Operations Lead - Microsoft Cybersecurity

DEFEND; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver 3.5%

Health insurance

Mobile & broadband discounts

Flexible hybrid work

Home office allowance

Employee wellbeing & EAP

Diversity & Inclusion

Job summary

DEFEND in New Zealand is seeking an experienced Operations Lead to manage and optimise the Microsoft security ecosystem for our Managed Services customers. You will lead configuration, governance, and ongoing improvement to maximise value while maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture.

You will engage with customers and internal teams, translate security objectives into practical controls, monitor platform health, and drive incident-response readiness, with a strong focus on Zero Trust,

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of Microsoft cybersecurity products.
• Deep understanding of identity security, device management and Zero Trust.
• Experience designing and implementing Conditional Access and Intune policy.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Balance of operational support with strategic platform improvement.
• Strong documentation, reporting, and governance capabilities.
• Commitment to continuous learning and platform optimisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead administration, configuration, and optimisation of Microsoft security platforms.
• Develop and maintain security baselines, policies, and standards aligned to industry frameworks.
• Drive continuous improvement of DEFEND's security products and services.
• Monitor platform health and performance, proactively identifying improvements.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate security objectives into practical Microsoft controls.
• Analyse emerging capabilities and recommend enhancements for security outcomes.
• Support incident response with platform expertise and control insights.
• Coordinate with engineering, detection, and response teams to ensure controls operate across environments.

Skills

Microsoft security platforms

Identity security & Zero Trust

Conditional Access & Intune policy

Stakeholder engagement

Documentation & governance

Platform optimization

Incident response collaboration

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Operations Lead - Microsoft Cybersecurity

At DEFEND, we provide top-tier cyber resilience through expert security operations, proactive risk reduction, and the effective management of modern security platforms.

Our Microsoft Cybersecurity Operations Lead is responsible for the configuration, optimisation, governance, and operational effectiveness of Microsoft's security ecosystem for our Managed Services customers.

Through strong technical leadership and continuous improvement, they ensure customers maximise value from their Microsoft security investments while maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture.

Requirements

In this role you’ll...

• Lead the administration, configuration, and optimisation of Microsoft security platforms and related technologies.
• Work with the wider DEFEND team to develop and maintain security baselines, policies, and standards aligned to industry frameworks and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement of our products and services that we deliver to our customers.
• Monitor platform health, performance, and effectiveness, proactively identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with customer stakeholders to understand security objectives and translate them into practical Microsoft security controls.
• Analyse emerging platform capabilities and recommend enhancements that improve security outcomes.
• Support incident response activities by providing platform expertise and security control insights.
• Coordinate with engineering, detection, and response teams to ensure security controls operate effectively across customer environments.

You’ll bring…

• Expert knowledge with Microsoft cybersecurity products.
• Deep understanding of identity security, device management, and Zero Trust principles.
• Experience designing and implementing Conditional Access and Intune policy.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Proven ability to balance operational support with strategic platform improvement.
• Strong documentation, reporting, and governance capabilities.
• Commitment to continuous learning and platform optimisation.

Benefits

Our dream at DEFEND is to improve everyday life by creating a cyber resilient world. Over the last few years, we've experienced phenomenal growth, working with a wide variety of customers and winning several industry awards, including Microsoft's Global Partner of the Year for 2025!

Why DEFEND?

We believe in investing in our employees’ growth and providing them with opportunities to advance their skills and careers. We offer a collaborative workplace culture, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where innovative thinking is encouraged.

By joining our innovative and creative team you will have the opportunity to contribute a variety of cybersecurity outcomes, from culture & awareness of cyber resilience, through to offensive & defensive security. No matter what your role, everyone at DEFEND contributes towards our dream of creating a cyber resilient world.

The benefits of working at DEFEND

In addition to working for a growing, dynamic NZ company, DEFEND offers the following benefits to all our DEFENDers

• 3.5% Kiwisaver on top of your base salary

• Southern Cross Health Insurance coverage

• Mobile and Broadband discounts for yourself and family

• Flexible, hybrid work environment

• An allowance to contribute to your home office setup

• Access to EAP services to support you across a range of wellbeing needs

Diversity & Inclusion:

At DEFEND, we celebrate a variety of perspectives and experiences. We know from experience that people from underrepresented groups often don’t apply for roles they don’t feel they meet all the criteria for. We’re committed to creating an environment that enables all our team to thrive. If you think you have what it takes, but don’t check every single box, please consider applying. We’d love to hear how you might contribute to the team and being our next DEFENDer.