Senior Engineer - Systems

New Zealand Defence Force; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life cover

Critical illness protection

Savings schemes

Job summary

New Zealand Defence Force Wellington is establishing a new Cyber Operations Application Team (COAT) and seeks a Senior Engineer - Systems to lead design, deployment and optimisation of cyber security tooling for secure NZDF services. You will mentor teammates and act as escalation for complex engineering challenges in a mission-critical environment.

This role requires significant systems engineering experience with a cyber focus, knowledge of SIEM technologies, and hands-on work with automation

Qualifications

• Significant experience in systems engineering with a cyber focus.
• Knowledge of cyber security tools and platforms, including SIEM technologies.
• Experience supporting secure and resilient systems in complex environments.
• Understanding of security frameworks and compliance requirements.
• Experience with automation, orchestration and infrastructure-as-code tools.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience mentoring or providing technical guidance to others.

Responsibilities

• Supporting and maintaining cyber security systems, tools and platforms
• Analysing and resolving complex technical issues and incidents
• Optimising system performance, monitoring and detection capabilities
• Supporting compliance, configuration management and audit readiness
• Developing technical documentation and operational procedures
• Mentoring team members and sharing technical expertise.

Skills

cyber security

SIEM technologies

systems engineering

automation

orchestration

infrastructure-as-code

troubleshooting

communication

mentoring

Tools

SIEM technologies

Job description

New Zealand Defence Force – Wellington, North Island

We're establishing a new Cyber Operations Application Team (COAT) that will help protect and strengthen critical NZDF digital capabilities. As a Senior Engineer - Systems, you'll provide advanced technical expertise supporting the systems and tools that enable NZDF cyber security operations.

This is an opportunity to join a newly established team and work alongside cyber specialists, engineers and operational personnel supporting secure and resilient digital services across NZDF.

You will be responsible for the implementation, maintenance and optimisation of cyber security systems and tooling, helping to ensure Defence systems remain secure, resilient and operationally effective. You will also provide technical guidance to other team members and act as an escalation point for complex engineering challenges.

This will include:

• Supporting and maintaining cyber security systems, tools and platforms
• Analysing and resolving complex technical issues and incidents
• Optimising system performance, monitoring and detection capabilities
• Supporting compliance, configuration management and audit readiness
• Developing technical documentation and operational procedures
• Mentoring team members and sharing technical expertise.

Please note that this role will require travel to support operational and business requirements. The successful candidate may also be required to participate in an on-call roster in the future as operational requirements evolve.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced systems engineer to contribute to secure and resilient cyber operations within NZDF.

You will be a technically capable professional with experience supporting complex systems in secure or mission critical environments. You will enjoy solving challenging technical problems, sharing knowledge with others, and working collaboratively across engineering and operational teams.

You will bring:

• Significant experience in systems engineering with a cyber focus
• Knowledge of cyber security tools and platforms, including SIEM technologies
• Experience supporting secure and resilient systems in complex environments
• Understanding of security frameworks and compliance requirements
• Experience with automation, orchestration and infrastructure-as-code tools
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving capability
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience mentoring or providing technical guidance to others.

No candidate is expected to meet every desired skill / experience listed. If your background differs from what we've outlined but you believe you can contribute to the role, we encourage you to apply.

Nōu te rourou | What’s in it for you

Your skills and dedication deserve recognition, and NZDF delivers with competitive pay matched to your experience. But that’s just the beginning – safeguard your loved ones with a fully funded life cover of up to $300,000 and critical illness protection. Other benefits include discounted additional insurances, free will services and savings schemes for the Defence community. Get expert financial guidance and mortgage broker services. Find all our benefits and more on the Force 4 Families website.

NZDF champions diversity and inclusivity, valuing every member and fuelling their success. We embrace uniqueness, understanding that diverse teams drive creativity, innovation, and excellence. With an open door to all – irrespective of gender, ethnicity, ability, age, or family dynamics – NZDF offers a flexible, empowering work environment. Join us in shaping a brighter future, where everyone thrives.

Applications close on Monday 7 September 2026.

To be eligible for the required level of government security clearance with the NZ Defence Force, you need to meet certain citizenship and residency criteria. Here’s what you need to know:

Higher Level Security Clearance

• You must be a New Zealand citizen or you must hold New Zealand Permanent Residence or have a current New Zealand Residency Class Visa.
• At minimum, you must hold New Zealand Permanent Residence or have a current New Zealand Residency Class Visa, and you must be a citizen of and have lived in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America or New Zealand continuously for the last ten (10) years.
• You must have a ten (10) year background history that can be verified and assessed appropriately by the NZ Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) to determine if you are suitable for a security clearance at this level.

If you do not meet the minimum criteria, unfortunately, your application will not be accepted. We do welcome your application at a time when you will meet the requirements.