Head of Applications

About the Position

Head of Applications

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Employment Type: Permanent Full-Time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

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Responsibilities

• Lead the enterprise application portfolio, ensuring solutions are secure, reliable, compliant, and effectively managed throughout their lifecycle.
• Develop and execute the applications strategy and roadmap, aligning investments, modernisation initiatives, and lifecycle decisions with business objectives and enterprise architecture.
• Drive service excellence and operational resilience through effective governance, service ownership, risk management, support, change, and continuity practices.
• Lead application modernisation and rationalisation programmes that reduce complexity, increase productivity, and deliver measurable business value.
• Build trusted relationships with business leaders, technology stakeholders, and strategic vendors to deliver effective business and technology outcomes.
• Establish clear accountability for application performance, service quality, and user experience across the portfolio.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams, creating opportunities for growth, capability uplift, and future readiness.
• Identify and embed enhancements that improve operational effectiveness and the delivery of technology services.

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Requirements

• Proven experience leading enterprise application portfolios, product management, or technology service functions.
• Strong background in applications strategy, digital transformation, and technology modernisation.
• Experience managing complex technology environments and leading large-scale application ecosystems.
• Demonstrated success in driving operational excellence, governance, service management, and risk management practices.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence and partner with senior executives.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing technology teams.
• Strong commercial acumen and vendor management experience.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and decision-making skills.
• Experience within a complex corporate, professional services, financial services, or enterprise environment.

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Nice to Have

• Knowledge of enterprise architecture principles and application lifecycle management.
• Experience delivering technology transformation, cloud adoption, or application rationalisation programmes.
• Understanding of IT governance, security, compliance, and business continuity frameworks.
• Experience with Microsoft 365 and ServiceNow platforms is highly desirable.

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We Offer

• Access to the firm's annual incentive scheme
• Opportunities for local and international secondments
• Hybrid working across a mix of office, client, and home hubs
• The ability to work from overseas and extend time connecting with friends and family outside New Zealand
• Flexible leave options, including the ability to purchase additional annual leave
• Gender-neutral support for all stages of the parental journey, including access to 18 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all new parents
• A paid professional association membership of your choice
• Digital accreditations through our partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn Learning, with bespoke learning pathways for all employees
• A wide range of special offers and discounts on insurances, banking services, and lifestyle goods and services
• The support, allyship, and opportunity to join our many Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Affinity networks
• The opportunity to participate in Green Team activities, as we work toward reducing the firm’s environmental footprint and become carbon zero by 2030
• An invitation to join your local Social club and enjoy events aimed at bringing people together for social, sporting, cultural, family, and fundraising activities
• Paid time off for volunteering and involvement in citizenship activities
• An array of health and wellness benefits such as free flu vaccinations, subsidised sporting events, free confidential counselling services, additional 5 days of Wellbeing leave to support you and your family's overall health and wellness, access to our Wellbeing portal with an extensive range of advice and resources, and much more!

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About the Company

KPMG New Zealand is part of the international KPMG network and one of the world’s leading professional services organisations. We provide audit, tax, and advisory services to individuals, SMEs, multi-nationals, and government agencies.

Locally, we’re known for our values-driven culture and strong staff engagement, anchored in our purpose of fuelling New Zealand’s prosperity. This purpose drives everything we do, from our client work to internal practices, all guided by our shared values of Integrity, Courage, Excellence, Together, for Better.

Life at KPMG

KPMG values diversity in the workforce and we encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply for roles, including individuals with a disability, additional mental health needs, chronic health conditions, or who identify as neurodivergent.

For disabled and neurodiverse candidates, if you encounter accessibility barriers or if you have access needs and require support to participate equitably in the recruitment process, please email Emma at email protected.

For any general questions about the role or recruitment process, feel free to reach out to our Talent Acquisition team at email protected.

We offer rewarding careers to talented individuals and a holistic range of benefits to support your life balance, whatever your circumstance. We want you to do Work That Matters, Thrive and Grow, and know that you Belong here with us, at KPMG.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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