In May 2021, King was promoted to the rank of brigadier from general-list officer at a ceremony led by Chief of Defence Force, Air MarshalKevin Short.[3] She is the first general-list woman officer to be afforded this rank. There are two special officer women brigadiers.[3] Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, said of the promotion, "This promotion is a significant occasion; not just for Rose, but for the NZ Army also."[2]
In June 2021, King was seconded as joint head of MIQ, alongside Megan Main. King succeeded Brigadier Jim Bliss after his six-month secondment.[5][6] MIQ was run by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as part of New Zealand's all-of-government COVID-19 national response border measures, and was implemented in April 2020.[5][7]
King's husband, Lieutenant Colonel Glenn King, also serves in the Defence Force, and they have two children.[2]