The University of Tasmania acknowledges the palawa/pakana and Gadigal/Wangal people as the traditional custodians of the land, sea and waters of the areas upon which we live and work. We recognise their valuable contributions and deep connection to country and pay respect to Elders past and present.
- Provide trusted, university-wide leadership on cyber security and risk.
- Engage and influence stakeholders across the University to build a strong security culture.
- Set the strategic direction for cyber resilience in a complex and evolving risk landscape.
About the Opportunity
As Director, Cyber Security and Resilience, you will shape and lead an enterprise-wide capability that safeguards people, research and digital services, while enabling innovation within a complex university environment.
Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, you will set the strategic direction for cyber security, risk and resilience in an environment influenced by emerging technologies, global research partnerships and evolving threats. Working collaboratively with academic and professional communities, you will strengthen cyber capability and foster a positive, informed security culture.
This role offers meaningful influence beyond technology, partnering with government, industry and sector peers, contributing to collective cyber defence, and safeguarding research of global significance. We’re looking for a strategic, inclusive leader who brings clarity, sound judgement and curiosity, and who thrives on collaboration. If you’re driven by impact, purpose and trusted leadership, this is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of cyber resilience at the University.
About the University
The University of Tasmania is a mission-driven institution dedicated to making a difference for Lutruwita/Tasmania and a distinctive contribution from Tasmania to the world. As the sole university on the island, the University is deeply embedded in the social, economic, and environmental fabric of Tasmania, working in close partnership with communities, industry, and government to address key challenges in education, health, productivity, and climate action. The University takes pride in its place-based identity, leveraging Tasmania’s unique geography, culture, and resources to offer world-leading research and education.
What’s Required
- Demonstrated experience operating as a senior cyber security leader, providing authoritative advice and strategic direction to executives and governance bodies within a large, complex organisation.
- Proven capability in developing, executing and maturing enterprise-wide cyber security strategies, frameworks and roadmaps aligned to organisational objectives, risk appetite and investment priorities.
- Strong experience in identifying, assessing and articulating cyber security risks, including the ability to clearly communicate risk trade-offs, residual risk and mitigation options to senior leaders and boards.
- Deep working knowledge of recognised cyber security frameworks and standards (e.g. NIST Cybersecurity Framework, Essential Eight, ISO/IEC 27001/27002) and relevant privacy, regulatory and legislative obligations.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing cyber security incidents, assurance activities and compliance reviews, ensuring timely response, remediation and clear executive-level reporting.
- Broad technical understanding of modern technology environments, including cloud services, identity and access management, data protection and security monitoring, sufficient to assess control effectiveness and risk exposure.
- Proven ability to design and lead cyber security engagement, communication and awareness initiatives that build shared accountability for cyber security across an entire organisation.
- Demonstrated experience building and maturing cyber security capability, including workforce capability.
- Experience embedding secure-by-design principles across learning and teaching, research and corporate activities through collaboration, influence and trusted partnerships rather than directive control.
- Relevant professional certifications (such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer/Lead Auditor, or equivalent), along with experience working within the Australian higher education sector, public sector, or similarly regulated environments, are highly desirable but not essential.
Qualifications and Licences
- A relevant tertiary qualification, and/or equivalent senior-level experience in relevant field.
What’s on Offer?
As we look toward 2050, we remain committed to fostering excellence, collaboration, and transformative education, preparing graduates to navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world. While remaining true to our Tasmanian roots, this career defining role will see you significantly contribute to our dedication to making a difference for Tasmania and to the world. In return for your experience, you’ll have access to an array of staff benefits and discounts including:
- 26 Weeks paid parental leave for primary care givers
- 17% Superannuation contribution
- Health and fitness membership options
- Accommodation and Car Hire discounts
- Health Insurance and Banking
- Novated Leasing
- Generous relocation support to Tasmania
How to Apply?
If this role is of interest, we look forward to hearing from you. Please provide your up-to-date resume and:
- A 1-2 page cover letter outlining your motivation for the role and the University of Tasmania.
- A separate response addressing the selection criteria, outlining how your skills and experience align with the role-specific skills, knowledge and experience detailed in the Position Description.
- For current UTAS staff, in submitting your application, you acknowledge you have/intend to discuss your interest in this vacancy with your current manager and understand they may need to be contacted confidentially by the hiring manager as part of the assessment of your application.
Please refer to the attached Position Description Below for full details.
Position Description Director, Cyber Security and Resilience - April 2026.pdf
Applications close Sunday 17th of May 2026, at 11.55pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.
Interviews with shortlisted candidates are scheduled for the week commencing Monday the 25th of May 2026.
For further information about this position, technical enquiries may be directed to Nathalie Henning, Chief Information Officer: nathalie.henning@utas.edu.au. For general enquiries regarding the role or application process, please contact the Talent Team: TalentTeam@utas.edu.au.
To be eligible for this position, you are required to have Australian citizenship, permanent residence or a current valid visa that allows you to fulfill the requirements of this role.
As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive workplace, employment history and police background checks may be conducted as part of the selection process.
