Chief Information Security Officer

Ko wai mātou - About us

At Spark, we're building New Zealand's digital future. As one of the country's largest technology and telecommunications organisations, we connect millions of New Zealanders and help businesses thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi - About the Role

We're looking for an exceptional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to lead our enterprise cyber security function and help shape the future of security, resilience and trust across Spark.

This is a rare opportunity to join a senior leadership team and influence the security strategy of a nationally significant organisation operating critical infrastructure at scale.

As CISO, you'll lead Spark's Cyber Security Centre of Excellence and be accountable for cyber security strategy, governance, risk management, security operations and cyber resilience across the organisation.

You'll be a trusted advisor to Spark's Executive Leadership Team and Board, translating complex technical risks into clear business decisions while helping Spark innovate securely across cloud, AI, networks, products and digital services.

Success in this role requires a leader who can operate confidently in the boardroom, inspire high-performing teams, and build trusted relationships with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including customers, regulators and industry partners.

Ngā mahi o ia rā – Daily tasks

Enterprise Leadership

• Define and lead Spark's cyber security strategy and long-term roadmap.
• Provide executive leadership on cyber risk, resilience and business protection.
• Partner closely with senior leaders across technology, product, operations, risk and legal functions.
• Support Spark's continued growth and innovation by embedding security into strategic decision making.

Board and Executive Engagement

• Present cyber risk, security posture and emerging threats to executive and board audiences.
• Translate complex technical concepts into practical business outcomes.
• Influence investment decisions and strategic priorities through clear, compelling communication.
• Build confidence and trust with customers, partners and external stakeholders.

Leading High-Performing Teams

• Lead a function of approximately 100 cyber security professionals and leaders.
• Develop a strong leadership culture focused on accountability, growth, wellbeing and performance.
• Lift engagement, capability and retention across the cyber security organisation.
• Create an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and people can do their best work.

Security, Risk and Resilience

• Oversee security governance, security architecture, cyber operations, incident response and identity management.
• Ensure Spark remains resilient against evolving cyber threats.
• Strengthen security maturity across the organisation while supporting business outcomes.
• Lead major incident response and crisis management when required.

Tō wheako- Your Experience

We're interested in experienced leaders who may come from telecommunications, technology, financial services, critical infrastructure, energy, government or similarly complex environments.

You'll bring:

• Proven experience leading large-scale cyber security functions.
• Outstanding executive, customer and board-level communication skills.
• The ability to influence equally effectively in technical and non-technical environments.
• A strong track record of building high-performing, engaged teams and developing future leaders.
• Experience leading through change, complexity and ambiguity.
• Deep understanding of cyber security, risk management and governance.
• Commercial acumen and experience managing significant budgets, programmes and strategic investments.
• The credibility and presence to represent Spark with customers, regulators, partners and industry stakeholders.

He aha te take e uru ai koe ki a mātou – So, why choose us

At Spark, we're committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We know that diverse teams make better decisions, bring fresh perspectives and deliver stronger outcomes for our customers.

We welcome applications from people of all genders, backgrounds, cultures, abilities, experiences and ways of thinking. If you're excited about this opportunity but don't meet every single requirement, we'd still love to hear from you.

Ready to Shape the Future?

This is more than a cyber security leadership role.

It's an opportunity to influence one of New Zealand's most important technology organisations, lead an exceptional team, and help build the secure digital future our customers trust and depend on.

Join Spark and help shape what's next.