We are seeking an experienced Solution Architect to design and deliver a next-generation platform within a highly regulated, mission-critical environment.

This is not a typical enterprise IT project. You’ll play a key role in shaping a greenfield platform, ensuring alignment across application, infrastructure, and platform layers from day one.
 
About the role
 
This is a hands-on architecture role focused on platform and infrastructure design, working alongside a dedicated software architect responsible for application architecture.

You will be responsible for taking the platform from design through to realisation, ensuring technical coherence across the full stack and enabling a robust, scalable, and compliant solution.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end solution architecture across application, platform, and infrastructure layers
• Define and validate Kubernetes platform design, including multi-cluster architecture
• Design high-availability and replication strategies across geographically separated data centres
• Ensure architecture supports modern microservices technologies (e.g. cloud-native, distributed systems)
• Work closely with infrastructure, network, security, and development teams to deliver an integrated solution
• Design for regulated environments, including assurance requirements, toolchain control, and artefact traceability
• Translate architecture into implementable designs and support delivery teams
• Enable knowledge transfer and uplift capability within operational teams

About You

You are a seasoned Solution Architect who can operate confidently across both infrastructure and application layers, with experience delivering in complex, regulated environments.

Key Experience & Skills

• Proven experience in safety-critical or regulated industries 
• Strong background in distributed systems and microservices architecture
• Experience with enterprise Kubernetes platforms (e.g. NKP, OpenShift, RKE2 or similar)
• Knowledge of distributed databases and replication models (e.g. CockroachDB or equivalent)
• Ability to design solutions across networking, infrastructure, and cloud/IaaS environments
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills – able to bridge development and operations teams
• Experience working within formal assurance or compliance frameworks is highly desirable

What Makes This Role Unique

• Work on nationally significant technology
• Play a key role in building a greenfield platform from the ground up
• Engage with modern technologies including Kubernetes, distributed SQL, and event-driven architectures
• Operate in a highly collaborative, cross-functional environment
• Influence critical architectural decisions with long-term impact

 Contract details

• Initial duration: 6 months (with potential extension). Start date slated for July. 
• Attractive hourly rate 
• Location: Christchurch preferred, Auckland candidates considered if strong match. 
• Please note that all candidates for this role will be subject to a MOJ check + drug and alcohol screening prior to receiving an offer of employment.

We are also only able to consider candidates who are based in NZ already and have valid, existing working rights.