Director of Cybersecurity
Emesent · Brisbane, QLD · onsite
Our Mission: To Be Bold and Impactful
At Emesent, we build autonomous robotics, LiDAR mapping, and spatial data technologies that are transforming the way industries understand and interact with the physical world. Founded in 2018 with deep roots in Australia’s globally recognised CSIRO, Emesent has become a global leader in drone autonomy and mobile mapping solutions.
With a rapidly growing international customer base and expanding product portfolio across hardware, desktop software, and cloud platforms, we are entering an exciting new phase of growth and we’re looking for leaders who want to help shape what comes next.
The Opportunity
The Director of Cybersecurity will own Emesent’s cybersecurity posture, program definition, and certification evidence as a senior individual contributor. This role brings together existing cybersecurity activities into a coherent, organisation-wide program covering both enterprise and product domains. This is a new role, reporting to the EVP Product & Engineering, alongside Director of Engineering, Director of IT, Director of Product, Senior Manager of Quality, and Senior Manager of Project Management. The opportunity is to define what “good” looks like, drive alignment across Engineering, IT, and the rest of the company to uplift maturity over time, and ensure we can evidence it.
This role provides vision, governance, structure, training, assurance, and influence across the company. Responsibility for the implementation sits with other teams reporting to the EVP, meaning there is a single executive sponsoring and driving the uplift across the company. Note that this is not an operational or SOC role.
Key Responsibilities
Cybersecurity Posture Ownership
Define, maintain, and articulate Emesent’s overall cybersecurity posture
Provide clear reporting on cybersecurity risk and maturity to executive leadership and the board
Translate technical and operational security activity into an enterprise-wide view of risk and readiness
Cybersecurity Program Definition
Define and own the cybersecurity uplift program across product and business systems
Establish a structured roadmap to improve security maturity across Engineering and IT
Ensure alignment of security initiatives across all delivery functions
Drive prioritisation of security uplift activities in partnership with functional leaders
Governance, Risk & Assurance
Establish cybersecurity governance structures, cadence, and decision forums
Define control frameworks and evidence requirements across systems and teams
Own audit readiness, assurance models, and traceability between controls and frameworks
Coordinate and perform internal and external security assessments and audits
Certification & Regulatory Readiness
Lead organisational readiness for key cybersecurity frameworks and certifications, including CMMC Level 2, NIST SP 800-171, the Australian ISM, Essential Eight, DISP, and ISO/IEC 27001.
Manage relationships with external assessors and certification bodies, both local and international
Oversee engagement with IRAP, C3PAO, penetration testing, and audit partners
Ensure Emesent is positioned for Defence procurement and compliance requirements
Technical Influence & Advisory
Partner closely with Product, Engineering and IT leadership to embed security requirements into system design and delivery
Provide practical, risk-based guidance to architecture and engineering decisions
Support teams in making appropriate security trade-offs as part of delivery
Act as a trusted advisor to technical leaders on cybersecurity matters, across hardware, software (desktop, mobile, cloud), manufacturing, IT infrastructure and business systems
Company Awareness & Capability Building
Lead company-wide cybersecurity awareness and education, lifting everyday security mindset and risk awareness across all teams
Build durable security capability through ongoing upskilling and development, so maturity holds as the company scales
Establish and lead a cross-functional community of cybersecurity focals and specialists, extending reach and ownership beyond a single role
About You
You are a cybersecurity leader who thrives in influence-driven, high-accountability environments.
You are effective because you can:
Operate without direct authority over delivery teams
Influence senior engineering and IT leaders through credibility and trust
Translate complex technical systems into clear security risk and posture
Engage confidently at both technical and executive/board levels
Build structure and clarity in environments that are still maturing
You are not a compliance administrator - you are a pragmatic security leader who improves how the company thinks about and manages our actual cybersecurity risk posture.
Experience & Background
Our ideal profile is someone with:
Background in complex technology and engineering product development across both software and hardware
Strong people leadership and influencing skills to drive cultural change
10 years’ experience in cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) leadership
Experience in regulated industries, ideally Defence or critical infrastructure
Proven track record supporting or leading organisations through security certification or audit readiness
Australian citizenship and eligibility for security clearance
However, we encourage people with some, but not all, of this background to also apply.
Why This Role Matters
This is a foundational leadership role for Emesent’s next stage of growth. It will directly shape our ability to operate in Defence and other regulated markets, and ensure cybersecurity is a clear, evidenced, and trusted capability across the organisation.
You will not just lead the cybersecurity discipline; you will define and lead Emesent’s cybersecurity journey.
The Added Perks
9-day fortnight - every second Friday off
Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) - share in Emesent’s success
Work alongside a passionate and collaborative team building world-leading technology
Genuine learning and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning access
Employee Assistance Program
One additional day of leave each year for your work anniversary
Novated lease options
Why Emesent?
At Emesent, you’ll work on technology that is genuinely shaping the future of how industries capture and understand the physical world. We offer a dynamic, collaborative environment, competitive compensation, and real opportunities for professional growth. Join us in pushing the boundaries of robotics and spatial intelligence.
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