Lead System Engineer - PMC

Salary: Base Salary + KiwiSaver + Health Insurance

Protecting New Zealand’s Digital Sovereignty

Are you a seasoned System Engineer driven by the challenge of securing national infrastructure? Do you thrive in environments where technical precision is paramount and the stakes are high? The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) is seeking a Lead System Engineer to spearhead the infrastructure evolution of our Protective Monitoring Centre (PMC).

The PMC is a cornerstone of the NZSIS Insider Threat Mission. We operate at the intersection of behavioural analytics and large-scale data ingestion, monitoring and securing critical New Zealand Government IT systems to detect anomalies and mitigate malicious patterns.

The Mission

Our operational success relies on the calibre of our people. While our work is classified, our objective is clear; leveraging collective expertise to perform extraordinary work in the interest of national security. We offer the opportunity to apply your engineering mastery to a mission of genuine significance.

About the PMC

The PMC is a specialised technical and analytical unit, focused on the detection of insider threats and IT compliance, by aggregating data from disparate sources – including network traffic, application logs, and user activity – the PMC provides the high-fidelity visibility required for advanced behavioural analytics and breach detection

The Role

As the Lead System Engineer, you will architect and optimise the underlying infrastructure of our specialised SIEM analysis platform. This is a complex, high-impact role requiring a balance of strategic foresight and technical execution. You will lead the research and development necessary to ensure our systems scale effectively alongside the growing data demands of the PMC.

Key responsibilities include:

• Service Delivery & Strategy – lead the planning, prioritisation and management of critical system services.
• Risk Management – design and implement robust systems risk mitigation strategies and technical guidance.
• Cross-Functional Enablement – act as the primary technical bridge across multiple intelligence disciplines.
• Specialised Tooling – delivery highly compartmented insider threat investigation tools for the NZIC and partner government agencies.

Technical Profile

We are seeking an engineer with a diverse technical toolkit and a commitment to continuous technical evolution. Ideally, you will possess:

• OS Proficiency – advanced experience in both Windows and Unix environments.
• Modern infrastructure – proven expertise in virtualisation and containerisation technologies.
• Networking – strong foundational knowledge of switches, routers and firewalls.
• Automation – proficiency in scripting to drive efficiency and system reliability.

Core Competencies

To succeed in this high-pressure environment, you will need:

• Collaborative Excellence – the ability to operate seamlessly within a team of subject matter experts.
• Decisiveness – high initiative and sound judgment when operating under operational pressure.
• Communication – the ability to translate complex technical architectures for non-technical stakeholders.
• Delivery – a track record of project managing and delivering key strategic initiatives.
• Diagnostics – superior analytical and fault-finding capabilities.

Your Growth

We invest in our people. At NZSIS, professional development is not a perk – it is a requirement. We provide significant opportunities for specialised training and career progression, ensuring you remain at the forefront of engineering excellence.

We’re also committed to your wellbeing. We want our people to be the best they can be, both at work and at home. We offer our people comprehensive benefits, access to staff networking groups, flexible working and great work-life balance.

The expected appointing range for this role is $120,359 - $128,383.

When you apply: In your cover letter, please outline your experience and the specific skills you bring to the role.

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,
  AND
• 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.

Still unsure? Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a TSS security clearance: http://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/eligibility-tool