Protective Monitoring Centre (PMC) Engineer at NZ Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Join our diverse and talented people and work at the heart of national security, providing essential intelligence to the NZ government to protect New Zealand and its people.

At the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) | Te Pā Whakamarumaru, we are dedicated to our mission of keeping Aotearoa New Zealand and our people safe and secure. We collect, analyse and assess intelligence to protect New Zealand from threats such as foreign interference, espionage and terrorism. 

Are you inspired by protecting New Zealand? Looking for a role where your expertise will be highly valued? Are you interested in user behaviour, SIEMs, insider threat, or protective security? We have the opportunity for you!

The NZSIS is looking for a Protective Monitoring Centre (PMC) System Engineer to contribute to the delivery and performance of SIEM systems and activities. PMC is a critical part of the NZSIS Insider Threat Mission, monitoring and managing the security of New Zealand Government IT Systems. 

We are actively seeking talented individuals at every stage of their careers - from recent graduates eager to launch their professional journey to seasoned system engineers with a proven track record of delivering complex solutions. Whether you are just starting out or bring years of industry experience, we welcome your application and look forward to discovering how your unique skills can contribute to our innovative team.

About us

The protective Monitoring Centre are an NZSIS technical and analytical SIEM team facilitating detection of insider threat and the monitoring of IT systems compliance. The PMC gathers logs and data from disparate sources (network, applications, users) into one console allowing for behavioural analytics to identify anomalies, potential breaches and malicious patterns.

The role

In this role you will be responsible for enhancing and designing the infrastructure behind our specialised SIEM analysis platform.  You will have a direct hand in the research and development required to ensure that our infrastructure continues to scale with the growing demands of the Protective Monitoring Centre (PMC).

The role itself is complex and involved. You will:

• Be responsible for service delivery management, planning and prioritisation.
• Plan and provision for systems risk management and guidance.
• Be an integral enabler across a range of disciplines.
• Support both technical and strategic work to support highly compartmented insider threat investigation tools within the NZIC and wider government agencies.

We are looking for individuals, who have a range of engineering skills and a willingness to learn.

• Experience in Windows and Unix
• Experience in virtualisation and containerisation technologies
• Experience with switches, routers, and firewalls
• Scripting experience

As part of our specialised team you will have the opportunity to work on unique systems, projects and datasets to ensure that the infrastructure supports the workflow of other PMC team members.

Key to succeeding in this position is the ability to:

• Effectively operate within a high functioning team of subject matter experts.
• Work well under pressure, using good judgment and displaying a high level of initiative.
• Demonstrate strong verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical customers.
• Project manage, coordinate and deliver key strategic initiatives.
• Excellent analytical and fault-finding skills.

We want our people to succeed, whatever success looks like for them. Join us and we’ll give you significant professional development opportunities aimed at taking your career in the direction you want it to go. You won’t stand still with us as we’re committed to ongoing learning and continuous improvement.

Appointing range:

• Level 1: $87,048 - $92,851
• Level 2: $103,009 - $109,876
• Level 3: $120,359 - $128,383

Before you apply

Working within our unique environment means we have to ensure you're eligible for employment.

You must:

• Have been a New Zealand Citizen for at least 10 years

OR

Hold a current NZ Residency Class Visa and ideally have been a citizen of the UK, USA, Canada or Australia for at least 10 years

• Be eligible to obtain a Top Secret Special (TSS) security clearance
  • Ordinarily, this means you'll have a 15 year checkable background in countries NZSIS Vetting can make meaningful and reliable checks.

Still unsure? Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a TSS security clearance: http://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/eligibility-tool

The NZIC treats all applications for employment in the strictest confidence and we expect that you maintain a similar level of confidentiality during the recruitment process and throughout your career.

We'll provide you with information and tips throughout the recruitment process, but in the meantime check out our Myth Busting booklet: What to expect | Beyond Ordinary Careers

You can also learn more about our work and understand our areas of focus by reading New Zealand's Security Threat Environment | New Zealand Security Intelligence Service