Principal Pega System Architect

Job description

Worker Type: Permanent Here at BNZ, it's about more than just banking. We work together in an agile, energising environment to create innovative solutions through our promise "If you can imagine a better future, let's find a way." We support wellbeing, flexible working and have a generous leave offering. There is the opportunity for growth, learning and career development. No two days are the same. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Pega professional with a passion for improvement and customer excellence to shape BNZ’s Pega architecture and technical direction. This principal individual-contributor role has no direct reports or formal people-management responsibilities. Mō te Tūranga | About the Role We sat down with our Head of Technology – Workflow Automation, and they let us know the following about the role. What are the responsibilities for this role? Provide principal technical authority for Pega, partnering with Technical Product Owners, Pega Lead System Architects (LSAs), Business Product Owners and Lead Business Architects (LBAs). Influence architectural decisions, mentor practitioners and coach teams through design and code reviews, without line-management accountability. Shape end-to-end solution blueprints across case management, workflows, integrations and data. Translate business objectives into practical designs and measurable outcomes, balancing security, performance, resilience and maintainability with BNZ’s architectural standards. Champion workflow platform governance, reusable patterns and Pega guardrails. Review designs and code, guide adherence to policies and standards, and make technical risks, exceptions and debt visible so teams can resolve them with the appropriate owners. Shape the technical roadmap alongside platform and product owners, identifying modernisation, reuse and continuous-improvement opportunities across the Pega architecture and technology stack. Recommend priorities and explain technical trade-offs in support of BNZ’s strategic initiatives. Partner with delivery and demand management teams to turn business requirements into effective Pega solutions. Provide hands-on support for complex technical problems and engineering assurance through delivery, including integration, testing, production readiness and supportability; project management remains with delivery owners. What is the team culture and environment like? The team culture is dynamic, supportive, and focused on making the right decisions for customers, colleagues, and communities, with a strong emphasis on ethics, collaboration, and excellence in service delivery. What is the most exciting thing about this opportunity? This is a chance to help transform the banking experience through technology. Shaping workflow automation and AI-driven self-service solutions offers an opportunity to improve customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. You will see your technical expertise and architectural decisions translate into better outcomes for customers and colleagues. The role combines hands-on problem solving, strategic thinking and influence across teams to help BNZ become the best bank for customers and colleagues. What is the most challenging thing about this opportunity? The challenge is to balance innovation with operational stability. You will guide the adoption of workflow automation and AI-driven self-service while ensuring solutions fit BNZ’s existing systems, processes and service expectations. Success means making clear technical trade-offs, addressing risk and debt, and influencing teams without direct authority. You will also need to anticipate changes in the technology landscape while keeping customer outcomes at the centre of your decisions. What attributes will this person display in order to be successful in this role? A passion for improvement and customer excellence, with the curiosity to simplify processes and improve customer experiences through workflow automation. Technical credibility and influence: sound architectural judgement, clear communication and the ability to build alignment across disciplines. You will develop others through mentoring, coaching and constructive technical feedback, rather than managing their performance. Strategic thinking that connects architecture and technical roadmap choices to BNZ’s vision of simpler processes and faster, better customer outcomes. A strong focus on engineering best practice, combining hands-on problem solving with sound integration, security, testing and operational practices. You will make pragmatic decisions and take accountability for the quality of your technical advice. What specific tech skills would be beneficial? Pega certification(s), such as Pega Certified Lead System Architect or equivalent, alongside proficiency in application development and support and experience designing and delivering Pega Platform solutions. You will bring expertise in case and workflow design, integration and data architecture, reusable components and Pega guardrails. You will be comfortable reviewing designs and code, diagnosing complex issues, and assessing security, performance and resilience. You will balance hands-on technical work with setting guidelines, providing engineering assurance and coaching teams in what good looks like. You will understand new features and the future direction of workflow automation, assess where they could add value at BNZ, and help platform and product owners shape a practical modernisation roadmap. Nau Mai ki te Pēke o Aotearoa | Come to the Bank of New Zealand Please note applications close Sunday 18 October 2026. This is an exciting opportunity to join us! We're bold thinkers who are taking brave steps to create a company that people want to work for, and customers want to bank with. If you're ready to join a fun organisation where we are proud of our culture and how we are helping New Zealander's to 'Find their way', then show your interest by submitting your application - we can't wait to read it. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini" - Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many.” Closing Date: 18 October 2026 Applications will be reviewed regularly across the advertising period, but we do reserve the right to close applications early.