Operations Principal - Network Security Lifecycle

DEFEND; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver 3.5%

Health insurance (Southern Cross)

Mobile & broadband discounts

Flexible hybrid work environment

Home office stipend

EAP services

Wellbeing support

Job summary

DEFEND is seeking a delivery-focused professional to own lifecycle initiatives and release governance across government and enterprise customers. You will lead upgrades, migrations, and platform deployments, coordinating with vendors, engineering teams, and stakeholders to keep systems secure and compliant.

The role emphasizes governance, timely delivery, and strong communication skills to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences while managing complex approvals and testing processes

Qualifications

• Strong project or service delivery experience within network security or similar environments.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives with governance and delivery discipline.
• Experience with release / change management and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong communications skills translating technical concepts for diverse audiences.
• Experience with vendors, licensing, procurement and lifecycle management.
• Organised, proactive and detail-oriented with ownership.

Responsibilities

• Lead security platform upgrades, migrations, deployments and lifecycle initiatives across multiple customer environments during and after business hours.
• Own release management and change governance, ensuring changes are planned, tested and delivered successfully through to closeout.
• Manage CAB approvals, customer testing, communications and execution activities across complex stakeholder groups.
• Drive lifecycle governance, including EOL/EOS planning, platform currency, CVE remediation and technical debt reduction.
• Lead compliance activities, including NZISM assessments, remediation planning and risk management.
• Manage vendor engagement, licensing, procurement and commercial activities supporting lifecycle delivery.
• Build trusted relationships with customers, vendors and engineering teams while leading lifecycle escalations.
• Support datacentre and field delivery activities including logistics, installations and deployments.

Skills

Project delivery

Governance

Stakeholder engagement

Communications

Vendor management

Attention to detail

Job description

At DEFEND, we provide top-tier cyber resilience by developing advanced detection engineering solutions and leveraging expert frontline defence.

This hands-on delivery role leads lifecycle initiatives to ensure customer platforms remain secure, supported, compliant, and operationally effective through upgrades, migrations, technology refreshes and lifecycle management activities across multiple major government and enterprise customers.

Owning release management, change governance, and stakeholder coordination, the role ensures the team stays focused on delivering our products and services.

Requirements

In this role you'll...

• Lead security platform upgrades, migrations, deployments and lifecycle initiatives across multiple customer environments during and after business hours
• Own release management and change governance, ensuring changes are planned, tested and delivered successfully through to closeout
• Manage CAB approvals, customer testing, communications and execution activities across complex stakeholder groups
• Drive lifecycle governance, including EOL/EOS planning, platform currency, CVE remediation and technical debt reduction
• Lead compliance activities, including NZISM assessments, remediation planning and risk management
• Manage vendor engagement, licensing, procurement and commercial activities supporting lifecycle delivery
• Build trusted relationships with customers, vendors and engineering teams while leading lifecycle escalations
• Support datacentre and field delivery activities including logistics, installations and deployments

You’ll bring...

• Strong project or service delivery experience within network security or similar environments
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining strong governance and delivery discipline
• Experience with release / change management and stakeholder engagement
• Strong comms skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Experience with vendors, licensing, procurement and lifecycle management
• A highly organised, proactive and detail-oriented approach with a strong sense of ownership

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 theYear 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 ofcreating a cyber resilient world.

The benefits of working at DEFEND

In addition to workingfor a growing, dynamic NZcompany, DEFEND offers the following benefits to all ourDEFENDers

• 3.5%Kiwisaveron 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 youacross 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.