Technical Operations Manager

New Zealand Intelligence Community; Wellington; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision care

Kiwisaver contributions

Leave benefits

Childcare allowance

Career growth

Job summary

NZSIS in Wellington is seeking a experienced Technical Operations Manager to lead an operational team that applies cutting‑edge tradecraft and technology to support national‑security investigations. You will work with other managers to uplift capability, set standards, and maintain relationships with domestic and international partners while ensuring a confidential, high‑tempo work environment.

Applicants must meet security clearance and citizenship requirements and will be part of the

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience leading operational teams.
• Proven ability to drive innovative technical operations.
• Strong problem solving and collaboration under ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Lead an operational team to support national-security investigations.
• Set technical/operational standards and tradecraft.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to uplift capability.
• Act as part of Operations Delivery Leadership team.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Problem solving

Decision making

Change management

Team development

Job description

Join our diverse and talented people and work at the heart of national security, providing essential intelligence to the NZ government to protect New Zealand and its people.

Why join the NZSIS?

The NewZealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) is the nation’s domestic security intelligence agency. Our mission is to protect NewZealand and its people from emerging threats through the collection, analysis and reporting of high-value intelligence.

As one of two Technical Operations Managers you will lead an operational team that is responsible for applying cutting-edge tradecraft and technology to support national-security investigations that directly impact the safety of all NewZealanders.

You’ll play a critical role in working with the other Technical Operations Manager to drive the culture across the Technical Operations Teams, uplift technical and digital capability, and maintain operational relationships with both domestic and international partners.

This role is also a member of the Operations Delivery Leadership team, and will be working closely with other operational leaders to deliver excellent operational outcomes and uplift our overall capability. Working closely with these leaders in a collaborative and productive manner will be critical.

Please note this is not an operationally deployed role and this position is Wellington based.

Ko wai koe – About you

We are looking for a confident manager with proven leadership experience and commitment to the team's ongoing wellbeing and development. Ideally you will have experience in leading an operational team.

You will need:

• 7+ years experience leading and developing teams in an operational environment
• Experience in driving a culture of innovation to deliver successful technical operations, improving overall efficiency and effectiveness.
• Excellent problem solving and decision‑making skills under ambiguous situations
• Strong approach to collaboration and the ability to build and maintain positive and productive work relationships
• Expert experience in setting technical and operational standards, tactics and tradecraft.
• Ideally experience in championing and implementing change with team culture in an ever‑changing environment

We encourage applications from people of all genders, cultural backgrounds, ages, abilities and life experiences. NZSIS recognises that diverse perspectives strengthen our ability to protect the nation. If you do not meet every single attribute but have transferable skills, a positive mindset and a commitment to our mission, you are still encouraged to apply.

Why work for us

Alongside getting to work with other talented people, we also offer a range of comprehensive benefits which include:

• Medical Insurance and Vision Care packages
• Enhanced employer contributions to your Kiwisaver
• Generous Leave benefits, including additional paid days off and enhanced sick and parental leave
• Childcare allowance for your preschoolers
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth and career pathways across the intelligence community

This opportunity requires you to lead a specialised team in a unique and high tempo operational area, so if you have these skills and experience, we would love to hear from you.

Before you apply

Working within our unique environment means we have to ensure you're eligible for employment.

You must:

• Have been a New Zealand Citizen for at least 10 years

OR

Hold a current NZ Residency Class Visa and ideally have been a citizen of the UK, USA, Canada or Australia for at least 10 years

• Be eligible to obtain a Top Secret Special (TSS) security clearance
  • Ordinarily, this means you'll have a 15 year checkable background in countries NZSIS Vetting can make meaningful and reliable checks.

The NZIC treats all applications for employment in the strictest confidence and we expect that you maintain a similar level of confidentiality during the recruitment process and throughout your career.

Salary Band I $120,358 (90%) - $153,791 (115%)
Midpoint of the salary range (100%) reflects full competence in the role

Closes on 10 Sep 2026 23:55

Work type(s) Permanent full-time

Job level(s) Experienced, Management

Expertise Technical Engineering, Management, Information Technology, Security & Intelligence