Machine Learning Engineer - All levels

Halter; Auckland; On-site; NZD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited paid annual leave

Well-being partnership with Southern Cross Health Insurance

$1,000 annual self-development budget

Delicious snacks and drinks daily

Job summary

A leading agricultural technology firm in Auckland is seeking a machine-learning expert to develop advanced models for pasture management. You will work on creating predictive systems that address real-world farming challenges. The ideal candidate has a background in mathematics or computer science, strong Python skills, and a passion for innovative agricultural solutions. This role offers unlimited paid leave, a self-development budget, and a vibrant office culture with a dog-friendly environment.

Qualifications

• Experience designing, deploying, and monitoring ML systems.
• Ability to design models reflecting real-world dynamics.
• Experience with advanced ML architectures is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop predictive systems to solve real-world challenges for farmers.
• Conduct literature reviews and stay ahead in ML systems.
• Own architectural design and optimization of models.

Skills

Machine-learning expertise

Strong causal reasoning

Proficiency in Python

Collaborative teamwork

Data intuition

Education

Postgraduate research in mathematics or computer science

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 revolutionising grazing with Halter, transforming an industry and changing lives. We’re built on high performance, delivering real change for the world. We’re backed by Tier 1 investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, BOND, DCVC, Blackbird, Promus Ventures, Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck and Icehouse ventures.

About The Role

The Halter Pasture team is dedicated to helping farmers better manage their most valuable resource—pasture—for greater productivity, profit, and sustainability. We are building a cutting‑edge agricultural modelling system that delivers the highest quality insights. As a member of our machine‑learning team, you will develop advanced models of pasture growth and land properties that power intelligent farmer‑facing tools. Applications range from remote‑sensing biomass estimation to photo and drone imagery analysis, and grazing‑interval simulation for recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Modeling (biological processes to farm operations): develop predictive systems to solve real‑world challenges for farmers.
• Research: conduct literature reviews and stay ahead of both machine‑learning systems and pasture science.
• Model development: own architectural design, dataset construction, training and optimisation—no off‑the‑shelf models.
• Production support: maintain ownership of all deployments, learn from field behaviour and iterate.
• Proactive innovation: use creativity to deliver innovative ideas and lead the data discipline.

Who are we looking for?

• High‑output generalist with autonomy across infrastructure, databases, simulation and ML development.
• Machine‑learning expert capable of providing extra strength in theory and application to maximise pasture efficiency.
• Experience delivering highly complex predictive systems at the bleeding‑edge, translating academic research to practical value.
• Deep curiosity and willingness to become an expert in pasture‑based farming.
• Product‑mind, strategic thinker mapping data‑lake opportunities to systems that add value for farmers.
• Comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity; embraces large, calculated strides.
• Collaborative teammate with excellent communication skills.

More concretely

• Academic and/or professional background applying ML to real‑world problems (e.g., postgraduate research in mathematics or computer science).
• Experience designing, deploying and monitoring ML systems to production.
• Strong causal reasoning and ability to design models reflecting real‑world dynamics.
• Strong data intuition and ability to work with noisy, high‑volume, high‑dimensional datasets.
• Fluency in Python and experience on complex, collaborative codebases.
• Proficiency with contemporary AI companions and tooling (Copilot, ChatGPT, Cursor).
• Excellent communication skills and collaborative style.
• Experience with advanced ML architectures (Transformers, SSM), agent‑based or recommendation systems is a plus.

Benefits

• Dedicated to real‑world problems alongside an epic team in a growth culture.
• A genuine connection to our mission to make a difference for the world.
• Join an iconic New Zealand technology company on a global stage.
• Fast moving, bold, high‑impact work.
• Dog‑friendly, state‑of‑the‑art office in Auckland city (dogs and cows welcome).
• Well‑being partnership with Southern Cross Health Insurance.
• 6 months fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers, 4 weeks for secondary caregivers, and additional parental benefits.
• $1,000 annual self‑development budget.
• Unlimited paid annual leave and wellness leave.
• Inclusive and attractive remuneration package: salary, benefits, employee stock‑ownership plan.
• Delicious snacks and drinks daily.

Office Culture

We believe in a world‑class, in‑person office culture as the best way for high‑performing teams. Being office‑first is a core pillar of our culture—working from the office daily is our default, but we flex when we need to. We value high‑trust relationships that make it easier to disagree, give feedback and do meaningful work. Our office environment is energetic and people still say they don’t want to return to fully remote or hybrid setups after coming here.

Diversity & Inclusion

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 often apply when they meet an average of 60 % of the requirements, women and under‑represented groups tend to apply only when they meet every requirement. If you think you have what it takes but don’t tick every box, we still encourage you to apply. We’d love to chat to see if you’ll be an epic fit!

Apply Now

If this opportunity sounds like you, please apply by sending a cover letter explaining why you’re excited about this role and working at Halter, along with your CV. We’ll be in touch! You can also check out our careers page for more information on working at Halter and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.