Lead Solution Architect - System Design and Innovation

Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity to 30 June 2027

This role is a fixed term position in response to increased demand within our high priority work programmes. We are surging in people and resources in response to these priorities.

Mo te turanga mahi \| About the role

As a Lead Solution Architect, you will work closely with business teams and technical stakeholders across the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and the new planning and environmental management system to define and guide practical, end-to-end solution architectures across a portfolio of initiatives.

You will provide technical leadership across multiple workstreams, ensuring solution designs are coherent, scalable, and aligned to programme outcomes within a complex, high-profile delivery environment. Your work will go beyond individual solutions to support alignment across systems, reuse of patterns, and consistency of architectural approaches.

You will be responsible for developing, communicating, and assuring solution designs, and supporting their progression through architecture governance processes. Working closely with delivery teams, you will balance new capability with a strong understanding of legacy and federated environments, making sound design decisions across spatial platforms, data flows, and API-based integrations, while addressing privacy, security, and interoperability requirements.

You will act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders and governance forums, providing clear guidance on solution options, risks, and trade-offs, and supporting informed, value-driven investment decisions.

Working in partnership with business leaders, Security and Architecture teams, delivery teams, Ministry ICT groups, and operational support teams, you will ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and fit for purpose, and aligned with all-of-government standards and integration expectations.

This role also involves collaboration with other government agencies, cross-agency programmes, and shared service providers, contributing to the development of a federated, interoperable digital ecosystem.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to the modernisation of spatial systems, improved data sharing, and the adoption of cloud-based and federated solutions, supporting the outcomes of the Planning System Transformation programme and MfE's broader environmental objectives.

Nga pukenga me nga wheako \| Skills and experience

• Extensive experience as a Solution Architect or similar senior/lead architecture role in complex digital environments, with a proven ability to lead end-to-end solution design across multiple initiatives and domains.
• Demonstrated ability to operate at a programme and system level, providing architecture leadership across multiple workstreams and ensuring alignment to strategic outcomes, not just individual project delivery.
• Strong background in technology design and solution architecture, including:
• Data and analytics platforms
• Spatial technologies (e.g. ESRI ArcGIS)
• Integration patterns and API ecosystems
• Cloud-native and hybrid architectures
• Proven experience designing and delivering solutions across multiple organisations or jurisdictions, including federated or distributed environments requiring interoperability and coordinated governance.
• Advanced capability in integration, interoperability, and data sharing, including the application of standards-based approaches to enable secure and scalable information exchange across systems and agencies.
• Experience engaging with and influencing senior stakeholders, governance forums, and executive decision-making, including providing trusted advice on solution options, risks, and trade-offs.
• Demonstrated contribution to business cases, investment planning, and technology decision-making, with the ability to balance long-term architecture integrity with pragmatic delivery considerations.
• Strong understanding of public sector digital delivery, including digital service standards, privacy legislation, cybersecurity frameworks, and the broader policy-to-delivery lifecycle.
• Experience applying user-centred and service design principles, ensuring solutions are accessible, inclusive, and aligned to real user needs.
• Proven ability to lead and support delivery teams in Agile or hybrid environments, ensuring architecture is effectively translated into implementation and sustained through the delivery lifecycle.
• Experience working within outsourced or multi-vendor ICT environments, navigating complexity while maintaining architectural integrity and delivery momentum.
• Strong understanding of security, identity, and access management frameworks, ensuring solutions meet compliance, privacy, and data protection requirements.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, practical guidance for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and their relevance to digital system design in the public sector context.

Whanuitanga Utu a-Tau \| Salary range

Salary range for this role is $168,574 to $204,663 pa. Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.

Tono inaianei \| Apply now

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and cover letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.

If you require further information about this position please contact Dan Hope at [email protected]. The position description is available via our careers centre www.mfe.govt.nz/jobs.

The location for this role is flexible, however, a Wellington based candidate is preferred.

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.

Note: for internal permanent kaimahi who are applying for a secondment, you must speak with your Manager before submitting your application.

Ra Katinga \| Applications close:Thursday, 25 June 2026

Please note that the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and it's workforce will transition into the new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) on 1 July 2026. Therefore, the successful applicant's employment would be transferred from MfE to MCERT as at 1 July, along with other Ministry kaimahi. Further details on what this means will be made available during the interview process.