Head of Applications Platforms and Operations

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Lead operational excellence across critical and enterprise applications Shape resilient platforms, DevOps maturity and lifecycle delivery Lead inclusive teams across Application Services and ISTTranspower's purpose is to empower the energy future for New Zealand - a future that delivers a net-zero carbon economy and a reliable and secure electricity system.At the forefront of the energy sector, Transpower is the regulated state-owned enterprise that owns and operates the national electricity transmission system and fulfils the role of system operator. With over $5 billion in critical infrastructure assets, we play a pivotal role in connecting electricity generators to users and distribution networks across Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Role Context\n

In this role you’ll lead the operational integrity, reliability and lifecycle management of Transpower’s critical and enterprise applications and platforms and be accountable for the end-to-end delivery of designated application development, integration, and lifecycle refresh projects. You’ll ensure the systems that underpin grid, market and enterprise operations are secure, highly available, well monitored, effectively supported and continuously improved.

About the team\n

The Head of Application Platforms and Operations reports to the Application Services Group Manager within our award-winning Information Services and Technology Division (IST). The Application Services group manages Transpower’s inventory of applications and integrations, including critical and enterprise systems across Market Systems, Transmission applications, Core Finance, Asset Management, Information Management and HR systems.

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Red Hat Innovation Award: https://www.transpower.co.nz/news/market-system-transformation-nets-transpower-2024-red-hat-innovation-award

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This is a senior leader-of-leaders role, providing delivery oversight, operational and people leadership across application operations, platform engineering and service delivery teams, while working closely with Strategy & Architecture, Infrastructure & Operations, Security Services, Portfolio Delivery, vendors and senior business stakeholders.

The Opportunity\n

As our Head of Application Platforms and Operations, you will lead operational excellence across Transpower’s core applications and platforms, including mission-critical 24x7 systems and enterprise SaaS platforms. You’ll focus on high availability, strong security, effective monitoring, disciplined change management, rapid issue resolution and continuous improvement.

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In addition to leading application operations and platform ownership, you’ll provide technical governance across a subset of application development, integration and lifecycle refresh projects, ensuring solutions are delivered to agreed architecture, quality, security and operational standards.

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This is a pivotal leadership role in an organisation central to achieving New Zealand’s net-zero carbon goals. If you bring senior IT leadership experience, sound commercial judgement, and the drive to strengthen delivery, reliability, platform maturity and team capability in a complex operational environment - we’d welcome your application.

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The interesting work you’ll be involved in, over the next few years will include:

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• Leading operational excellence across mission-critical 24x7 systems, enterprise applications and SaaS platforms
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• Building inclusive, high-performing teams across application operations, platform engineering and service delivery
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• Driving monitoring, observability, disaster recovery and high availability practices for critical systems including SCADA and Market Systems
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• Shaping application platform ownership and lifecycle management across OpenShift, messaging middleware, DevOps toolchains, CI/CD, observability and automation
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• Providing technical governance for application development, integration, COTS implementation, cloud services and lifecycle refresh projects
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• Enabling safe and scalable adoption of agentic AI software development practices with strong human oversight, quality controls and governance
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• Partnering across IST and the business to strengthen DevOps, continuous improvement, service reliability and "design for operations" practices
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What will you bring?\n

You’ll bring significant IT leadership experience in complex software delivery, application platforms, enterprise systems or critical systems operations, with the credibility to lead managers and senior technical specialists across multiple domains. Your expertise will be underpinned by relevant tertiary qualifications and a strong track record improving reliability, delivery performance, platform maturity and operational outcomes.

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We know experience can be gained in different ways. For this role, we’ll be looking for leadership experience grounded in software development and delivery, alongside complex technology environments, operational accountability, and building high-performing teams.

Skills and experience we’ll assess (please provide examples):\n

Significant IT leadership experience, likely developed over several years, leading technical teams in complex software delivery, application platforms or critical systems operations. Proven experience leading through others, including managers or senior technical specialists across multiple domains. Strong expertise in application delivery, quality assurance and technical governance for large projects, including code quality, test coverage and transition to operations. Demonstrated experience introducing modern practices, platforms, automation, DevOps and strengthened operational disciplines in a way that improves resilience, delivery performance and team effectiveness. Sound judgement balancing innovation, pace, operational stability, security and risk in mission-critical environments. Experience contributing to strategic planning, maturity roadmaps, vendor management and commercial accountability in an IT environment. Financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, capex/opex management and articulating the value of reliability and platform improvements.

What’s advantageous but not essential:\n

Familiarity with utilities, energy sector or similar 24x7 operational environments. Experience blending utility industry best practice with modern IT and platform engineering concepts. DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering proficiency, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, continuous testing, error budgets, toil reduction and blameless incident reviews. Professional certifications or training such as ITIL, DevOps/cloud certifications, or leadership development qualifications.

Join us at Transpower!\n

Aotearoa, New Zealand is powered by the people who work here. Every home, every marae, every electric vehicle, every hospital relies on the electricity we manage and deliver. This is your opportunity to join us on a mission that affects all New Zealanders, the planet, and the economy. With over 31 ethnicities, our people provide diverse perspectives, knowledge, and deep and varied experience which they love to share and which we celebrate. We work in the office or on-site for a minimum of three days each week, which helps us build and maintain relationships, support learning, deliver outcomes, and sustain our culture.

Benefits\n

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• We prioritise employee wellbeing with a range of health and wellness benefits - check them out here: https://www.transpower.co.nz/about-us/careers-transpower/staff-benefits
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To understand more about the breadth of our work at Transpower - check out our Integrated Report 2506 Transpower Integrated Report FY25, ICT Strategy ICT Strategy and review the position description for this role.

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Role closes: September 1st, 2026.

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Existing eligibility to work in Aotearoa New Zealand is required.

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