Senior DevOps Engineer

Overview

Join the New Zealand Customs Service as a Senior DevOps Engineer, playing a pivotal role in creating secure and dependable technology solutions that safeguard the country’s borders. In this senior technical position, you will lead engineering initiatives, mentor team members, and contribute throughout the entire product lifecycle to ensure robust, secure, and maintainable solutions that deliver value to Customs and its stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide mentorship and technical coaching to fellow engineers, guiding skill development and adoption of emerging technologies and methodologies.
• Assist in sprint planning, coordinating deployments, and managing incident responses effectively.
• Participate in designing technical architectures and craft clear and comprehensive design and operational documentation.
• Develop and test solutions adhering to Customs’ standards and requirements.
• Design, build, and sustain continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Ensure products are secure, sustainable, and compliant with the New Zealand Information Security Manual and internal cybersecurity policies.
• Deliver operational support for critical business applications, including involvement in on-call duties.
• Collaborate with multiple stakeholders and partner teams to refine requirements, prioritize tasks, and produce impactful results.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of five years in software development and/or infrastructure engineering roles.
• Experience within product-driven development teams using a wide range of technologies.
• Exposure throughout product lifecycles and supporting highly available business-critical services.
• Strong proficiency with development languages, databases, DevOps practices, automation, API usage, and cloud technologies.
• Understanding of networking concepts, security compliance, capacity planning, user experience, and product management.
• Proven leadership capabilities including mentoring, influencing, and providing guidance to technical teams.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and the capacity to deliver quality solutions under pressure.
• Clear and effective communication skills for simplifying complex technical topics.
• Flexible, cooperative approach with a strong eagerness to acquire new skills and adopt innovative technologies.

Working at New Zealand Customs Service

The organization cultivates a workplace where every member feels valued and equipped to meet future challenges underpinned by core values and a strong mission linked to national safety. Benefits include:

• On-the-job training and career growth opportunities.
• An inclusive environment valuing every voice and encouraging teamwork.
• Support for flexible working arrangements compliant with operational needs.
• Focus on wellbeing, including health insurance discounts and access to on-site gyms in certain locations.
• Additional service holidays and four weeks annual leave.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be New Zealand Citizens or Permanent Residents and currently living in New Zealand.
• Continuous residence in New Zealand for the past five years is required; exceptions are negotiable upon assessment.
• Position requires Confidential-level security clearance.

Application Instructions

Submit your resume and cover letter highlighting your qualifications through the official application process before 11pm, Tuesday 20 October 2026. Early applications are encouraged as interviews may occur prior to the closing date. Recruitment is managed internally without agency involvement. The New Zealand Customs Service welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds and offers flexible work arrangements.