Lead Compliance Engineer

Halter; Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth fund

International travel

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

Halter is seeking a Lead Compliance Engineer to own regulatory certification for our wireless hardware portfolio. You will drive device testing, select labs, and manage the end-to-end certification process across markets including NZ, AU, USA, and EU.

You will lead the strategy with autonomy, partner with RF/electronics teams, and ensure compliance remains a competitive differentiator in a fast-growing startup.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in regulatory compliance and certification for wireless/electronic products.
• Deep knowledge of radio (FCC, ISED, RED, RCM), EMC/EMI, and product safety standards.
• Experience with carrier/operator certification programs (e.g. PTCRB, GCF).
• Experience managing third-party labs and consultants.
• Hands-on pre-compliance test experience and ability to design out failures.

Responsibilities

• Own the device testing and certification strategy across current and target markets.
• Select and manage third‑party labs, certification bodies, and in-country consultants.
• Drive end‑to‑end carrier certification for cellular products.
• Build in-house pre-compliance capability and trusted lab partnerships.
• Collaborate with electronics, RF, firmware, and mechanical teams to pass design reviews.
• Maintain certification framework, standards matrix, and declarations of conformity.
• Monitor regulatory changes and translate impact for product teams.
• Roll up sleeves in a startup, contributing wherever needed.

Skills

Regulatory strategy

Certification management

Carrier certification

Labs & vendors management

Radios RF knowledge

Autonomy & budget ownership

International travel

Pre-compliance testing

Tools

Spectrum analyser

Job description

About Halter

At Halter, we’re on a mission to enable farmers and graziers to run the most productive and sustainable operations. Our customers are using Halter to break free from the time-intensive constraints of conventional practices. Imagine watching 500 cattle stand up and walk calmly towards their next break? No quad bikes, no dogs, no fences. Just a group of cattle walking at their own pace. People say it looks like magic. Our customers are revolutionizing grazing with Halter. It's changing lives and transforming an industry. People join Halter to do meaningful work. By joining us you’ll be solving challenging problems within a talented team and a culture built for high performance. Our team out-think, out-work and out-care. We’re committed to delivering real change in the world - this isn’t easy, and in truth, we love that it’s hard.

We’re backed to deliver on a mission that matters by Tier 1 investors including Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, BOND, DCVC, Blackbird, Promus Ventures, Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck and Icehouse ventures.

To find out more, visit our LinkedIn & Instagram.

About the role

Halter's expansion is gated by market access. Every country we enter, every product we ship, and every cellular network we join passes through certification and right now we're entering markets faster than ever: NZ, Australia, USA, Canada, EU, UK, South America, and Africa. We're looking for a Lead Compliance Engineer to own this domain end-to-end: radio/wireless, EMC/EMI, product safety, and carrier certification for our collars, towers, and supporting hardware.

You’ll report directly to the Head of Hardware, alongside our electronics and mechanical leaders, and be the single point of ownership for turning world‑class engineering into products farmers can buy, and doing so at the pace. This is not a checkbox function. Compliance done well is a competitive weapon: it decides how fast Halter reaches new farmers, and you’ll be the one holding it.

What your day could look like

• Owning the device testing and certification strategy — what gets tested, where, when, and to which standards — across every current and target market, running certification in parallel with development so compliance is never the blocker.

• Selecting and managing third‑party test labs, certification bodies, and in‑country regulatory consultants — owning scope, cost, schedule, and quality of what they deliver.

• Driving carrier certification end‑to‑end for our cellular‑connected products, from test device logistics through lab engagement to network approval.

• Building Halter's pre‑compliance capability — in‑house test equipment and trusted lab partnerships — so design iterations happen in days, not lab‑booking weeks, and formal certification is a confirmation, not a discovery.

• Partnering with electronics, RF, firmware, and mechanical engineers during design so products pass first time, and driving root cause when they don't.

• Maintaining the compliance framework: standards matrix, certification register, technical files, and declarations of conformity — audit‑ready, always.

• Monitoring regulatory change across our markets and translating it into clear product and business impact before it becomes a problem.

• And finally, this is a start‑up, so you’ll also be rolling your sleeves up and helping with whatever is required.

Who we're looking for

• 8+ years in regulatory compliance and certification for wireless/electronic products, with a proven record of taking hardware through certification in multiple international markets.

• Deep working knowledge of radio (FCC, ISED, RED, RCM), EMC/EMI, and product safety standards — and how to navigate the regulatory bodies behind them.

• Experience with carrier/operator certification (e.g. PTCRB, GCF, or direct carrier approval programs) for cellular devices is highly valued.

• A track record of managing third‑party labs and consultants as an extension of your own capability — commercially sharp, technically uncompromising.

• Hands‑on pre‑compliance test experience: you know your way around a spectrum analyser and can design out a failure, not just report it.

• Comfortable operating with full autonomy — you'll set the strategy, own the budget, and answer for the outcome.

• A positive person who seeks ownership and is a self‑motivated problem solver.

• Interested and available to travel internationally to labs, regulators, and manufacturers (~10–20% of the year).

Join our team

Halter is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace — a place where we can each be ourselves and do the best work of our lives.

Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and under‑represented groups of candidates tend to only apply when they meet every requirement.

Why our team loves working at Halter:

• Work that genuinely matters. Every now and again a company comes along that transforms an entire industry and leaves the world in a better place. Our team gets to be part of something truly meaningful, helping farmers improve their livelihoods, spend more time with their families, and build more sustainable operations.

• Spectacular people solving hard problems. Our culture is designed for talented people to do work that changes lives. The team is filled with diverse, kind, and driven people who push each other to do their best work. You'll have the freedom to work on interesting problems, master new skills, and continuously develop yourself, both through your role and our $1,000 personal growth fund.

• You’ll grow here. Autonomy, mastery, and learning define how we work. You'll have the freedom to work on interesting problems, master new skills, and continuously develop yourself, both through your role and our $1,000 personal growth fund.

• This isn't easy, and we love that it's hard. Working at Halter will be the most rewarding and the most challenging work of your life. We move fast, take bold bets, and work hard to reshape an entire industry. As one team member put it: "Joining Halter is a bit like strapping yourself to a rocket ship, but it's an epic journey to be a part of!"