Cloud Platform Architect

Farmlands Co-Operative; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Free onsite parking

Sick leave from Day 1

Birthday leave

Training via The Greenhouse

Staff discounts

Farmlands shareholding

Pet-friendly office

Team culture

Job summary

Farmlands Co-Operative in Christchurch invites a senior Cloud Architect to lead our cloud platform transformation, defining architecture, governance and automation that underpin our digital delivery. You will inherit a complex estate and design VNet/VPC, hybrid connectivity, network segmentation and security, while driving IaC and cloud-native delivery with Agentic AI.

This role requires hands-on experience across Azure and AWS, strong FinOps practices and stakeholder skills, with NZ work

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale cloud architecture across Azure and AWS.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code and automation using Terraform and GitHub Actions.
• Deep understanding of cloud security, Zero Trust, and policy-as-code.
• Experience optimizing cloud environments for performance, scalability, and cost.
• Pragmatic, hands-on mindset with strong stakeholder management and interest in AI.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain Farmlands' cloud architecture strategy across Azure and AWS.
• Lead adoption of IaC and automation to build scalable, repeatable platforms.
• Design secure-by-default cloud architectures with governance and policy controls.
• Drive FinOps, cost baselines, tagging, and workload rightsizing.
• Bridge infrastructure and development to enable Agentic AI delivery.

Skills

Azure & AWS cloud architecture

Infrastructure as Code / Automation

Cloud security / Zero Trust / policy‑a

FinOps / cost optimization

Stakeholder management / AI curiosity

Tools

Terraform

GitHub Actions

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Mō te whai waahi | About the opportunity

You will lead the transformation of our cloud platform, defining the architecture, governance and automation that will underpin the next generation of our digital delivery. You are joining at a critical point in that journey: inheriting a complex estate and building the discipline it needs. This is an opportunity to design the network and platform foundations from the ground up — VNet and VPC architecture, hybrid connectivity, segmentation, and the governance layer that sits above it all — and build a modern, secure and scalable cloud foundation that bridges infrastructure and development, enables faster innovation, cloud-native delivery and the safe adoption of Agentic AI across the business.

Key responsibilities include:

• Defining and maintaining Farmlands' cloud architecture strategy across Azure and AWS, including network architecture: VNet and VPC design, hub-and-spoke topology, hybrid connectivity (ExpressRoute and VPN), DNS, and segmentation strategy.
• Leading the adoption of Infrastructure as Code and automation, building scalable and repeatable platforms that reduce manual effort and improve consistency — including network infrastructure delivered as code, not configured by hand.
• Designing and implementing secure-by-default cloud architectures, embedding security, compliance and policy enforcement into platform design from the network layer up.
• Driving FinOps discipline across the estate: establishing cost baselines, enforcing tagging and resource governance, rightsizing workloads, and eliminating waste as a structural outcome of platform governance.
• Bridging infrastructure and development: building a governed platform with the patterns, guardrails and self-service capabilities that allow the development team to adopt Agentic AI delivery with confidence and push the boundaries of what Farmlands can build and ship.

Mōhou ake | About you

Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale cloud architecture across both Azure and AWS, including network architecture: VNet and VPC design, subnetting, peering, hybrid connectivity, DNS, and network security.

Strong expertise in Infrastructure as Code, automation and CI/CD practices, with hands‑on experience using tools such as Terraform and GitHub Actions — including network infrastructure delivered as code.

Deep understanding of cloud security principles, including Zero Trust, network segmentation, policy-as-code, identity management and governance frameworks.

Commercial and technical experience optimising cloud environments for performance, scalability, reliability and cost efficiency.

A pragmatic, hands‑on approach with excellent stakeholder management skills and an active curiosity about AI — not just as a concept but as a tool you are already using to accelerate architecture, infrastructure delivery and operations work.

Mō ngā painga | About the benefits

• Flexible working options and free onsite parking.
• Sick leave from Day 1, paid birthday leave and leave purchase opportunity and service-related benefits.
• Access to training through our online library, The Greenhouse.
• Staff discounts at Farmlands Retail Stores.
• Exclusive Farmlands shareholding offer providing access to a vast array of discounts with our Card Partners.
• A pet-friendly office environment, vibrant local café scene, and strong team culture.

At Farmlands Te Whenua Tāroa, New Zealand's largest farming co-operative, we're driven by three core values: Be You, Minds Open, and See It Through. We support NZ farmers and growers to boost profitability and productivity, aiming to be the trusted partner for everyone connected to the land.

With over 1,200 team members across 80+ locations, we offer diverse operations - from retail and feed production to ecommerce and fuel. Join us to be part of a Kiwi-owned brand that values your uniqueness, creativity, and teamwork in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Applicants must be eligible to work in New Zealand.

Please note that the successful candidate will have to go through pre-employment checks before starting with us at Farmlands. These will include two references from your two most recent managers, a Ministry of Justice Check, proof of your right to work in New Zealand, a driver's licence check and an ACC background check. For certain roles a drug and alcohol test, credit check and AML check may be required.