Senior Network Engineer

New Zealand Government; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to lead the stability, performance, and security of our health network across New Zealand. You will drive optimisation, mentor teams, and collaborate with vendors to deliver reliable, scalable services.

You will get hands-on with switches, cabling, and security work, while supporting on-call rosters and regional travel as part of a national digital operations effort in Wellington.

Qualifications

• CCNP certification or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on Cisco switching and routing experience.
• Fortinet firewall expertise; exposure is a plus.
• Willingness to perform hands-on tasks including cabling.
• Proven technical leadership across complex IT environments.
• 7+ years in technical support or network engineering roles.
• 3+ years leading optimisation initiatives across large/complex environments.
• Willingness to travel regionally and join on-call roster.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (10+ years) or postgraduate certification.
• ITIL or service management certifications are desirable.

Skills

Strong communication

Leadership

Problem solving

Hands-on

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field

Tools

Cisco switching

Cisco routing

Fortinet

Job description

• Wellington location preferred
• Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North and Hutt Valley also considered
• Permanent, full-time role

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

As a Senior Network Engineer, you will be a trusted technical leader, ensuring the stability, performance, and security of complex network environments that support healthcare across New Zealand. You will lead optimisation initiatives, enhance service performance, and help shape national standards for reliable, scalable, and secure network services. Working closely with your team, technical leads, and vendors, you'll take ownership of technical planning, oversee delivery, and resolve complex issues — all while mentoring others and fostering continuous improvement. This role lets you get hands‑on and see your work come to life. Alongside your technical leadership, you'll be ready to roll up your sleeves and get into the detail — whether that's installing switches, checking cabling, or working side by side with the team to get the job done. Your willingness to lead by example and stay close to the technology will help build trust and credibility with your colleagues and ensure our networks are delivered to a high standard. In addition, we are also looking for people to join our Digital Services on‑call pool. This involves being part of a roster that provides after‑hours support as required.

About the Team / Service / Location

Our Digital Operations team sits at the heart of Health NZ's digital world — powering the systems that keep hospitals and health services across the country running smoothly. We're the team behind the technology that clinicians rely on every day, ensuring critical systems stay connected, secure, and reliable. But our impact goes far beyond the hospital walls — we're building the digital foundations that strengthen healthcare for communities across Aotearoa. By driving innovation, setting national standards, and investing in smarter, more resilient infrastructure, we're shaping the future of digital health in New Zealand — and you could be part of it. Based in Wellington, you will be part of the Network and Communications team, within Digital Operations. Reporting to the Practice Lead (Network and Communications - Central), you'll work with a highly skilled, collaborative group responsible for delivering fast, reliable, and secure communication networks across corporate and clinical environments. This is an opportunity to join a national team making a real difference — improving connectivity, resilience, and equity in digital healthcare across Aotearoa.

About you

You are an experienced network professional with a passion for problem-solving and a track record of delivering technical excellence in complex environments. You thrive on collaboration, take pride in your leadership, and enjoy helping others develop their skills. Your ability to balance technical precision with strategic insight means you can see both the big picture and the details that make it work.

• A positive attitude and strong communication skills.
• CCNP certification (or equivalent experience)
• Deep hands‑on experience with Cisco switching and routing
• Willingness to get hands‑on – from installing switches to checking cabling
• Strong Firewall expertise, ideally including Fortinet exposure an advantage
• Proven experience providing technical leadership and guidance across complex IT environments
• At least 7 years' experience in technical support roles maintaining availability, stability, and compliance
• At least 3 years' experience leading optimisation and improvement initiatives across large or complex environments
• A willingness to travel within the region and participate in an on‑call roster as needed
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or equivalent experience in relevant technologies (minimum 10 years) or postgraduate certification.
• ITIL or service management certifications are desirable

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.