Practice Lead - Software Engineering

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Champion mastery, consistency, and quality across your practice area.

Mentor and empower others to deliver functional and technical excellence.

Collaborate widely to drive continuous improvement and future-ready capability.

Lead the development of people, craft, and capability as a Practice Lead in MSD's Improvement, Systems and Technology Group.

Every week, around 1.4 million New Zealanders count on MSD for income support and services to connect with work, housing and better lives for their families.

Information Systems & Technology (IST) provides the technologies, innovation and expertise that enable MSD staff and partners to deliver these essential services, today and into the future.

We're driving a once in a lifetime transformation of services for New Zealanders.

IST is a key enabler of this change bringing together strategic thinkers, technology specialists and delivery leaders to design solutions and deliver change while keeping vital services running reliably every day.

About the role | Mo te tunga :

As a Practice Lead, Software Engineering in the IST Group, you'll champion the development of people, craft, and capability within your practice area.

You'll provide both people and technical leadership, ensuring consistency, quality, and continuous improvement in how your practice delivers value across MSD.

Key responsibilities include :

Lead the development, performance, and engagement of people within your practice, fostering mastery and consistency of craft.

Support the Practice Manager with capability strategy, methodology development, and assurance controls.

Provide expert advice and guidance on methods, tools, and best practices, benchmarking externally to keep the practice future-ready.

Mentor, coach, and empower team members to achieve their professional goals and deliver functional excellence.

Collaborate with delivery stakeholders on sourcing, recruitment, and workforce planning.

Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners to drive practice outcomes.

We value diversity and welcome applications from disabled people and those who have lived experience with whanau, or the disability community.

Please contact us if there is any support that we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you.

Deep professional and technical knowledge of software engineering fundamentals, Clean Architecture, and modern development methodologies.

Proven ability to lead, influence, and develop others, fostering a high-performing engineering culture and improving workforce engagement.

Experience implementing capability strategies and driving continuous improvement across engineering teams.

Skilled in coaching, mentoring, and facilitating effective collaboration across teams and disciplines.

Strong stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills, with a track record of delivering constructive and strategic outcomes.

Excellent communication skills, able to translate technical and non-technical information for diverse audiences.

Strong written communication skills, with a documentation-first approach that supports clarity, consistency, and scalable knowledge sharing.

Salary | Utu-a-tau : $138,

• $171,

The Ministry of Social Development is a people-centred organisation.

We're in communities across the motu, working with partners to help New Zealanders be safe, strong and independent.

We provide social policy and advice to government and assistance, including income, employment and housing support to people of all ages, families, whanau and communities.

Our people are as diverse as the communities we serve.

We care about the wellbeing and success of our people and provide a supportive and inclusive working environment where people can thrive and be who they are.

How to apply | Me pehea te tuku tono :

To apply, click the 'Apply Now' button to upload your CV, cover letter and complete the online application form.

Note : Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key responsibilities listed in the position description.

All applications must be made online.

If this is not possible or if you have any queries, please contact us at

Internal MSD Employees – please apply through your myHR portal at work.

This will ensure that your myHR employee profile is visible as internal candidate.

Joining MSD means being part of a whanau that celebrates the diversity each individual represents.

We show manaaki, we care about the wellbeing and success of people and want everyone to thrive and be who they are in a supportive and inclusive working environment.

We work together to make a difference for communities while doing the right thing with integrity.

You can find out more about our values here.

If you have any support or accessibility requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.

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