He kōrero mō mātou | About Watercare
Ki te ora te wai, ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata
When the water is healthy, the land and the people are healthy
There's never been a better time to join Watercare. We're delivering a $15.2 billion, 10-year capital investment programme, the largest in our history, creating opportunities to work on transformative infrastructure, sustainability and digital projects that will shape Auckland's future. With more than $4 million invested every day, you'll be part of work that makes a lasting difference to our communities and environment.
He whakamārama mō te tūranga mahi | About the role
We’re currently on the lookout for a Solutions Architect who has extensive experience with Operational Technology. You will be responsible for the architecture and technical delivery of industrial control systems projects and programmes. This role works closely with business stakeholders, the leadership team, and the Border Architecture team to develop, maintain, and evolve the industrial control systems architecture strategy and supporting roadmap.
The successful candidate will be accountable for determining the architectural and technical viability of control system solutions and ensuring alignment with business, Digital, and asset management strategies. The Solutions Architect provides leadership, technical direction, and assurance across the full lifecycle of industrial control system initiatives, supporting capital works planning, delivery, and continuous improvement.
Key areas of accountability include:
Developing and maintaining the industrial control systems architecture strategy and roadmap
Maintaining currentstate architecture and defining futurestate solutions
Providing technical leadership across control systems programmes of work
Supporting investigations, feasibility studies, and concept designs to inform robust budgets and delivery timelines
Contributing to energy efficiency, asset management planning, and capital works programmes
Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to deliver sustainable, operationally sound solutions
Ngā pūkenga e rapu nei mātou | About you
You are an experienced solution architect with strong leadership capability and deep technical expertise in industrial control systems, ideally within utility or critical infrastructure environments. You bring a strategic mindset, balanced with delivery experience, and are comfortable navigating complexity, ambiguity, and competing priorities.
Minimum of 10 years’ postgraduate experience in solution architecture
Proven experience architecting solutions for industrial control systems in utility or critical infrastructure environments
Experience with OT systems and networks, including DCS, SCADA, IoT and IIoT
Experience working within a client organisation in the utility sector
Knowledge of multiple industrial control system platforms
Knowledge, skills, and attributes
Excellent leadership and technical guidance capability
Strong understanding of enterprise technical architecture, infrastructure, and network design
Ability to translate futurestate business capabilities into solution architecture requirements
Experience applying multiple technical solutions to complex business problems
Proven experience working in agile delivery environments
Experience leading solution architecture throughout the full product or programme lifecycle
Strong facilitation and communication skills, including presenting technical information to nontechnical stakeholders
Sound judgement, pragmatism, and confidence operating in ambiguous environments
Passion for mentoring, upskilling others, and driving high performing teams
Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Commercial awareness and strong interpersonal skills, including collaboration and negotiation
Ngā hua mōu | What’s in it for you
Opportunity to shape and influence the futurestate architecture of critical industrial control systems
Work on complex, high impact programmes that support essential water and wastewater services
Collaborate with experienced professionals across Digital, Operations, and Infrastructure Delivery
A role that balances strategic thinking with technical leadership
Ongoing professional development, mentoring, and the chance to grow capability across the organisation
The ability to make a meaningful contribution to sustainable infrastructure and community outcomes
Ngā hua mōu | What's in it for you
We offer a competitive salary and staff benefits package including:
• Training and development opportunities
• Life and income protection insurance plans
• Generous parental leave
• Employee discounts at a range of large retailers
Me pēhea te tono mai | How to Apply
Come and join our team! If you are looking for an exciting career opportunity with a fantastic team then please apply online today - careers.watercare.co.nz.
Skills Required
- Minimum of 10 years' postgraduate experience in solution architecture
- Experience architecting industrial control system solutions in utility or critical infrastructure environments
- Experience with OT systems and networks, including DCS, SCADA, IoT, and IIoT
- Experience working within a client organisation in the utility sector
- Knowledge of multiple industrial control system platforms
- Leadership and technical guidance capability
- Understanding of enterprise technical architecture, infrastructure, and network design
- Experience translating future-state business capabilities into solution architecture requirements
- Experience applying multiple technical solutions to complex business problems
- Experience working in agile delivery environments
- Experience leading solution architecture throughout the full product or programme lifecycle
- Strong facilitation and communication skills with technical and nontechnical stakeholders
- Strong organisational, collaboration, negotiation, and commercial skills
- Experience mentoring and upskilling others
What We Do
At Watercare we’re proud to provide a lifeline service to the people of Auckland, while protecting the environment for future generations. Every day we provide the highest quality drinking water to 1.7 million Aucklanders, and take it away again once it’s been used in the sink or flushed down the loo. Without using chemicals, we treat wastewater to a very high standard and safely return it to the environment. We also plan for new and upgraded infrastructure far into the future to ensure we can meet the needs of our fast-growing city. We operate assets worth more than $9 billion – but it’s our people who are our most valuable assets. Our staff are passionate, motivated and trustworthy people who are the leaders in their fields. They’re not afraid of a challenge and are constantly looking for new ways of improving our processes and the service we offer our customers. If this sounds like you, please visit our careers centre to see our job vacancies and be notified of future opportunities: https://careers.watercare.co.nz
