Technical Strategist

The opportunity

Propellerhead is seeking a Technical Strategist to help shape and deliver dependable software platforms, ranging from intricate infrastructure solutions to new digital products. In this client-facing position, you will partner with Product Strategists to define technical direction and platform decisions across a portfolio of client work.

The ideal person brings strong architectural thinking, deep practical engineering experience, and a modern AI-first approach to delivery. You should have started your career as a software developer and still be comfortable reasoning about software structure, platform trade-offs, and solution design. You will be expected to use AI to quickly test ideas, assess their usefulness in hours rather than weeks, and guide an AI-assisted delivery process with confidence.

You will take the lead on complex system design, applying sound judgement and experience to support early delivery and ongoing improvement. A key part of the role is reinforcing engineering standards, shaping the technical approach used by AI-assisted delivery pipelines, and making sure client platforms remain aligned with Propellerhead’s technical strategy. You will work closely with the Chief Technologist and Engineering Principal to apply standards, patterns, and tooling in client environments, while also feeding real-world delivery insights back into technical strategy.

This is a visible role with direct contact with senior client stakeholders, so you will need a confident, professional presence and the ability to communicate and influence clearly.

Propellerhead follows a hybrid working model, combining office and home-based work. For this role, you must be based in Auckland. Applications are welcome from people across New Zealand and from overseas candidates planning to relocate to Auckland, but regular in-person office attendance is required.

The company describes its culture as one built on trust, continuous learning, integrity, and clarity. If you want to apply your engineering experience and strategic thinking to work that has real impact, this could be a strong fit.

Key responsibilities

• Prepare, review, and explain solution architecture and technical specifications in partnership with development teams and the core engineering function.
• Drive Propellerhead’s technical strategy as a major point of differentiation, ensuring that portfolio solutions are designed and implemented in line with that vision.
• Build trusted relationships with client decision-makers and make sure technical needs are understood by internal teams and clearly communicated to client technologists.
• Act as the primary technical contact for client solutions, including supporting technical prerequisites for delivery and responding to operational feedback with improvements.
• Define approaches that protect speed to value while also strengthening security, reliability, maintainability, performance, and overall functional fit.
• Help evolve the codebase and surrounding tooling from C# toward Rust, with AI playing a central role in requirements handling, testing, and code generation.

What the role calls for

• At least 8 years of experience building multi-tier and distributed applications.
• A strong AI-native working style, with confidence using AI to prototype solutions, shape delivery, and support requirements, testing, and code generation.
• Clear, credible presentation skills with the ability to speak confidently to senior client stakeholders.
• Practical experience with React user interfaces and services built in C#.
• Working knowledge of additional languages and ecosystems such as TypeScript, Java, Go, and Rust.
• Proven ability to explain technical choices in business terms to both internal teams and customers.
• Hands-on experience designing solutions on Azure, including contributing to CI/CD pipelines and operational instrumentation.
• Experience with streaming or messaging technologies such as Kafka or NATS is an advantage.
• Demonstrated success leading the design of complex software systems, ideally in enterprise environments combining existing services with custom development.
• Interest in, or experience with, digital identity, verifiable credentials, open banking, AI agent authorisation, or edge/device-based software deployment.

About Propellerhead

Propellerhead is a software services company that designs, delivers, and supports large-scale custom digital platforms across multiple technologies. The business focuses on technology that is useful, valuable, and capable of creating meaningful outcomes. Over more than 20 years, it has built long-term client relationships across commercial, non-profit, and government sectors.

How the team builds software

The team works in a product-oriented way, aiming to deliver measurable outcomes into production on an ongoing basis. Work begins with real stakeholder needs and the value they create. Propellerhead now uses an AI-assisted delivery pipeline that produces a significant amount of the code, and platforms are typically assembled from custom components combined with external services.

Benefits and working environment

• Join a collaborative team with a strong learning culture.
• Work on varied, commercially relevant projects for respected clients.
• Access opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Take part in fortnightly knowledge-sharing sessions with lunch provided.
• Receive a competitive salary.
• Be eligible for an employee share purchase scheme.
• Work from a well-designed Auckland office and from home under a hybrid model.
• Be part of an equal opportunity workplace that does not discriminate.

Application notes

A cover letter is required, and applications without one will not be considered. The employer specifically asks candidates not to use AI to write the cover letter. Applicants should share their authentic background, values, and motivation in their own words.

During later stages of the process, candidates may be asked to consent to a police background check, a credit history check, additional assessments, and verification of qualifications.