Job Description

• Based at either our Melbourne Burwood or Geelong Waterfront Campus with hybrid work available
• Fulltime and fixed-term until August 2027
• Attractive remuneration package and benefits including 17% Superannuation

About the role

At Deakin, cyber security is about more than protecting technology. It’s about protecting the experiences, opportunities and connections that bring our University to life. This is an opportunity to operate at a senior level, combining strategic cyber security leadership, operational excellence and people leadership to shape how Deakin anticipates, responds to and manages an evolving cyber threat landscape.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Resilience & Cyber Security, you’ll be a trusted cyber security leader and adviser, influencing strategic direction while providing strong operational leadership across a complex and evolving environment. You’ll lead a specialist team and work across the University to strengthen our capability, mature our security controls and ensure our operations are proactive, measurable and ready to respond to emerging threats.

Your priorities will include:

• Uplifting security operations capability across monitoring, detection, incident response and exposure and vulnerability management.
• Improving operational control maturity, identifying gaps and driving practical improvements that move controls from reactive and ad-hoc to consistent and measurable.
• Supporting security uplift initiatives, providing expert advice on the implementation and embedding of new tools, controls and processes.
• Leading day-to-day operational oversight, ensuring security activities and controls are effective, issues are appropriately triaged and risks are managed.
• Driving visibility and accountability, developing meaningful reporting on operational KPIs, control effectiveness and maturity progress for senior stakeholders.

About you

You’re an accomplished cyber security leader who combines strategic thinking with strong operational discipline. You understand that mature security is built through people, process and technology and you know how to turn strategy and identified gaps into measurable outcomes.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience leading cyber security operations and strategic uplift initiatives in a complex organisation.
• Strong knowledge of contemporary cyber security practices, controls, technologies and the evolving threat landscape.
• A proven ability to build high-performing teams, lead change and develop specialist capability.
• Strong risk, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity.
• Exceptional influencing and communication skills, with the credibility to engage senior and executive stakeholders.

For a copy of the position description, please see below:

Director, Cyber Security Operations.pdf

Why work with us?

At Deakin University, you’ll find more than a job - you’ll find a community and a way of working that supports you to do your best work. Across our campuses in Geelong, Melbourne and regional Victoria, we offer an environment designed to help you thrive, with on-site childcare, gyms, medical centres, cafés, accessible public transport and convenient parking.

We support flexible and hybrid working, generous leave provisions - including extended parental leave and the option to purchase additional leave - and a wide range of staff benefits and discounts. Combined with our strong focus on health, wellbeing and professional development, Deakin offers a supportive, inclusive culture where people are valued and careers can grow.

To apply

Please submit your updated resume and a short cover letter outlining your skills and experience.

For a confidential discussion regarding this role, please contact Nupur Chadha - Senior Director, Resilience & Cyber Security via nupur.chadha@deakin.edu.au

Applications close 11.55pm on Friday, 4 September 2026

Are You Ready?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are an agile, dynamic, and innovative university committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education, research and innovation and the contributions we make to the wider community.

We understand that our reputation has been built on the dedication and expertise of our staff and we offer a dynamic and diverse working environment with opportunities to grow and develop careers. We believe that a progressive, thriving culture will ensure that people choose to come, and stay at Deakin and contribute to our ongoing success.

We value diversity and aim to build an inclusive environment that champions, embraces and respects differences. We support and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, and genders.

Pre-employment safety and suitability checks: In accordance with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, appointment to this role is subject to successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, including Working With Children Checks and candidate gender-based violence declarations.