About
At Stuff, we're reimagining how one of New Zealand's most recognised media organisations connects with millions of Kiwis every day. We're investing in new digital products, modern platforms and smarter ways of working, and we're looking for an exceptional Principal Engineer to help us on that journey.This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of high-impact technology initiatives from day one. You'll work directly with our Chief Product Officer, partnering with senior leaders to turn ambitious ideas into scalable digital products that deliver real value.
If you thrive on solving complex technical challenges, enjoy building from the ground up, and want the freedom to influence both technology and strategy, we'd love to hear from you.
What you'll be doing
You'll be responsible for architecting, building and delivering some of Stuff's most important digital products and platforms. This is a genuinely hands-on role where you'll move seamlessly between strategy and execution, designing architecture one moment and shipping production-ready code the next.Some of that work will start from a blank page. Just as often it will mean modernising, extending or integrating platforms we already run, we're interested in the highest-value outcome, not the cleanest starting point.
Your work will include:
- Designing scalable, resilient and secure digital platforms that support Stuff's long-term strategy.
- Building modern applications across the full technology stack, from frontend experiences to backend services, cloud infrastructure and DevOps.
- Evaluating, modernising and extending existing systems where it makes sense, rather than rebuilding for the sake of it.
- Rapidly prototyping new ideas and helping shape product direction through technical discovery.
- Applying AI-assisted development tools, automation and modern engineering practices to accelerate delivery and improve quality.
- Designing strong data foundations that enable analytics, personalisation and future AI capabilities.
- Establishing engineering standards, tooling and ways of working that will support the growth of our engineering capability over time.
About you
You're an experienced engineer who enjoys tackling complex problems and turning ideas into working products. You're equally comfortable discussing technical strategy with executives as you are writing production code.You'll bring:
- Extensive experience designing and building scalable digital platforms in modern cloud environments.
- Strong full-stack engineering expertise across backend, frontend, infrastructure and DevOps.
- A track record of designing architecture for both new products and existing platforms.
- Experience using AI-powered development tools, code generation and automation to improve engineering productivity.
- The ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Confidence working independently, making pragmatic decisions and delivering at pace.
- A product mindset, curiosity and a passion for building technology that makes a genuine difference.
Why Stuff?
You'll have the opportunity to influence technology decisions at the highest level, work on products used by millions of New Zealanders, and help shape the future of one of the country's most trusted media organisations.You'll enjoy:
- Significant ownership and autonomy over what gets built and how.
- Direct collaboration with senior leaders and decision-makers.
- A culture that embraces experimentation, modern engineering practices and AI-enabled software development.
- Flexible working and a supportive, collaborative environment.
- The chance to leave a lasting technical legacy as our engineering capability continues to grow.
Ka oti rānei i a koe tēnei mahi? Kāti, tono mai ināianei kia tīmata ai tō haerenga me Stuff i tēnei rā.
Stuff champions inclusion. Be it gender, ethnicity, beliefs, abilities or experiences - we know that diversity brings another lens through which we all learn, connect and grow.
E kōkiri nei a Stuff i te whāinga kia whai wāhi ai te katoa. Hāunga te ira, te iwi, ngā whakapono, ngā āheinga, ngā wheako rānei o te tangata - e mōhio nei tātou mā te kanorau e whai tirohanga hou ai, e ako ai, e tūhono ai, e whanake anō ai tātou katoa.
As we are committed to creating a workplace that reflects the diverse communities in New Zealand, we will always invite and encourage applications from people of all genders, ethnicities, disabilities and ages. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all.
Nā runga i tā mātou ū ki tētahi taiao mahi e whakaatu ana i te kanorau o ngā hapori i Aotearoa, i te ao, i te pō, ka pōhiringia, ka ākina anō ngā tono mahi a te marea whānui, hāunga te ira, te iwi, te hauātanga, te pakeke rānei. E ū nei mātou ki te whai kia wātea ai ā mātou ara whai mahi ki te katoa i runga i te mana taurite.
Disclaimer: Stuff does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Stuff is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.