About Vanguard

More than 45 years ago, John C. Bogle had a vision to start an investment company that did things differently. A company with no external shareholders. Where all the profits were invested back into the business and used to lower costs. Evidently, it was as bold as it was brilliant. To this day, Vanguard Group still has no external shareholders. That means no share prices to protect, and no profits to generate for outside owners. 

Today, Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment management companies, serving more than 50 million investors worldwide. For more than 30 years Vanguard Australia has been supporting individual investors, financial advisers, and superannuation members to achieve their long-term financial goals.

Vanguard is seeking an independent, experienced and highly motivated Senior Physical Security Intelligence Specialist to join our Global Physical Security Intelligence team in Melbourne.

What You'll Do

You will lead the collection, analysis, and dissemination of actionable intelligence relating to physical security threats across the Asia-Pacific region. You will provide strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence support to protect Vanguard's people, offices, operations, events, and executive leadership.

As part of a globally integrated intelligence function, you will also play a critical role in supporting the team's follow-the-sun operating model, providing out-of-hours coverage and intelligence support for Europe and North America as required. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to both regional and global security outcomes within one of the world's leading investment management firms.

Core Responsibilities

Threat Identification and Assessment

• Monitor, assess, and report on physical security threats across the APAC region with the potential to impact Vanguard operations, including geopolitical developments, civil unrest, crime trends, and terrorism.

• Produce high-quality, timely intelligence products including threat assessments, executive briefings, travel advisories, risk forecasts, and incident-driven reports. Act as the subject matter expert for APAC, with a particular focus on Australia and India.

• Translate complex information into clear, concise, and actionable intelligence tailored to stakeholders to support APAC security operations and leadership decision-making.

• Support security planning for corporate offices, executive travel, and significant business events.

• Deliver horizon-scanning analysis to identify emerging risks and anticipate future threat developments.

Global Intelligence Operations

• Support the team by contributing to a global follow-the-sun intelligence operating model, ensuring continuous monitoring of security threats across all Vanguard regions.

• Provide support to Vanguard’s Protective Intelligence function as required, including monitoring and assessment to support executive travel.

• Assist with incident response and crisis management activities by providing rapid intelligence support during evolving situations.

• Collaborate closely with intelligence analysts in North America and Europe to ensure consistent intelligence production and threat assessment methodologies.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with Site Security, Executive Protection, Travel Security, Business Continuity, and other security stakeholders to develop requirements and deliver a best-in-class intelligence service.

• Build trusted relationships with internal business partners and external intelligence, security, and law enforcement contacts.

• Brief senior leaders and security stakeholders on emerging threats and security risks.

Intelligence Program Development

• Enhance intelligence collection, monitoring, and analytical capabilities for the APAC region.

• Lead on the local intelligence service offering and development of regional product lines.

• Support the development of the team’s physical security investigations capability in-country.

• Identify process improvement opportunities by leveraging technology, automation, and open-source intelligence methodologies.

• Support APAC intelligence requirements management and continuous improvement initiatives across the global intelligence program.

Required Skills and Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in physical security threat intelligence, geopolitical analysis, or a related field, with corporate or financial sector experience preferred.

• Regional expertise in APAC, with demonstrated experience assessing risks relating to activism, terrorism, civil unrest, crime, geopolitical instability, and executive protection.

• Independent, proactive, and comfortable working across different time zones within a globally dispersed team.

• Experience building internal and external partnerships and developing customer requirements.

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and written communication skills with the ability to produce finished intelligence products with minimal oversight.

• Ability to transform complex information into clear, concise, and actionable intelligence products for senior decision-makers.

• Experience briefing executive and senior leadership audiences.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced operational environment while managing competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant professional certifications or advanced degree in intelligence, security studies, international relations, criminology, or a related discipline.

• Experience assessing security and reputational risk in a multinational private sector environment.

• Experienced user of OSINT technology platforms and data visualization tools.

• Professional network of industry, government, and law enforcement contacts in Australia.

• Familiarity with intelligence cycle methodologies and professionally trained in structured analytical techniques and open-source intelligence collection.

• Ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform impactful products on threat trends and forecasts.  

• Experience supporting crisis management or incident response operations.

• Previous experience maturing an intelligence program through the development of new processes or procedures.

• Threat management experience or familiarity with assessing person-based risk using industry frameworks.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard’s core purpose.

Our core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

Special Factors

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.