Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

BLACKROC Recruitment partnered with a well-established Australian business is seeking an ICT Operations Lead to own the Microsoft-based infrastructure and cyber operations. You will lead a small team across Brisbane and Auckland, shaping security controls and future technology investments.

This hands-on leadership role requires staying close to the technology while delivering governance and strong service delivery across Australia and New Zealand.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience in senior systems or infrastructure engineering roles.
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Intune and related tech.
• Practical cyber security operations experience across Defender and incident response.

Responsibilities

• Own the Microsoft infrastructure and cyber operations across Australia and New Zealand.
• Lead day-to-day cyber security operations, vulnerability management and monitoring.
• Manage core infrastructure, identity, endpoints, networking and backups.
• Lead ICT Support Specialists and coordinate with external providers.
• Review architecture, drive improvements and govern operational standards.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud infrastructure

Cyber security operations

Stakeholder communication

Tools

Microsoft 365

Azure

Entra ID

Intune

Exchange Online

Job description

BLACKROC has partnered with a well-established, privately owned Australian business with operations across Australia and New Zealand.

They’re a financially secure, family-owned organisation with a diverse operational footprint spanning corporate offices, manufacturing, distribution and regional locations.

The business is investing in its ICT function, strengthening internal capability and improving how its technology environment is managed, secured and supported.

We’re looking for an experienced ICT Operations Lead to take ownership of the organisation’s infrastructure and cyber operations, lead a small support team and help shape the future direction of its technology environment.

This is a hands-on technical leadership position, ideally suited to a Senior Systems Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer or Technical Lead who enjoys remaining close to the technology while taking on broader ownership and leadership responsibilities.

The Opportunity

You’ll be responsible for an environment supporting approximately 220 users across six main sites and several smaller regional locations throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The infrastructure is predominantly Microsoft cloud-based, with some remaining on-premises systems supporting hybrid identity, legacy applications and backups.

The existing environment is well established, particularly around Microsoft infrastructure and cyber security. However, there’s a genuine opportunity to review the architecture, improve operational processes, strengthen security controls and influence future technology decisions.

You’ll report directly to the Head of ICT and lead two ICT Support Specialists based in Brisbane and Auckland, while working alongside other technical specialists and external service providers.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Taking ownership of the Microsoft infrastructure environment, including Azure, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune and Exchange Online.
• Managing core infrastructure, identity, endpoints, networking, connectivity, cloud services and backup systems.
• Leading day-to-day cyber security operations, including Microsoft Defender, Conditional Access, vulnerability management, security monitoring and incident response.
• Working closely with the outsourced MDR/SOC provider to maintain and continually improve the organisation’s security posture.
• Reviewing the existing infrastructure architecture, identifying opportunities for improvement and recommending future technology investments.
• Improving security visibility, control measurement, vulnerability remediation and operational governance.
• Overseeing disaster recovery, business continuity, backup testing and infrastructure resilience.
• Leading and developing two ICT Support Specialists, ensuring reliable support and effective service delivery.
• Managing external technology providers, including networking, cyber security and infrastructure partners.
• Improving documentation, processes, operational standards and the overall maturity of the ICT function.

What We’re Looking For

Ideally, you’ll come from a strong systems or infrastructure engineering background, with solid experience across Microsoft technologies and cyber security operations.

You’ll need to be comfortable taking ownership of an environment rather than simply escalating issues or relying on others to make technical decisions.

We’re particularly interested in candidates who bring:

• Strong hands-on experience in senior systems or infrastructure engineering roles.
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Intune and associated infrastructure technologies.
• Practical cyber security operations experience across Defender, Conditional Access, vulnerability management, endpoint security and incident response.
• Experience working with outsourced MDR/SOC providers and managing security-related incidents.
• A sound understanding of networking, firewalls, LAN/WAN, VPNs and connectivity across multiple locations.
• Experience with backup, disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
• Previous experience leading, mentoring or managing technical support staff.
• The ability to manage external providers and hold them accountable for service delivery.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Experience with Microsoft Purview, security compliance frameworks or operational technology environments would be advantageous, but isn’t essential.

Above all, we’re looking for someone pragmatic, technically capable and comfortable taking responsibility. Someone who enjoys improving how things work, can bring structure to an environment and doesn’t need a large team around them to get things done.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Take responsibility for a broad Microsoft infrastructure and cyber environment across Australia and New Zealand.
• Lead an infrastructure architecture review and help determine future investment and improvement priorities.
• Build on an established security environment while improving vulnerability management, controls and operational maturity.
• Remain hands-on while developing a small team and improving service delivery.
• Join a privately owned organisation with long-term plans and continued investment in ICT.
• Work with an experienced Head of ICT who values autonomy, accountability, sensible processes and a collaborative, low-ego culture.
• Very limited historical after-hours requirements, with flexible working arrangements following probation.

Hybrid

Five days onsite during probation, transitioning to three days in the office (Tuesday–Thursday) and two days working from home.

Travel

Occasional travel to other Australian and New Zealand locations.

Start date

January 2027

Please note

Applicants must have full and unrestricted Australian working rights. Visa sponsorship is not available, now or in the future.

At BLACKROC Recruitment, we are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We welcome applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those with lived experiences.

If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to reach out to the BLACKROC Consultant.