Quality Engineer Lead

Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko) is hiring for a Quality Engineer Lead in Auckland, onsite full-time. The company positions itself as a power, broadband and mobile provider with a bold drive into renewable energy and smarter ways of working. They value inclusivity, strong collaboration and a passion for delivering technology that genuinely helps people at home and in communities. The team emphasises practical quality throughout delivery and are keen to hire someone who wants to help embed quality across multiple squads.

The role sits within a wider mission to make quality an integrated part of software work, not a separate hand-off at the end. You’ll help shape how quality is built in from the start, supporting software and data engineers to adopt automation-first practices and test-driven approaches. You’ll work across around three to four squads in an assigned business domain, guiding automation, standards and feedback loops while you coach others. The company highlights that this is broader than traditional testing, with a focus on oversight, enablement and proactive quality engineering, while you may still contribute hands-on to automated testing as needed. Contact Energy supports flexible arrangements and has hubs in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga, with this role best suited to someone who can work flexibly from one of those locations to stay connected in person. They welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and emphasise the wellbeing of their people, offering benefits and a culture that values belonging. Note that only candidates with the right to work in New Zealand will be considered, and unsolicited CVs from agencies are not accepted unless there is a formal engagement. Applications close on Monday 19th October, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.

Quality engineering across several squads

In this lead role you’ll operate across multiple squads within a single business domain, advising on practical quality engineering and helping teams raise automation and quality awareness early in delivery. The aim is to move beyond fixed testing duties toward a broader quality strategy, standards and feedback mechanisms that engineers can own. You’ll guide the direction of automation, shape risk decisions and define meaningful quality metrics, while ensuring the approach can adapt to different technologies rather than forcing a single solution. Early on you may still roll up your sleeves with automated testing, but the long-term emphasis is on oversight, enablement and proactive quality engineering.

What you’ll bring to the team

What matters most are your proven abilities in quality engineering and how you apply them in modern tech environments. You’ll blend technical depth with influence, building trust with both technical peers and business stakeholders and helping teams lift their quality outcomes through sound engineering and testing practices.

• Solid background in quality engineering, QA or test automation within contemporary technology contexts
• Strong grasp of Agile delivery, DevOps and current software engineering principles
• Experience helping teams improve quality outcomes through practical engineering and testing methods
• Ability to win credibility with both technical and non-technical partners
• Clear communication, curiosity and a collaborative approach to solving problems

Nice-to-have items are not mandatory but would strengthen your candidacy:

• Experience with cloud, APIs, data platforms or digital platforms
• Familiarity with automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines or modern engineering tooling
• Previous mentoring, coaching or technical leadership experience
• Relevant certifications in quality engineering, Agile, DevOps or related disciplines

You don’t have to tick every box to be successful. If you have strong foundations in quality engineering and a genuine drive to help teams deliver great outcomes, Contact Energy wants to hear your story.

Pay, perks and practical details

The position is full-time and onsite in Auckland, with an emphasis on flexible working arrangements that support collaboration across the business. The company notes main hubs in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga, and prefers someone who can work flexibly from one of these locations to enable strong in-person connection and teamwork. Perks mentioned include free health insurance cover, boosted KiwiSaver, access to Contact Shares, a Good to be Home annual payment toward home setup and wellbeing, a market-leading parental leave policy, and twice-yearly payments toward products if you’re a Contact customer. The organisation also highlights a supportive wellbeing programme and a range of initiatives to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing. Applications close on Monday 19th October.

Please be aware that Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) will only consider candidates who have the right to live and work in New Zealand. The company does not accept unsolicited CVs from recruitment agencies unless there is a confirmed engagement with their Talent team.

Tips to stand out in this quality engineering lead application

Put your strongest quality engineering achievements up front on your resume, especially those tied to automation, QA or test automation in modern tech environments. Show the scope of your impact beyond manual testing and highlight your role in guiding squads toward automation-first practices or test-driven approaches.

Back up the must-have skills with concrete stories that demonstrate credibility with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, collaboration with engineers, and tangible quality improvements achieved through Agile and DevOps-minded practices.

Prepare for interviews by mapping out how you’ve previously shaped quality strategy, standards and risk decisions, and how you’ve helped teams across different technologies adopt robust automation and CI/CD integration. Be ready to discuss your approach to balancing standard methods with technology diversity.

Ask a focused question about how the team measures quality across multiple squads and how they prioritise quality improvements at scale, as well as how they balance consistent standards with varied tech stacks.

Next steps to apply

If this role aligns with your background and you’re available to work onsite in Auckland, click the Apply button to submit your application before the deadline. Remember, applications close on Monday 19th October, and early submissions are encouraged. The company welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and emphasises that the wellbeing of its kaimahi is a priority, with a range of support and benefits in place.