Test Lead (Digital)

Location: Wellington – Asteron Centre

Position Type: Full-Time, Fixed-Term for 12 months
Salary Range: $115,536 – $141,751 per year
Benefits: Includes 4% KiwiSaver contribution, health insurance, and vision care assistance

At the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, we are constantly evolving to meet the demands of a changing environment and the aviation industry.

Recent legislative changes, along with an organisational realignment, have opened exciting new opportunities across the organisation. These changes are part of a broader effort to better position our teams for the future by enabling us to be more collaborative, efficient and effective in everything we do.

As we step confidently into our role as a modern regulator, we are embracing intelligence-led, risk-based approaches that help us make a real difference for our people and the communities we serve – with a strong value-for-money ethos. We’re also committed to enabling aviation participants to support economic growth in New Zealand's aviation sector.

About the Role

As a Test Lead, you’ll step into a key role as the primary driver of testing strategy and practice, with the unique opportunity to shape and lead the development of testing capabilities across both the team and the wider organisation. This is a highly autonomous, hands-on position where you’ll have end-to-end ownership of the testing lifecycle, from designing robust test strategies to developing automation testing, test plans, and test cases for a variety of digital projects. Your expertise in both functional and non-functional testing will directly influence the quality and reliability of key digital solutions, making a visible and meaningful impact across the business.

The salary band for this position goes from $115,536 to a maximum of $141,751. Starting salaries will be based on the knowledge, skills, and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, and relativities both within the immediate team and in the broader Authority for the same or similar roles.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and implement the testing strategy across key digital projects, acting as the primary testing authority within the team.
• Develop and maintain automation test suites, as well as detailed test cases and test plans tailored to each project’s needs.
• Create and execute test cases, ensuring test coverage and traceability.
• Maintain defect logs, monitor testing quality, and provide clear reporting on test progress and outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define and validate acceptance criteria.
• Identify risks early and work to mitigate them proactively.
• Support project transition to BAU through well-documented test results and handovers.

What You’ll Bring

• In-depth understanding of software testing methodologies and QA best practices.
• Strong experience in Agile environments, including BDD and user story testing.
• 3+ years hands-on experience in automation testing using tools such as Selenium and knowledge of testing methodologies.
• A track record of stakeholder engagement and cross-functional team collaboration.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Azure environments is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills -able to anticipate issues and act decisively.
• Tertiary qualification in a relevant technology discipline.

Why Join Us?

At CAA, you’ll be part of a purpose-driven organisation where your work has real impact. We foster a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment that values diverse perspectives. You’ll also benefit from:

• A people-first culture that prioritises wellbeing.
• Modern office located conveniently opposite the train station.
• Exposure to a dynamic public sector environment, providing unique insight and national level experience.
• The chance to shape the future of aviation in Aotearoa.

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and Cover Letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.

We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there is any support we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you.

For more information on the role please view the position description or contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@caa.govt.nz

Please apply via our Careers site. We are unable to consider email applications.

Applications close: Tuesday 23rd September 2025.