Senior Digital Specialist - AWS Cloud Developer

Land Information NZ; Wellington; On-site; NZD 115,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing allowance

Additional leave

Reduced Health Insurance Premiums

Diversity networks

Parental leave top-up

Annual leave 4 weeks 3 days

Job summary

Toitū Te Whenua in Wellington seeks a Senior Developer to design and operate cloud infrastructure for hydrographic systems. You will own CI/CD, release management, and DevOps practices while mentoring colleagues and guiding solution decisions.

You’ll help migrate on‑prem hydrographic systems to a secure AWS platform, evolve services, and automate workflows, enabling accurate nautical data for vessels and agencies across New Zealand.

Qualifications

• Senior-level development experience supporting AWS infra and hydrographic/geospatial squad
• Strong software engineering practices: modular design, automated tests, secure coding
• Experience with relational databases, PostgreSQL, including schema design and migrations
• Experience building IaC and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience leading code reviews and release management

Responsibilities

• Own CI/CD and DevOps practices for the squad
• Lead release management and incident resolution
• Mentor and peer-review other developers
• Collaborate with multiple squads across programmes

Skills

AWS platform engineering

CI/CD ownership

DevOps practices

PostgreSQL

Docker

TypeScript

GitHub Actions

Release management

Scripting: Bash/Python

Security-by-design

Tools

AWS CDK (TypeScript)

Job description

• Develop cloud infrastructure that keeps ships safe -migrate critical hydrographic systems that produce New Zealand's nautical charts protecting vessels in NZ waters
• Geospatial meets cloud infrastructure development -rare opportunity to work at the intersection of AWS infrastructure and maritime/hydrographic technology (no prior geospatial experience required - we'll teach you!)
• Fast paced innovative role -enjoy purpose-driven work, whilst building modern cloud infrastructure as a developer using DevOps best-practices

We're after a Senior Developer who enjoys solving tricky spatial problems; this role spans AWS platform engineering, application development, CI/CD ownership, release management, operational support, and technical leadership.

You'll join a tight-knit squad here at Toitū Te Whenua - if you like mapping data, clean code, and learning on the fly, you'll fit right in. As one of two senior developers you'll own solution decisions, lead CI/CD and DevOps practice, manage releases, and mentor and peer-review other developers' work.

The role supports both the Marine Digital Transformation (MDT) programme and the future evolution of hydrographic applications and services. New Zealand's maritime safety and navigational accuracy depend on world-class hydrographic data and nautical charts. You'll help modernise how Toitū Te Whenua processes bathymetric survey data, produces nautical charts, generates Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), and manages Notices to Mariners. This also includes migrating our Hydrographic Systems from on-premises infrastructure to a secure, scalable AWS platform - and, beyond migration, partnering with our squads to continuously improve systems, automate workflows, and build reliable infrastructure that adapts to evolving needs. This critical information is used daily by commercial vessels, recreational boaters, emergency services, and maritime authorities to navigate safely, letting our hydrographic specialists focus on keeping New Zealand's nautical information accurate, current, and accessible.

As one of the team's senior technical specialists, you will help provide continuity, technical leadership and shared ownership of critical systems, ensuring knowledge is distributed across the team rather than concentrated in individual roles.

We're a small team in the Location Information department that values curiosity, spirit, and a can-do attitude. Everyone codes, everyone reviews, everyone learns. We operate across different teams in Location Information to ensure cloud infrastructure is both in place and supported to meet internal and external customer needs.

You have:

• Senior-level development experience in an enabling/platform role, supporting AWS infrastructure and application delivery for a hydrographic/geospatial squad
• Experience applying modern software engineering practices, including modular design, automated testing, secure coding, dependency management, observability, cost optimisation and performance optimisation
• Strong experience designing, building and maintaining production applications hosted on AWS, including backend services, APIs, data-processing workflows and integrations
• Experience designing and working with relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL, including schema design, migrations, query optimisation and application integration
• Experience building and maintaining IaC using AWS CDK (TypeScript), and CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions
• Experience with AWS services relevant to our stack (RDS/PostgreSQL, S3, Docker, AppStream) including designing and operating distributed and serverless AWS architectures
• Experience leading code reviews and setting standards for maintainable code across the team
• Experience independently owning release management, production incident investigation and resolution, and change management
• Scripting/automation experience (Bash, PowerShell, Python) to support operational and data workflows
• Experience applying security-by-design principles across cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines and application development
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders and influence technical direction
• Collaborative and adaptive mindset – willing to share information and comfortable to both propose and consider new ideas.

Our ideal candidate may also have:

• Experience developing full-stack web applications, including modern web user interfaces integrated with backend APIs and relational databases, using technologies such as TypeScript and React or similar frameworks
• Experience developing or maintaining legacy windows forms enterprise applications (relevant to supporting SLIMS/HITS in-house)
• Experience setting up monitoring, alerting and operational dashboards for AWS-hosted systems
• Experience working across multiple squads/programmes, preferable in a SAFe environment
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools and techniques to improve software delivery, code quality and developer productivity
• Experience working with geospatial data, GIS, hydrographic or maritime systems.
• Impact– Replace old systems with new ones
• Growth – Space to try new tech, backed by a supportive team
• People first – Pair-coding, healthy work-life balance, and a say in how we work
• If you're a smart, positive developer who loves learning and wants to shape the future of geospatial tech, then please apply!

The expected appointing range for this role is $115,000 to $135,000 dependant on experience.

• Interesting work which impacts Aotearoa as we care for whenua, moana and arawai
• Wellbeing allowance reimbursement
• Ability to purchase additional leave
• Reduced Health Insurance Premiums
• Diverse groups and networks
• If eligible for paid parental leave, you will be entitled to a top up payment for the first 18 weeks of the 26 weeks
• A minimum of four weeks and three days annual leave

Toitū Te Whenua plays a vital role in understanding, developing, and caring for New Zealand's whenua, moana and arawai (land, sea and waterways). Whether you're developing our products and services to support our customers, managing the Crown estate, engaging with our iwi partners, or helping us be an effective regulator, your contribution can make a difference. Our mahi helps New Zealanders have confidence that the development of our land, communities and country is being planned from an informed and expert position that balances environmental, social, cultural, and economic considerations, now and for future generations.

Our Kia Toipoto Intentions - Public Service Gender, Māori, Pacific and Ethnic Pay Gap Action Plan

ToitūTe Whenua is a diverse team of individuals with different experience and perspectives. This drives our culture and high performance. We know that people from underrepresented groups and women in particular don't apply for roles if they're not a 100% match, but we're not looking for perfection, we're looking for potential. As an inclusive and supportive employer, we value difference and want to encourage anyone interested to apply, regardless of whether you tick all the boxes or not. As an organisation we embrace diversity, encourage work life balance and have a flexible approach to the way we work which means you will quickly feel connected and valued.

You may notice that the Position Description title for this role (Digital Specialist & Level Toru / Three) doesn't match the advertised title. At Toitū Te Whenua we design our roles around shared capabilities (rather than focusing on tasks). This means our position descriptions are broad, one position description can cover many roles, this is known as Broad Based Role (BBR). Using BBR allows us to be responsive to our customers and to strengthen the connections across our organisation. It also gives us the flexibility to provide wider opportunities to our people, to further their careers.