Senior Director, Operational Security Engineering

Every day, millions of Australians connect, work, stream, and stay in touch on the Optus network. When it works seamlessly, it's easy to take for granted. But behind it is a team making thousands of decisions every day - decisions that keep people, businesses and communities connected.

The Senior Director, Operational Security Engineering is accountable for leading the cross-domain operational security engineering capability that strengthens the security, resilience and recoverability of Optus Network Operations and AI-driven operational services.

The role owns enterprise coordination, engineering assurance and operational integration across security-by-design, technical security controls, security automation and response, architecture integration, and continuous assurance. It ensures security capabilities are consistently embedded across Operational Intelligence, Operational Engineering, Automation, OSS and Network Operations without replacing the security accountabilities held within Network Domains or Corporate Security.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the Operational Security Engineering strategy, capability roadmap and maturity uplift across Network Operations.
• Define and embed secure-by-design standards, operating models and assurance frameworks across network, data, AI, automation and OSS environments.
• Translate cyber risks and business priorities into a portfolio of security engineering, resilience and assurance initiatives.
• Drive the integration of security controls and Zero Trust principles across network, cloud, AI, automation and operational platforms.
• Lead the development of automated security detection, orchestration, response and containment capabilities to reduce risk and minimise business impact.
• Establish operational security assurance, control validation and resilience programs, ensuring capabilities remain secure, recoverable and production-ready.
• Oversee governance, risk reporting, performance metrics and continuous improvement activities, prioritising efforts based on threat intelligence and operational outcomes.
• Provide executive leadership and strategic advice on cyber risk and security posture while building a high-performing security engineering capability and fostering a security-by-design culture.

What You’ll Bring

• Extensive executive leadership experience across telecommunications, cyber security, Network Operations, security engineering or large-scale critical technology environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise operational security engineering, cyber resilience, security architecture or security transformation capabilities.
• Strong understanding of operational technology and network security, Zero Trust, identity and privileged access, security automation, cloud and AI security.
• Proven ability to establish cross-domain security engineering standards, assurance models and risk reduction roadmaps in complex production environments.
• Strong understanding of cyber risk, incident response, resilience, recoverability, regulatory obligations and secure-by-design engineering practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead specialist teams and influence executives across Operations, Engineering, Architecture, Corporate Security, Risk and Technology.
• Strong commercial, financial and vendor management capability, including security investment prioritisation and value/risk realisation.
• Excellent strategic thinking, communication, executive presentation and stakeholder engagement skills, including during high-severity security events.

The good stuff …

• Competitive remuneration and employee discounts. Make life easier (and more affordable) with $80 monthly credit and 25% off Optus products and unique shopping discounts with our retail partners.

• Flexible working arrangements with opportunities to work three days in the office, two days remote or home.

• Competitive leave policies, including additional 'Connected’ days to focus on culture, family, health, community, or whatever’s important to you.

• We support growing families with inclusive, carer-neutral paid Parental Leave of up to 16 weeks.

• Direct your own development and build future-ready skills with Optus U’s industry-focused micro-credentials, developed with La Trobe and Macquarie Universities.

• Build meaningful connections through employee-led networks and diversity initiatives including Culture Connect, Elevate Women, Disability Network and Express Yourself (LGBTQIA+).

• Put your wellbeing first with free access to counselling and support services, 24/7 - in-person, by phone, SMS, or video.

At Optus, we are strengthened by others and that means valuing diversity and saying ‘yes’ to embracing individual differences. We are committed to ensuring that our application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all job seekers, including individuals from diverse gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, individuals with a disability, individuals identifying as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals who may have served in the armed forces or who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

We also want to do our best to make our recruitment process inclusive. If you require any adjustments or accessibility support, please email [email protected] or call 1800 309 170. We’re here to help. When you contact us, please advise your preferred method of contact and we will be in touch within 48 hours. For more information on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Optus, please visit https://www.optus.com.au/about/inclusion-diversity.