Practice Lead, Cloud

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora; Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Practice Lead - Cloud Engineering to drive the development and continuous improvement of cloud engineering practices across Digital Operations. You will establish standards, frameworks and automation to support secure, scalable cloud infrastructure for healthcare services across the organisation.

You will provide technical and people leadership, enabling professional development while collaborating with senior stakeholders, vendors and delivery

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in a relevant technical domain.
• 3–5 years of proven people leadership experience.
• Strong background in cloud engineering, digital services or technology operations.
• Experience translating technical strategy into practical standards, processes and solutions.
• Experience delivering in Agile environments with strategic planning and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of cloud engineering practices.
• Establish standards, frameworks, patterns, automation and tools for consistent service delivery.
• Provide technical and people leadership across a national cloud engineering capability.
• Collaborate with senior leaders, vendors and delivery teams to improve services and manage risks.
• Use performance data and industry best practices to drive innovation and service reliability.

Skills

Cloud engineering

Stakeholder management

Agile environments

Strategic planning

Leadership

Education

Graduate/postgraduate qualifications in technology/engineering

Tools

Cloud platforms

Security

Automation

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.

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora – Auckland, North Island

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to 5 million New Zealanders.

We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+ locations - from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities.

Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders by delivering equitable, accessible and innovative care.

About the Role

The Practice Lead - Cloud Engineering is responsible for leading the development, implementation and continuous improvement of cloud engineering practices across Digital Operations. You will lead a national cloud engineering capability, ensuring modern, secure and scalable cloud infrastructure supports technology-enabled healthcare services across Health New Zealand. The role focuses on establishing effective standards, frameworks, patterns, automation and tools that enable consistent, reliable and efficient service delivery.

You will also provide technical and people leadership, supporting team members in their professional development and helping build a strong cloud engineering community across the organisation. Working with senior leaders, technical teams, vendors and stakeholders, you will use performance data and industry best practice to improve services, manage risks and drive innovation. The role requires a collaborative leadership style, strong stakeholder management and a commitment to continuous improvement.

About the Team/Service/ Location

The Cloud Engineering team is part of Digital Operations and provides the cloud platforms, infrastructure and engineering capability that support critical digital services across Health New Zealand. The team works nationally with Digital Services, senior leaders, delivery teams, technology partners and external providers to deliver secure, resilient and scalable technology solutions.

You will be part of a collaborative and forward-thinking environment focused on national ways of working, innovation and continuous improvement. The team encourages knowledge sharing, professional development and the adoption of consistent engineering practices across the organisation. This role provides an opportunity to influence cloud capability at a national level and contribute to technology services that support better healthcare outcomes for New Zealand communities.

About you

You are an experienced technology professional with 7-10 years of experience in a relevant technical domain and at least 3-5 years of people leadership experience. You have a strong background in cloud engineering, digital services or technology operations and can translate technical strategy into practical standards, processes and solutions. You are comfortable leading teams, managing resources and working with senior stakeholders in a complex organisation.

You are a confident and supportive leader who develops people, encourages innovation and creates a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. You can manage competing priorities, make sound decisions and take ownership of outcomes. Experience working in Agile environments, strategic planning, stakeholder management and project delivery will be valuable, along with an understanding of the New Zealand health system, health information privacy and the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• Relevant graduate and postgraduate qualifications in technology, engineering or a related field.
• 7-10 years of experience in a relevant technical domain, preferably with strong cloud engineering experience.
• 3-5 years of proven people leadership and team development experience.
• Experience delivering digital services within a complex organisation, preferably in the health sector.
• Strong experience in strategic planning, resource management and stakeholder management.
• Experience developing and implementing technology standards, frameworks, patterns and best practices.
• Experience working in Agile environments and leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of cloud technologies, security, scalability, automation and emerging technology trends.

Working for Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.