Senior Tech PM (12-Month Contractor) | AI-Driven Delivery

First Focus IT; Auckland; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

First Focus IT in New Zealand seeks an experienced Senior Technical Project Manager to keep a modern software delivery initiative on track, aligned with stakeholders and free from scope creep.

You’ll work with software engineers, designers and business stakeholders to clarify scope, manage evolving requirements and ensure project momentum over a 12-month independent contractor engagement.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex software or technology projects.
• Strong scope management skills, including change control, impact assessments and prioritisation.
• Excellent stakeholder communication, including confidence working with senior decision-makers.
• Proven ability to negotiate scope changes and delivery trade-offs while maintaining good relationships.
• Confidence to challenge unrealistic expectations and guide stakeholders towards practical decisions.
• Strong planning, facilitation, risk management and delivery reporting skills.
• Ability to explain technical challenges in clear business language.
• Good understanding of iterative software delivery, regardless of your preferred methodology.
• Independence, sound judgement and the ability to make an immediate impact.

Responsibilities

• Define and manage project scope, deliverables, exclusions, dependencies and acceptance criteria.
• Build realistic delivery plans with clear priorities, milestones and responsibilities.
• Manage scope changes, assess their impact and secure the right approvals.
• Explain trade-offs involving timelines, costs, quality and resources.
• Keep stakeholders, technical leads and delivery teams informed and aligned.
• Lead workshops, resolve conflicting requirements and help teams make timely decisions.
• Track and report on progress, risks, dependencies and delivery forecasts.
• Protect engineering focus by maintaining clear requirements and stable priorities.
• Coordinate testing, stakeholder acceptance, release readiness and handover.
• Keep project governance practical, lightweight and useful.

Skills

Complex software projects

Scope management

Stakeholder communication

Negotiation

Risk management

Delivery reporting

Explain technical challenges

Iterative delivery

Independent judgment

Job description

First Focus IT in New Zealand seeks an experienced Senior Technical Project Manager to keep a modern software delivery initiative on track, aligned with stakeholders and free from scope creep.

You’ll work with software engineers, designers and business stakeholders to clarify scope, manage evolving requirements and ensure project momentum over a 12-month independent contractor engagement.