Telstra recruits into beleaguered Defence networks team

Telstra is recruiting a pack of network experts to work on its troubled $1.1 billion communications replacement for the Department of Defence.

The telco has a range of roles up for grabs in its Defence engagement business unit (DEBU), from senior cyber security managers down to the frontline technical specialists with boots on the ground at Defence’s network sites.

The DEBU has experienced a number of redundancy rounds over the past 12 months. When an executive clear-out failed to be the silver bullet to its implementation woes, the unit was put through two subsequent rounds of job cuts in November 2015 and February 2016.

iTnews revealed in April that the terrestrial communications network replacement was on the rocks, running nearly two years behind on key deliverables.

Insiders also said Telstra had spent well over what it had planned on rolling out the new infrastructure and supporting the transformation.

But now it is after a batch of new recruits to get on with the task at hand.

The most senior role up for grabs is a senior IT security manager that will take directions from CISO Mike Burgess, but dedicate their attention to testing and maintaining the security of the extremely sensitive communications infrastructure being laid for the nation’s defence forces.

Ideally candidates will have a negative vetting level two security clearance, which permits them to access top secret classified information, but Telstra said it will also take applications with the more standard level one vetting.

The remit will take in everything from compliance audits, penetration testing, and setting up procedures to prevent security breaches.

The DEBU is also looking to hire a senior network engineer who will design and plan what equipment needs to be replaced on a site-by-site basis throughout the Defence communications network.

A second senior engineer will manage the transition of the new network infrastructure to live operations, including translating Defence requirements into practical solutions, and select products from third-party vendors to realise these outcomes.

On the ground, DEBU also has vacancies for two network technology specialists with negative vetting one security clearance.

The final position up for grabs will man the phones as a service operations specialist assigned to issues and network incidents that have reached level three escalation.