Essential Eight - Technical Engineer

Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

• We’re a ‘Family Friendly’ certified workplace – we understand the often many and varied roles our team members need to play within their own unique family setting and actively support them.

Our team feel Leidos is a great place to work. Learn more about our culture and benefits by visiting us here https://www.leidos.com/company/global/australia/careers

Do Work That Matters

Leidos Australia delivers IT and airborne solutions that protect and advance the Australian way of life.  Our 2000 local experts, backed by our global experience and network of partners, are working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in government, intelligence, defence, aviation, border protection and health markets.

Your New Role and Responsibilities

A Midrange Engineer with specific skills in patching multiple operating and application systems contributing to an Essential Eight technical implementation to meet Maturity Level 1 requirements for the Future Compute Environment. This is a specialized IT role focused on supporting and protecting the Dept's infrastructure by thoughtfully reducing its attack surface. The role will collaborate closely with the Lead Security Architect and Infrastructure teams to ensure the systematic application of security patches, updates, and configuration improvements to operating systems (Windows, Linux, Unix) and other Dept‑approved applications. This role is an important contributor to the Australian Cyber Security Centre's (ACSC) Essential Eight, with particular focus on vulnerability mitigation.

Key Responsibilities

• Patch Management Lifecycle: Oversee the evaluation, testing, scheduling, deployment, and validation of security patches and updates for OS and applications, working in partnership with relevant teams to support reliable and effective outcomes.

• System Hardening: Implement security configurations such as removing unnecessary services, closing unused ports, and hardening configurations for browsers, PDF readers, office suites, and other devices with a thoughtful and sustainable approach.

• Vulnerability Remediation: Identify and address security gaps, ensuring critical patches are applied within required timeframes (e.g., 24–48 hours for critical vulnerabilities), while maintaining clear communication and shared understanding with stakeholders.

• Automation and Scripting: Utilize tools like Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, or Linux repository management to enable streamlined and supportive automation.

• Compliance and Reporting: Ensure systems comply with internal security policies and industry regulations (e.g., ISM) through regular, transparent audits and collaborative reporting practices.

• Essential 8 Controls: Support remediation of Essential 8 controls across MFA, Regular Backups, and MS Office Macros.

About You and What You'll Bring

• Technical Knowledge: A deep and practical understanding of Windows, Unix (Group Policy, Active Directory), and Linux systems, paired with a willingness to learn, share knowledge, and collaborate.

• Security Focus: Knowledge of hardening techniques, such as implementing Application Control (e.g., AppLocker, fapolicyd) and Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules. This includes hands‑on implementation of Patch Applications and Operating System technical controls aligned with E8 compliance.

• Patch Management: Experience with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, WSUS, and Ninja 1, with a focus on consistency, reliability, and teamwork.

• Hardening/Security: Familiarity with Microsoft Defender, Configuration Baselines, and File Access Policy Daemon (fapolicyd), applied with a careful and supportive approach to security uplift.

• Frameworks: Understanding of Essential Eight, NIST SP 800‑123, and the ACSC Information Security Manual (ISM).

This role does require the successful applicant to be an Australian Citizen and hold a Baseline security clearance.

Diverse Team Members, Shared Values and a Common Purpose

Providing our customers with smarter solutions takes an incredible team with diversity of thought, experience and perspectives driving innovation. Inclusion is at the heart of our culture and is one of our core values. It's about creating a workplace where everyone can do important work, feels welcome, valued, and respected, and has equal access to opportunities to thrive. Paul Chase – Chief Executive, Leidos Australia.

Leidos Australia is an equal opportunities organisation and is committed to creating a truly inclusive workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally and linguistically diverse people, people with disabilities, veterans, neurodiverse people, and people of all genders, sexualities, and age groups.

Our five Advocacy Groups (Women and Allies Network, Young Professionals, Defence & Emergency Services, Action for Accessibility and Abilities and Pride+) provide an opportunity for team members to connect and collaborate on shared interests, and work to support and celebrate our diverse community.

Next Steps

• To apply for this role, follow the links or apply via our Careers page.

• Recruitment process - virtual / face to face interview & background checks.

• Applicants may also need to meet International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) requirements. In certain circumstances this can place limitations on persons who hold dual nationality, permanent residency or are former nationals of certain countries as per ITAR 126.1.

• We are committed to making our recruitment process accessible to all candidates. Please contact our Careers team [email protected] if you’d like to discuss any additional support during your application or throughout the recruitment process. 

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.