Security Architect

Southern Cross Medical Care Society; New Zealand; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Cross Health Insurance seeks a Senior Security Architect to shape secure, resilient technology across a broad set of platforms. You will work with engineers and delivery teams to embed security from the start and influence design decisions with proportionate controls.

In this hands-on role you’ll translate risk into practical guidance for technical and non-technical stakeholders while operating in a hybrid on-premises/cloud environment.

Qualifications

• Senior technical security role with broad experience in secure architectures.
• Experience in regulated or high-trust environments (health, insurance, financial services).
• Ability to translate technical risk into plain language for engineers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Partner with product, platform, data and engineering teams to build security in early rather than reviewing it at the end.
• Review designs, data flows and identity models to identify risk and recommend practical, proportionate mitigations.
• Develop reusable security patterns, guardrails and decision records for consistent delivery.
• Help assess emerging risk areas, including AI-enabled capability and supply chain security.
• Advise technology and delivery leaders on risk trade-offs and remediation priorities.
• Coach teams to recognise common security patterns and attacker behaviours.

Skills

Security architecture

Cloud security

Identity management

Regulated environments

Stakeholder communication

Tools

ISO27001

PCI DSS

CIS

NIST

Job description

About us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We're here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we're building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do -- delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive.

Now is an exciting time to join us. You'll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do -- and in return for your talent, you'll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.

About the role

Southern Cross is guided by purpose, powered by people and technology. We're here to help almost one million members across Aotearoa New Zealand live well for longer - work with real scale, real responsibility, and a real opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

As we grow, our technology footprint is only getting more complex - and more important to get right. We're looking for a Security Architect to work within our Healthy Behaviours Value Stream to help make sure what we build is secure, resilient and trusted, without slowing the business down.

This is a senior technical role for someone who wants real influence - shaping how Southern Cross designs and builds secure technology, not just reviewing it after the fact.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Technology, you'll help shape how we design and build secure, resilient technology across a wide range of platforms and initiatives - from new capability being stood up, to legacy systems being modernised or retired.

This is a hands-on architecture role, not a governance-only one. You'll work directly with engineers and delivery teams to identify risk and recommend controls that are proportionate to it, while being able to explain the why clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Our security team supports work across most of the business, so the scope is genuinely broad, and no two weeks look the same.

What you’ll do

• Partner with product, platform, data and engineering teams to build security in early rather than reviewing it at the end
• Review designs, integrations, data flows and identity models to identify risk and recommend practical, proportionate mitigations
• Develop reusable security patterns, guardrails and decision records that help teams deliver consistently and with confidence
• Help assess emerging risk areas, including AI-enabled capability, supply chain and identity, as they show up in real initiatives
• Advise technology and delivery leaders on trade-offs, remediation priorities and residual risk
• Build team capability by coaching others to recognise common security patterns, failure modes and attacker behaviours as part of everyday design work
• Build the kind of trust that means people know who you are and bring you in early

What you’ll bring

• Solid experience in security architecture, or a closely related senior technical security role, across cloud, identity, applications and infrastructure
• Experience working in complex, regulated or high-trust environments (health, insurance, financial services, government or similar), and with at least one major cloud provider (AWS or Azure)
• Working knowledge of compliance frameworks, such as ISO27001:2022, PCI DSS, CIS, and/or NIST
• A track record of translating technical risk into plain language for engineers and senior stakeholders
• A collaborative, respectful working style - someone who can hold a firm line on risk without becoming a blocker
• Relevant certification (e.g. CISSP) and comfort operating in a hybrid on premises / cloud environment is a bonus but not a requirement, we care more about the work you have actually done

Why join us

You’ll join a small, stable team that’s been through genuine change together, gets real trust and autonomy from the wider business, and takes development seriously - including dedicated time each quarter to grow your own capability, whether that’s a certification, a conference, or a deep-dive into something new.

We’re building something worth joining. Our teams are growing, our employer brand is gaining real traction in market, and the way we show up for our members and each other is being noticed. This momentum has also been reflected externally - in 2026, Southern Cross placed 8th in the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index and 5th in New Zealand for Trust.

Who we are

Ngākau nui. Āhurutanga. Tikanga.

Join a proud, diverse team that’s always there, always real, always true. If you thrive in a caring, honest and open culture, we think you’ll love working with us.

We know our team’s culture and wellbeing drive us forward. That’s why we prioritise not only professional development but opportunities to thrive personally. We offer exception