Move to New Zealand - Technical Strategist (Solution Architect)

AI Chopping Block, Inc.; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Propellerhead in Auckland, New Zealand, seeks a Technical Strategist to lead the design and delivery of resilient software platforms. You will guide architecture and bring hands-on engineering excellence, shaping the technical strategy for a portfolio of client products.

You will work with our Chief Technologist and Engineering Principal to apply standards and tooling, spearheading AI-enabled development across requirements, testing and code generation in a hybrid Auckland-based role.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience developing multi-tier and distributed applications.
• Agentic-first: leveraging AI to rapidly prototype and direct AI-assisted delivery pipelines.
• Strong communicator and presenter to senior client stakeholders.
• Experience with React UIs and services written in C#, with exposure to Typescript, Java, Go and Rust.
• Hands-on Azure design, CI/CD pipelines, and operations instrumentation.
• Experience with streaming/messaging systems like Kafka or NATS.
• Proven leadership in designing complex software for enterprise contexts.

Responsibilities

• Authoring and communicating solution architecture and specifications with development teams.
• Championing Propellerhead's technical strategy and aligning designs with that vision.
• Building trusted relationships with client decision-makers and translating technical requirements.
• Serving as the go-to technical expert for client solutions and facilitating prerequisites for delivery.
• Developing strategies to ensure quality measures around speed, security, reliability and maintainability.
• Guiding evolution of codebase from C# to Rust and associated tooling, with AI at the core of requirements, testing and code generation.

Skills

AI-assisted delivery

Architectural design

Client communication

Multi-tier distributed apps

C# & React proficiency

Azure design & CI/CD

Leadership

Technology leadership

Tools

React

C#

Typescript

Java

Go

Rust

Azure

Kafka / NATS

Job description

Work alongside our innovative team based in Auckland, New Zealand! We are seeking talented individuals excited about the opportunity to learn, expand their skillset and support our company.

We welcome applications from individuals located internationally looking to relocate to Auckland, New Zealand. This role is based in Auckland and requires in-office attendance (hybrid).

Propellerhead hires exceptional talent from all around the globe and many of our people have relocated to New Zealand to join our team. We've created this website packed full of information about moving to New Zealand to work for Propellerhead, if you're interested in making the move to our wonderful country.

The Role:

At Propellerhead, the Technical Strategist role focuses on the delivery of resilient software systems that power everything from complex infrastructure to innovative new platforms. This role works alongside our Product Strategists to shape the technical specification and platform direction for a portfolio of client products.

We’re looking for someone who combines architectural insight with a strong hands-on engineering background and a genuinely AI-native way of working. You will have spent the formative part of your career as a software developer and still be confident with understanding the structure of software solutions. You'll have knowledge of emerging trends and you are agentic-first where you reach for AI to rapidly prototype new ideas and judge their value in hours, not weeks, and you are at home with directing an AI-assisted delivery pipeline.

You will lead and guide the design of complex systems, and we’ll depend on your extensive experience, judgement and insights to ensure that early delivery and continuous improvement is possible. You’ll be applying and reinforcing Engineering standards for programming, and shape the technical solutions our AI-assisted pipeline builds, in a lean and evolutionary manner. Importantly, you will be responsible for ensuring that client platforms align with our technical strategy. You will work closely with the Chief Technologist and Engineering Principal to apply standards, patterns, and tooling in client contexts, and provide informed input into technical strategy through client platform insights and delivery experience.

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.

We offer a culture built on trust, continuous learning, and meaningful impact. You'll join a team that values integrity over ego, and clarity over complexity.

If you're looking to contribute your insight and engineering experience to projects that matter - we would like to hear from you.

Skills & Experience Required:

• 8+ years of experience with the development of multi-tier and distributed applications.
• Agentic-first: very comfortable using AI to rapidly prototype, shape solutions, and direct an AI-assisted delivery pipeline across requirements, testing and code generation. This is central to the role.
• A confident, credible communicator and presenter in front of senior client stakeholders.
• Our current technologies include React user interfaces, with services written in C#, so previous experience with both is essential. However we also have Typescript, Java, Go and Rust services, so you will need to show confidence in working with a variety of programming languages.
• Strong communication skills must be demonstrable, with tangible examples of your skills to bridge technical solutions with business needs and present these concepts to a variety of internal and customer stakeholders.
• Hands-on experience with designing solutions on Azure is essential, including active participation in building CI/CD pipelines and instrumenting for operations, is required.
• Experience with streaming and messaging platforms, such as Kafka or NATS, is highly desirable.
• Proven experience in leading the design of complex software applications, preferably for corporate enterprise, where solutions comprise existing services alongside custom development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. You will represent Propellerhead in front of stakeholders, so a professional, confident presence and the ability to communicate and influence with clarity are essential.
• We are particularly looking for technical leaders with experience or demonstrable interest in any of the following: digital identity, verifiable credentials, open banking, AI agent authorization, edge or device-based software deployment.

Responsibilities:

• Authoring, reviewing and communicating solution architecture and specifications in collaboration with the Development teams and our core Engineering team.
• Championing the technical strategy of Propellerhead as our key business differentiator, and aligning design and implementation of the solutions in your portfolio in line with that technical vision.
• Building trusted relationships with key client decision-makers. You will be responsible for ensuring our teams understand technical requirements and for clearly explaining our solution design to client technologists.
• You will be the go-to technical person for our client’s solutions, including facilitating any technical pre-requisites for delivery or addressing improvements from operational feedback.
• Developing strategies to ensure quality measures such as speed-to-value, security, reliability, maintainability, performance and functional fit for purpose.
• Specifically, you will be facilitating the evolution of our code base from C# to Rust and the ecosystem of tools, practices and services that implies, with AI central to how we handle requirements, testing and code generation.