Lead Engineer

Westpac New Zealand Ltd; Wellington; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks standard holiday + wellbeing 5

Additional leave options up to 4 weeks

Banking benefits, insurance discounts

Growth and development opportunities

Recognition and awards

School holiday subsidy

Volunteer days

Job summary

Westpac New Zealand Ltd in Wellington is seeking a Lead Engineer to drive payment systems and lead a team of developers. You will set technical direction, mentor engineers, and collaborate with product and engineering leadership to deliver high‑quality software.

You will champion modern development practices, guide architectural decisions, and ensure alignment with the Payments strategy while delivering scalable, resilient solutions.

Qualifications

• At least 8 years of professional experience in app development with a minimum of 3 years in a leadership/senior role.
• Experience with Java-based full stack development and microservices architecture.
• Proven track record in designing and implementing systems architecture for applications.
• Solid understanding of Quality Engineering standards and Automation frameworks.
• Experience mentoring and leading a team of developers in a collaborative environment.
• Experience working in Agile environments with cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, and a customer-focused mindset.

Responsibilities

• Drive development of payment systems and oversee technical direction of applications.
• Mentor a team of developers and guide technical discussions across squads.
• Lead the adoption of coding, quality and DevOps practices to uplift team capability.
• Collaborate with product and engineering leadership to align with strategic goals.
• Define technical roadmaps and own engineering decisions for the Payments domain.

Skills

Java full stack

Microservices

Leadership

Mentoring

Agile

Tools

Playwright

Docker

OpenShift

Chef

Jenkins

Dynatrace

Splunk

COBOL

CICS

DB2

MQ

Job description

Mō te tūranga | About the Role

This is a permanent position in our Payments Technology team. We’re looking for a talented and experienced Lead Engineer to drive the development of payment systems, and of our engineers. In this leadership role, you’ll oversee the technical direction of application development and configuration, mentor a team of developers, and collaborate cross-functionally to create high-quality, scalable payment solutions. As a key player on our team, you’ll have the opportunity to influence the development of complex systems while leveraging your expertise in modern development practices. You will be leading the technical discussions and working as a bridge between key technology leadership stakeholders and squads to ensure that everyone is aligned with the overall Payments strategy. You’ll be working with our Engineering teams to help work on application features, integrations, configuration and delivery. You will be able to lead the team in developing engineering and coding standards, advocate the adoption of new technology and tooling, and drive quality uplift initiatives. You’ll be providing training and mentoring other engineers to increase their technical capabilities to improve the overall capability of teams with different technologies. You’ll work with product and engineering leadership to ensure technical decisions and implementations are aligned with strategic goals and help define the product and technology roadmap. You are passionate about helping the team to deliver quality-focused applications, defining technical roadmaps, identifying technical risks and owning engineering decisions. You will contribute to our modernisation journey by leading the team in defining the coding practices, quality practices and DevOps practices. Above all, we believe in simplification and want you to help us drive this, to deliver resilient software faster and more frequently.

Nā tāu rourou | What will you bring?

At least 8 years of professional experience in app development, including a minimum of 3 years in a leadership or senior developer role. Experience with Java-based full stack development and microservices architecture. Experience with a wide range of DevOps tools, including but not limited to Playwright, Docker, OpenShift, Chef, Jenkins, Dynatrace, and Splunk. IBM Mainframe systems knowledge would be an advantage - COBOL, CICS, DB2, MQ. Proven track record in designing and implementing systems architecture for applications. Solid understanding of Quality Engineering standards and experience with Automation frameworks. Experience mentoring and leading a team of developers in a collaborative environment. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to thrive in complex technical challenges. Strong leadership skills and the ability to guide and inspire a team. Experience working in Agile environments. This includes participating in iterative development cycles, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and adapting to changing requirements to deliver high-quality software solutions. Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams. A customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering high-quality experiences.

Westpac Hei Wāhi Mahi | Working at Westpac

In addition to immersing yourself in a supportive team environment, you'll receive some great job perks and benefits including:

• 4 weeks standard holiday + 5 additional days of wellbeing leave to support you to be your best
• Additional purchased leave options up to 4 weeks per year
• Banking benefits, insurance discounts and superannuation scheme
• Growth and development – we provide opportunities for development and promote internal mobility
• Recognition - we recognise and reward our star performers
• School holiday subsidy - help you balance work and family during school holiday
• 2 Volunteer days per year

Ko mātou tēnei | Our Organisation

At Westpac, we’re working together to build a fairer and stronger New Zealand for our people, customers, and communities. For over 160 years we’ve been driven by our purpose to Create Better Futures Together. What makes us unique are the incredible people we’re lucky enough to have walk through our doors every day. The giant ‘W’ on our building doesn’t just stand for Westpac – it says, double you. We’re a place that values, rewards and recognises individuality. Where you can be your whole self, your true self, and your best self. We’re recognised as a place where talent is developed, where passions are fuelled and where ambitions of all shapes and sizes thrive. And it all starts with you! Tono mai ināianei!

The people of Aotearoa, New Zealand hail from many cultures and backgrounds. At Westpac New Zealand, we draw on this enormous talent pool to cultivate a team rich in ability and empowered to reach its full potential. Our aim is to be brave challengers, celebrating our differences and relentlessly advocating for our customers. It starts with us – we believe that when we care deeply and do our best for our people, they’ll do their best for our customers. We encourage people from all walks of life to apply, including those who are neurodivergent, have chronic health conditions or disabilities – your attitude and passion are as important to us as your experience, qualifications and capabilities.

Mahi tahi tātou, kaha ake tātou | Together

Applications close: 5 November 2026

Our culture is rich with stories of how our people like to help, our customers, our community and each other. This is reflected through flexible working arrangements to ensure that our people have a balance in their life with those things that are important to them. Through ensuring that we provide opportunities to everyone regardless of what society throws at them, we are a safe place to work where you are treated equally and appreciated.