--- title: 'Senior Software Engineer at Propellerhead' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-propellerhead-auckland-ks1qj0kb5jvd' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Senior Software Engineer at Propellerhead - **Company:** Propellerhead - **Location:** Auckland, New Zealand - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** hybrid - **Posted:** 2024-04-08 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/propellerhead/d7437da0-daeb-47e8-9fd7-9a8b82b07f16 ## Job description The Role: Propellerhead is looking for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join our core engineering team (reporting to the CTO) to research and define future technical strategies for Propellerhead and our clients. The engineering team provides the core tools, techniques, and software libraries to support service development teams. You will guide proofs of concept to production, mentoring team members on new technologies and practices. You’ll also help our teams and customers navigate the development of effective, secure enterprise software and deployment architectures in the age of AI. Your team will consist of like-minded software craftspeople and will operate with a degree of autonomy seldom experienced in other organisations. Propellerhead operates a hybrid working model (work from our office and from your own home). While you must be based in Auckland for this role, we warmly welcome applications from across New Zealand and internationally who are planning to relocate to Auckland. This particular role requires regular in-person office attendance. If you are ready to work on real problems with real impact, and help lay the groundwork for what comes next - we would like to hear from you. Role Responsibilities: - Define technical solutions through research and team investigation, in line with the vision directed by the CTO. - Actively participate in the design and construction of software across the full stack - including code structure, deployment architecture, DevOps, automated testing, and integration of third-party systems. This will primarily involve the use of LLMs, with the expectation you will do virtually no hand-coding. - Collaborate with client stakeholders and fellow Propellerhead team members to ensure a shared understanding of solution design and roadmap delivery in line with agreed budgets. - Drive the migration of existing polyglot solutions to standardized Rust and TypeScript, towards more standardized and portable deployment architectures, and pass on technical learning to the broader organisation to embed the technical strategies throughout. Skills and Experience Required: - 7+ years experience as a Software Developer or Engineer, including experience working with enterprise-level complexity. High proficiency in at least one enterprise-quality programming language and its ecosystem. For example, C# .NET or Java and Spring. - Must have some experience with a lower-level language for application or systems development such as Rust (preferable) or C++. - Experience in TypeScript and React or similar front-end frameworks, and a well-developed understanding of web application development. - Hands-on experience deploying to Azure and/or AWS, including building CI/CD pipelines and using infrastructure scripting frameworks (e.g., Terraform). - Demonstrable experience in software design for distributed and asynchronous architecture. In particular, you will need to show examples of projects using microservices and messaging where you have been a key contributor to the design and construction. - You will already have embraced the use of LLMs over hand-coding and be able to articulate how this has improved the speed to deliver and safety of the systems you build. - With the help of LLMs you can produce clear and concise design documents. - You have excellent written and verbal communication skills to translate between requirements and technical tasks. About Propellerhead: Propellerhead is a leading software services company that designs, delivers, and maintains large-scale, custom-built digital platforms across a range of technologies. We place emphasis on producing technology which is meaningful, has value, and can make a difference in the world. We foster long lasting and trusting relationships with all our clients. Over our 20+ years in the market we have worked with a diverse range of commercial, non-profit, and government organisations. How We Build Software: We build software by structuring solutions in a product-centric manner and focusing on continuously delivering measurable outcomes into production. Our work starts from real stakeholder needs and the value they unlock, with an AI-assisted pipeline now generating much of the code.As a result, our digital platforms are a mixture of custom components and external services which produce a powerful and engaging experience when combined. Benefits: Be part of an innovative team, with a culture of learning and collaboration. Contribute to interesting, diverse, and commercially minded work for well-respected clients. Opportunity for professional growth and development. Fortnightly knowledge sharing sessions, with lunch. Competitive salary. Employee Share Purchase Scheme offering. This role is Auckland based, regular in-office attendance is required. Work within our beautifully designed office and from home (hybrid working model). Propellerhead is an equal opportunity workplace which is free from discrimination. Cover Letter: *Please note - only applications with a cover letter will be reviewed, please do not use AI to write this. It's very important to us that you include a cover letter with your application - it's your chance to tell us more about who you are and what you value. At Propellerhead, we use AI thoughtfully as part of our delivery practices - considered integration helps us stay at the forefront of technology and create innovative, valuable solutions for our clients. In recruitment, however, AI isn’t used to assess skills, experience or suitability for a role. Every application is reviewed by a real person to ensure a fair, engaged and thoughtfully human process. Therefore we kindly ask that you refrain from using it in your application. We're excited to learn about your unique experiences and ideas, and want to work with you, so please apply as your authentic self! More: Candidates that progress may be asked to agree to a police background check, credit history check, other assessments and provide evidence of qualifications. Learn more about our company here. ## About Propellerhead ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: A New Zealand‑based software services company that builds complex, high‑impact technology solutions for the country’s largest commercial, non‑profit and government organisations. - **Entity Type**: Private (bootstrapped – no external funding rounds identified) - **Headquarters**: Auckland, New Zealand - **Founded**: 2002 - **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: IT Services & IT Consulting (custom software development) - **Target customers**: B2B, enterprise, government, non‑profit – large‑scale organisations that value iterative, value‑driven delivery. - **Mission / purpose**: “Revolutionise software services in New Zealand” by crafting innovative technologies that improve the lives of millions of New Zealanders every day. ## Products & Services Propellerhead is a services company rather than a product company. Its main offering is **custom software development and consulting**, delivered through a portfolio of bespoke solutions. Notable client engagements include: - **Auckland Transport** – multiple applications for public transport journey management (largest client, 10+ year partnership). - **New Zealand Rugby**, **Avid AML**, **New Zealand Post**, **BlinkPay**, **Starship Children’s Hospital**, **SkyBus**, **Ministry of Education**, **Auckland Museum**. - **Linked Open Data Platform** – a platform that links to thousands of other datasets using Linked Open Data, contributing to a global “knowledge commons”. Technologies commonly used: .NET / C#, TypeScript, Azure / AWS, and increasingly **Rust** and **decentralised identity / verifiable credentials**. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed (privately held, no public funding rounds). - **Key Metric**: ~50+ employees (company website states “small team of 50+ specialists”; a third‑party data source reports 34 employees with 6.2% YoY growth). - **Notable Investors / Partners**: No external investors. Key long‑term clients include Auckland Transport, Ministry of Education, and other major NZ entities. - **Growth Signals**: - Expanding technical stack into Rust and decentralised identity. - Active international recruitment (Paris, Europe, Asia) to attract senior talent willing to relocate to New Zealand. - 10 active job postings (as of late 2025) for Senior Software Engineers and Product Strategists. ## Competitive Advantages - **Developer‑led organisation**: Engineers drive methodology and architecture decisions, not sales or management. - **Anti‑fragile design & verifiable information**: Core principles that ensure robust, trustworthy systems. - **Lean / Agile delivery**: Small, incremental releases with continuous validation against user needs. - **Selective client partnerships**: Only works with clients who align with their delivery philosophy, leading to strong, long‑term relationships. - **Open‑source and open‑data advocates**: Deep commitment to commercialised open‑source and linked open data. ## Strategic Focus - **Technical expansion**: Incorporating Rust and deepening work in decentralised identity and verifiable credentials. - **Global talent acquisition**: Actively recruiting senior software engineers from Europe and Asia, with relocation support to New Zealand. - **Continued client impact**: Strengthening existing partnerships (especially with Auckland Transport) while exploring new government and enterprise engagements. ## Why Work Here - **Culture & autonomy**: A developer‑led, agile environment where engineers are trusted to choose the right tools and methodologies. - **Impactful work**: Projects directly affect millions of New Zealanders (public transport, healthcare, education, etc.). - **Relocation opportunity**: The company actively supports international hires moving to New Zealand, covering visa processes and final‑interview travel. - **Hybrid work model**: Job postings indicate hybrid arrangements (e.g., “Hybrid – Full‑time Auckland” and “Hybrid – Full‑time Tallinn”). - **Competitive compensation**: Reported salary ranges (from third‑party data) include NZD 112,000/yr for Software Developers and NZD 140,000/yr for Senior Software Developers. - **Learning culture**: Emphasis on continuous improvement, open‑source contributions, and exploring new technologies (Rust, decentralised identity). - **Team size**: Small, tight‑knit team (50+ specialists) – high ownership and low bureaucracy. ## Sources 1. [LinkedIn Company Profile](https://linkedin.com/company/propellerhead) 2. [Lever Careers Page](https://jobs.lever.co/propellerhead) 3. [Working For Propellerhead – About](https://www.workingforpropellerhead.co.nz/about) 4. [Working For Propellerhead – Home](https://www.workingforpropellerhead.co.nz/) 5. 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