Principal Detection and Response Engineer

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Wellington; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks annual leave

Income Protection and Critical Illness

Professional development and career成长

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) seeks three Principal Engineers, Detection and Response to enhance the cyber defence capability through advanced threat detection, threat hunting and incident response. You’ll work across SIEM, XDR and EDR platforms to strengthen detection, reduce time to detect threats and protect critical services from cyber risk.

This senior role blends hands-on engineering, technical leadership and tactical response.

Qualifications

• Senior detection engineering across SIEM/XDR/EDR platforms.
• Investigate suspicious activity and hunt threats using telemetry and threat intel.
• Apply threat insights to improve detections; MITRE ATT&CK familiarity is beneficial.
• Experience using automation or scripting to improve security workflows; SOAR experience advantageous.
• Provide technical guidance and review detection content to strengthen practices.

Responsibilities

• Design, tune and maintain detection rules, correlation logic and behavioural analytics.
• Lead threat hunting activities and translate threat intelligence into actionable detection content.
• Identify detection coverage gaps and drive continuous improvement across the detection capability.
• Develop automation, SOAR playbooks and response workflows to improve security operations.
• Set quality standards and validate detection content before deployment.
• Provide specialist expertise for security tool and platform evaluations.
• Act as a tactical responder for significant cyber incidents, supporting containment, eradication and recovery actions.

Skills

Detection engineering

SIEM/XDR/EDR experience

Threat hunting

Automation scripting

Incident response

Threat intelligence

Education

GCDA/GCIA/GCIH certifications

Tools

MITRE ATT&CK

SOAR

Job description

• Own threat detection and support cyber incident response
• Lead threat hunting and develop intelligence-led detections
• Shape security automation and support major incident response

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We're looking for three Principal Engineers, Detection and Response to strengthen NZ Transport Agency | Waka Kotahi (NZTA)'s cyber defence capability through advanced threat detection, threat hunting and incident response.

This is a senior technical role that combines hands-on detection engineering, technical leadership and tactical cyber incident response. Working across SIEM, XDR and EDR platforms, you'll improve detection coverage, reduce time to detect threats and help protect critical services from cyber risk.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Designing, tuning and maintaining detection rules, correlation logic and behavioural analytics
• Leading threat hunting activities and translating threat intelligence into actionable detection content
• Identifying detection coverage gaps and driving continuous improvement across the detection capability
• Developing automation, SOAR playbooks and response workflows to improve security operations
• Setting quality standards and validating detection content before deployment
• Providing specialist expertise for security tool and platform evaluations
• Acting as a tactical responder for significant cyber incidents, supporting containment, eradication and recovery activities

This role participates in a 24/7 on-call roster and plays a critical part in maintaining NZTA's cyber resilience.

You will find out more about the role here Position Description

Ko koe tēnei | About you

You bring strong detection engineering experience, sound judgement in complex situations and the ability to influence technical outcomes without formal people leadership. Comfortable making incident response decisions within delegated authority, you combine practical expertise with a continuous learning mindset. We value practical achievements, transferable skills and potential, so you don't need to meet every requirement.

You’ll Bring

• Strong experience designing, tuning and managing detection rules, correlation logic or behavioural analytics across SIEM, XDR or EDR platforms
• Experience investigating suspicious activity and hunting threats using telemetry and threat intelligence, applying sound judgement when information is incomplete
• An evidence-based approach to identifying detection gaps and turning threat insights into practical improvements, with familiarity with MITRE ATT&CK beneficial
• Experience using automation or scripting to improve security workflows, with an understanding of testing, assurance and safe deployment. SOAR experience is advantageous
• The ability to provide technical guidance, review detection content and strengthen detection and response practices through lessons learned
• An understanding of security and privacy obligations, with a willingness to develop knowledge of NZISM and New Zealand public sector requirements
• Relevant experience, qualifications, or a combination of both. Certifications such as GCDA, GCIA or GCIH are advantageous
• The ability to obtain and maintain a New Zealand national security clearance up to and including SECRET

Mō mātou | About us

At NZTA, we deliver transport networks that connect people, places and New Zealand. Te Aukaha | Digital provides the technology and information services that enable better outcomes for our customers, partners and people.

Within Digital, Security protects NZTA's people, information and technology through resilient operations, assurance, governance and secure-by-design practices.

As part of Security Operations and Resiliency, you'll help strengthen NZTA's 24/7 detection and response capability, working across threat detection, incident response and cyber resilience. You'll collaborate closely with security operations, threat intelligence, engineering and governance teams, as well as external cyber security partners and vendors.

Ka whiwhi koe i te aha | What you will get in return

This is an opportunity to shape a specialist security capability with a clear public purpose. You’ll combine hands-on detection engineering and tactical incident response with influence over detection quality and reliability, automation and platform decisions, helping strengthen the systems that support transport outcomes for New Zealand.

• Work alongside security specialists and partners to turn threat insights and operational learning into practical improvements.
• Contribute within a culture grounded in having heart, working better together, being brave and delivering meaningful outcomes.

In Addition, You'll Benefit From

• Flexible working arrangements that support work-life balance
• Five weeks annual leave
• Income Protection and Critical Illness Insurance for permanent employees
• Professional development and career growth opportunities
• A collaborative and inclusive culture committed to delivering meaningful outcomes for New Zealanders

Rā Katinga | Applications close

15 November 2026

For further information, email: [e-mail]

To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Waka Kotahi is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing a working environment that embraces these values. Please let us know if you need any support or have any access requirements that will help you through the recruitment process.