Cyber Defense Architect & Principal Engineer

Southern Cross Healthcare; Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & wellbeing

Flexible working arrangements

Competitive rewards

Employee network access

Job summary

Southern Cross Healthcare is seeking a Principal Cyber Security Engineer to lead security operations, threat detection and incident response for New Zealand’s largest healthcare network. You’ll guide security engineering initiatives across cloud, on‑premises and modern platforms, while mentoring engineers and coordinating complex responses to incidents.

You will influence security standards, advance automation with AI-aware practices, and drive improvements in detection, response and

Qualifications

• Extensive cyber security experience across security operations, incident response and threat detection.
• Senior technical leader with mentoring experience and ability to influence across teams.
• Hands-on experience with modern security tooling and cloud-native security.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps and infrastructure as code practices.
• Knowledge of cyber defence frameworks and threat intelligence.
• Credentials such as CISSP, CISM, or other relevant certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and shape security operations, threat detection, incident response and vulnerability management.
• Drive security engineering initiatives across complex environments and critical systems.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to security engineers and analysts.
• Oversee on-call responses during significant cybersecurity incidents.

Skills

Threat hunting

Incident response

Security operations

Security engineering

Cloud security

Automation & AI security

MITRE ATT&CK

Education

Cyber security degree or related field

Tools

SIEM

XDR/EDR

SOAR

Identity security

Endpoint security

Network security

Microsoft security suite

Palo Alto Networks platforms

Job description

Southern Cross Healthcare is seeking a Principal Cyber Security Engineer to lead security operations, threat detection and incident response for New Zealand’s largest healthcare network. You’ll guide security engineering initiatives across cloud, on‑premises and modern platforms, while mentoring engineers and coordinating complex responses to incidents.

You will influence security standards, advance automation with AI-aware practices, and drive improvements in detection, response and