Head of Information Security

MAS - Medical Assurance Society; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

KiwiSaver 6%

Job summary

MAS - Medical Assurance Society seeks an experienced security leader to shape cyber security, data protection and resilience for the organisation. Reporting to the CTO, you will guide security strategy, drive maturity, and partner with risk, legal and the Board.

The role spans multiple NZ offices (Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch) and requires building a high-performing team, aligning policy with business goals and enabling innovation while protecting Members.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading information/cyber security programmes at scale.
• Proven ability to influence executives and boards on risk.
• Strong knowledge of governance frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2).
• Experience in regulated environments such as financial services or technology.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver MAS's Security and Data Protection Strategy.
• Drive maturity initiatives and foster a security culture across the organisation.
• Lead cyber resilience, security operations and incident response capability.
• Strengthen data protection, information management and DLP practices.
• Establish security governance frameworks and risk oversight for regulatory/compliance obligations.
• Manage third-party and supply chain security risks with external partners.
• Support secure adoption of cloud and emerging tech including AI.
• Provide trusted security advice and reporting to Executive and Board.
• Lead and develop a small team while building security capability across the business.

Skills

Info security

Cyber security

Executive stakeholder mgmt

Governance frameworks

Strategy leadership

Regulatory compliance

Cloud security

Tools

Azure

AWS

Job description

About the Company

MAS is a New Zealand-owned mutual insurer and investment company. Because we're owned by our Members rather than shareholders, we're focused on doing what's right for our Members, our people and our communities.

About the Role

Security is evolving faster than ever, and so are we. At MAS, we're looking for an experienced and influential security leader to shape our cyber security, information protection and resilience capability for the future. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you'll lead our information security strategy, drive cyber maturity across the organisation and help ensure security remains an enabler of innovation, growth and exceptional Member outcomes. This is a highly visible leadership role, working closely with the Executive team and Board while leading a small team and partnering across technology, risk, legal, compliance and the wider business. If you're excited by influencing enterprise-wide change and building a modern security capability, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

This position can be based in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver MAS's Security and Data Protection Strategy
• Drive security maturity initiatives and foster a strong security culture across the organisation
• Lead cyber resilience, security operations and incident response capability
• Strengthen information management, data protection and data loss prevention practices
• Establish security governance frameworks and provide security risk oversight, ensuring regulatory, legal and compliance obligations are effectively managed
• Manage third-party, supplier and security supply chain risks, including oversight of external security providers and key technology partners
• Support the secure adoption of cloud and emerging technologies, including AI
• Provide trusted security advice and reporting to Executive and Board stakeholders
• Lead and develop a small team while building security capability across the wider business

Qualifications

We're looking for a leader who has successfully guided organisations through a security maturity journey and knows how to influence change through people, communication and leadership.

Required Skills

• Significant experience in information security, cyber security, technology risk or security leadership roles
• Experience working within complex organisations, ideally in financial services, technology, SaaS, telecommunications, government or other regulated environments
• Proven experience engaging with Executive teams, Boards and governance forums
• Strong knowledge of security and governance frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001 and SOC 2
• Experience leading enterprise security strategy, governance and organisational uplift programmes
• Strong understanding of information management, data protection, risk management and regulatory obligations
• Experience managing third-party providers, supplier risk and security supply chain controls
• Experience with cloud security including Azure and/or AWS
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences alike
• The ability to operate strategically while remaining effective in operational delivery and execution
• Willingness to travel as required

Preferred Skills

We're particularly interested in hearing from leaders who have helped organisations improve security capability, uplift culture and navigate meaningful change while balancing risk, business objectives and customer outcomes.

Backed by a range of benefits, including Health and Life Insurance and 6% KiwiSaver.

When you join MAS, you'll be part of a team that's motivated to make a difference, focused on achieving great outcomes for our Members and building a stronger mutual, guided by our values: Make a Difference, In It Together and Own It, Do It, supportive, inclusive and committed to helping people thrive.