EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Senior Cyber Security Advisor
* Full-time (35hpw) temporary up to 6 months
* Clerk Grade 9/10 - $129,464 – $142,665pa + super + annual leave loading
* Sydney CB location - hybrid working conditions and a 50% office presence required. Flexible working arrangements may be available in line with the DCS Flexible Working Policy.
About the role
Cyber Security NSW is seeking a Senior Cyber Security Advisor to join the Awareness Development & Resilience team in Sydney.
We're looking for a candidate who can strengthen whole‐of‐government (WoG) cyber resilience by leading the development, governance and continuous improvement of NSW Government's cyber exercise capability. You will serve as the primary point of contact and Exercise Lead, holding end‐to‐end accountability for the design, project management and delivery assurance of the Exercise‐as‐a‐Service and Build‐an‐Exercise offerings, ensuring they are delivered to a consistently high, sector‐aligned standard.
Key Responsibilities
* Strategic & Program Oversight: Develop and manage the annual exercise program roadmap by setting objectives and scope, prioritising participating entities based on risk and capability needs. Maintaining the delivery schedule and resources allocation plan, and providing executive-level updates and risk reporting through after action reports.
* Exercise Design & Development: Develop and approve detailed comprehensive exercise design documentation including concept papers, scenario narratives, facilitator playbooks, participant handbooks, inject handouts and after-action reports, to ensure clarity, consistency and effective delivery of each exercise.
* Facilitation & Delivery Oversight: Lead exercise facilitation by managing real-time inject delivery, pacing and scenario realism, ensuring objectives are thoroughly tested while providing clear guidance to observers, maintaining functional coverage, and ensuring high-quality observation capture.
* Governance & Assurance: Ensure exercises are delivered to a defensible and auditable standard by maintaining strict documentation control, overseeing consistent observer methodology and validating all findings prior to release.
* Reporting & Uplift Documentation: The Exercises Lead is responsible for producing and approving key exercise artefacts, including the concept, scenario narrative overview, facilitator playbook, participant handbook, inject handouts, and the after‐action report, ensuring all reports clearly articulate strengths, weaknesses, and prioritised actionable recommendations, and are defensible under internal or external scrutiny.
* Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with participating agencies before and after exercises to manage expectations around scope and outcomes, present findings to executive stakeholders, and provide advisory guidance on recommendations.
* Staff Leadership and Capability Development: Provide leadership and guidance to junior exercise staff who support the delivery of the cyber exercise program. Mentor and coach team members to build their skills in exercise design, facilitation and evaluation, providing practical development opportunities and constructive feedback to strengthen capability across the team to support consistent, high-quality exercise delivery.
To be successful in this role you will demonstrate (Essential requirements)
* Strong governance, assurance and documentation skills, with the ability to produce defensible, audit-ready reports and maintain strict version control.
* High-level analytical capability to identify strengths, gaps, and prioritised actionable recommendations.
* Demonstrated experience designing, facilitating and evaluating complex workshops or focus sessions, involving multiple stakeholders.
* Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including managing expectations and presenting findings to executive audiences.
* Strong organisation and program oversight capability, including managing schedules, resource planning, and aligning exercise activities to strategic priorities.
* An Australian Citizen, including the ability to obtain and maintain a baseline or higher National Security Clearance and undergo a Police Check.
* A foundational understanding of cyber security principles, risks and incident response concepts, with the ability to apply this knowledge in the design and delivery of cyber resilience exercises.
How to apply
Please click 'Apply Online' and submit your application with:
A resume (max four pages) detailing relevant knowledge, skills and experience.
A cover letter (max two pages) addressing how you meet the key accountabilities within the Role Description and the Job Advert.
Submissions that have not followed the above or that are submitted via email will not be considered.
For enquiries regarding this position, please contact Joshua Harmey-Elliot via .
Why work for Cyber NSW?
* Flexible working: We offer a broad range of flexible working arrangements.
* Career development: Ongoing learning and development opportunities through expert-led sessions, online training and professional development opportunities.
* Work-life balance: Flex time accrual for extra hours worked (for non-Exec roles) based on a 35-hour work week.
* Wellbeing support: Access to employee assistance programs, including EAP, Fitness Passport, and wellbeing initiatives.
* Inclusive culture: Staff led Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) including DCS Pride, Young Professionals Network and more.
* Leave entitlements: Four weeks annual leave and paid sick leave, carer's leave, and long service leave.
About the team
The Awareness Development & Resilience (ADR) team, part of the Uplift, Advisory & Engagement directorate, delivers cyber awareness, capability uplift, and resilience services to improve behaviours, governance and preparedness across NSW Government.
About Cyber Security NSW
Cyber Security NSW provides centralised services and all-of-government leadership to drive a cyber-resilient NSW Government that can safeguard the confidentiality, integrity and availability of government systems, services and data for NSW communities.
Cyber Security NSW is an all-of-government function located within Digital NSW in the Department of Customer Service. Learn more about Our Vision and Cyber Security NSW.
ID Support NSW is a nation-leading business unit in Cyber Security NSW that deliver public-facing advisory services dedicated to assisting victims of identity theft and crime and supports the NSW Governments data breach response. With recent data breaches and increasing fraud, identity resilience is key to preventing misuse. Learn more about ID Support NSW and help shape how identities are protected and remediated in NSW.
Salary Grade 9/10, with the base salary for this role starting at $129464 base plus superannuation
Click Here to access the Role Description. For enquiries relating to recruitment please contact Amy Vierboom via .
Visit the Capability Application Tool to prepare for the recruitment process by accessing practice application and interview questions based on the focus capabilities listed in the role description.
Closing Date: Friday 20th March 2026 @ 10.59am
Careers at Department of Customer Service
A career at the Department of Customer Service (DCS) gives you the opportunity to help improve government services and be part of reform that benefits people across NSW. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service, digital transformation, and regulatory reform. Come join us and influence the future of our great state.
Belong in our diverse and inclusive workplace
The strength of our workforce lies in its diversity and embracing difference, while the key to our success is leveraging the contributions of employees with different backgrounds and perspectives.
You can view our full diversity and inclusion statement here.
We want you to bring your best self to this application process. If you have any support or access needs that may require adjustments to allow you to fully participate in this selection process (including an alternate format of the application form) please contact or 02 9494 8351.
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