Principal Software Engineer

New Zealand Transport Agency; Wellington; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) is establishing Principal Engineering within Software Engineering to drive technical leadership across teams, platforms and delivery. You will combine strategic thinking with hands-on expertise to shape long-term engineering direction and grow capability across NZTA.

You will mentor engineers, lead standards adoption, and steer AI augmented engineering initiatives while maintaining a strong security posture and delivering high-impact solutions across

Qualifications

• Deep software engineering expertise with analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Experience establishing and embedding engineering standards, patterns, guardrails and reusable approaches.
• Future-focused vision for AI augmented engineering with ability to experiment, prove and scale.
• Broad technical expertise across backend, frontend, integration, data and cloud technologies (Java, Spring Boot, React, REST APIs, PostgreSQL, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub, GitHub Actions).
• Strong understanding of modern SDLC and DevSecOps, embedding security and automation throughout the lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical leadership across complex, high-impact engineering challenges.
• Lead the development and adoption of engineering standards, patterns, guardrails and reusable approaches.
• Lead the evolution of AI augmented engineering and scale new approaches.
• Bring systems thinking across frontend, backend, mobile and integration engineering.
• Influence software strategy, technical direction and major engineering decisions across teams.
• Provide enterprise-level technical design leadership and assurance for high-risk work.
• Mentor engineers from graduate to senior levels and grow capability across the chapter.
• Build alignment across Engineering, Architecture, Security, Platforms, Product and delivery teams.

Skills

Deep software engineering

Systems thinking

Mentoring engineers

Communication skills

Influencing others

Strategic thinking

Growth mindset

Hands-on leadership

Problem solving

Tools

Java

Spring Boot

React

REST APIs

PostgreSQL

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub

GitHub Actions

Job description

Lead our toughest engineering challenges and set technical direction Drive engineering excellence through standards, patterns and guardrails Shape what's next in AI augmented engineering and secure, accelerated delivery

We are establishing Principal Engineering within Software Engineering at NZ Transport Agency | Waka Kotahi (NZTA), bringing together deep technical expertise, strategic influence and hands on leadership. You'll work across teams and platforms, tackling complex challenges, shaping long term engineering direction and growing technical capability across NZTA.

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

Software Engineering is at the heart of end-to-end digital delivery at NZTA, and we are establishing Principal Engineering to strengthen technical leadership across our teams, platforms and delivery.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll combine strategic thinking with deep, hands-on technical expertise across our frontend, backend, mobile and integration engineering landscape. You'll stay close to delivery, stepping into complex engineering challenges while influencing longer term technical direction.

You'll also be a trusted technical advisor to the Chapter Lead, with the opportunity to influence the future of Software Engineering at NZTA, grow technical capability and advance our ambition for engineering excellence, AI augmented engineering and accelerated delivery with a strong security posture.

We're a community of software engineers who help each other grow, build excellent software and recognise that engineering is a team sport. We never stand still. We are always learning and always improving.

You will:

• Provide hands on technical leadership across complex, high impact engineering challenges
• Lead the development and adoption of engineering standards, patterns, guardrails and reusable approaches
• Lead the evolution of AI augmented engineering, identifying, proving and scaling approaches that improve how we design, build, test and deliver software
• Bring systems thinking across frontend, backend, mobile and integration engineering
• Influence software strategy, technical direction and significant engineering decisions across teams and platforms
• Provide enterprise level technical design leadership and proportionate assurance for significant or high risk work
• Guide detailed technical decisions, balancing quality, cost, security, resilience and long term sustainability
• Mentor engineers from graduate through to senior level, growing technical capability and future technical leaders across the chapter
• Build alignment across Engineering, Architecture, Security, Platforms, Product and delivery teams, navigating dependencies and competing priorities
• Champion DevSecOps, automation and shift left security across the SDLC

You will find out more about the role the Position Description .

Ko koe tēnei | About you

You'll be an accomplished technical leader in software engineering, combining deep technical credibility with strategic thinking, exceptional communication and the ability to influence across teams and disciplines.

You'll be future focused, curious and genuinely passionate about engineering. We're looking for someone who brings energy and ideas, inspires others and can turn emerging opportunities, particularly AI, into practical engineering outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Deep software engineering expertise and excellent analytical and problem-solving capability, with a track record of tackling complex engineering challenges
• Experience establishing and embedding engineering standards, patterns, guardrails, Golden Paths and reusable approaches
• A future focused vision for AI augmented engineering, with the curiosity and technical leadership to experiment, prove and scale new approaches
• Broad technical expertise across modern software engineering, with the depth and judgement to lead across backend, frontend, integration, data and cloud technologies, including environments such as Java, Spring Boot, React, REST APIs, PostgreSQL, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub and GitHub Actions.
• A strong understanding of modern SDLC and DevSecOps practices, embedding security, automation and assurance throughout the engineering lifecycle rather than treating them as separate activities
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to simplify complexity, tell a compelling technical story and build alignment without relying on authority
• Systems thinking and sound technical judgement, with the ability to understand dependencies, evaluate trade offs and make balanced decisions across teams and platforms
• A track record of mentoring engineers and developing future technical leaders, with the energy and enthusiasm to grow capability across the chapter
• A growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning, openly sharing knowledge, challenging thinking and always looking for better ways to engineer software

You will demonstrate knowledge of, or a willingness to gain an un