Senior Cloud Engineer

placeMe IT Recruitment – Wellington Central, North Island We are looking for a Senior Cloud Engineer to join a dedicated digital team as the SeniorTechnical Lead for their Microsoft cloud and hybrid platforms. In this role, you will act as the core subject matter expert, setting technical direction, reviewing architecture designs, mentoring team members, and serving as the chief troubleshooter for complex challenges. Their cloud journey is well underway, but exciting work lies ahead! You’ll split your time roughly 50/50 between high-impact projects and operational stewardship (BAU) . Over the next 18 months, you will help drive key transformations, including our FMIS migration to Business Central, HRIS implementation, CRM/AI initiatives, and the final decommissioning of the on-premises footprint. What You’ll Be Doing Platform Engineering & Automation Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Drive automation and maintain our foundations using Azure DevOps pipelines alongside tools like Terraform, Bicep, ARM, or PowerShell. Cloud Security & Identity: Manage secure-by-design foundations using Entra ID, RBAC, PIM, Conditional Access, and Microsoft Defender. Decommissioning & Modernisation: Complete the transition off remaining legacy on-premise infrastructure. Service Operations & BAU (50%) Tier 3 Support: Act as the primary escalation point for complex technical issues, root-cause analysis, and break-fix scenarios. Environment Maintenance: Keep the environment mature, resilient, and aligned with external updates and best practice standards. Technical Leadership & Stewardship Guide the Team: Serve as the senior technical anchor for a small, collaborative team (1 Junior Cloud Engineer and 2 Cloud Administrators). Mentorship: Coach and mentor junior technical staff to elevate overall team capability. Design & Review: Peer-review and validate vendor architecture and design documents to ensure technical integrity, security, and seamless integration. Compliance: Ensure platforms align with government security and assurance frameworks (NZISM, PSR, Zero Trust). Location & Eligibility Requirements Location: Must be based in (or relocating to) Wellington, New Zealand. This position requires 3 days per week in our Wellington office. Security Clearance: You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret-level Security Clearance. To qualify for this level of clearance, you typically need to be an NZ Citizen or hold PR status from a Five Eyes nation (NZ, AU, UK, US, CA) with approximately 10 years of background history verifiable in New Zealand. Candidates can start pre-clearance prior to full clearance being granted, provided there are no obvious disqualifying factors. What We’re Looking For Azure Expertise: Deep, hands-on experience in a 100% Microsoft Azure enterprise environment (no multi-cloud required). Automation-First Mindset: Strong proficiency with IaC concepts, Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines, and scripting tools (Terraform, Bicep, ARM, PowerShell). Seniority & Problem-Solving: Proven track record in a senior or lead capacity with a calm, methodical approach to troubleshooting complex issues. Traditional IT Foundations: Solid background in traditional networking, virtualisation (VMware/servers), compute, and hybrid identity. Communication Skills: Ability to review vendor designs critically, produce quality runbooks, and collaborate effectively with both technical peers and leadership. Why Join? A Great Environment: Work with an Azure platform built strictly "by the book"—clean, organised, and properly architected. Professional Growth: Generous support and dedicated budget for training, certifications, and career development. Work-Life Balance: Generous hybrid working arrangements (2 days remote per week) and a flexible working policy that accommodates overseas travel for family visits. Supportive Culture: Join a friendly, tight-knit internal team with strong camaraderie and approachable leadership. #J-18808-Ljbffr