Principal Engineer - AI

Worker Type:

Here at BNZ, it's about more than just banking. We work together in an agile, energising environment to create innovative solutions through our promise "If you can imagine a better future, let's find a way."

We support wellbeing, flexible working and have a generous leave offering. There is the opportunity for growth, learning and career development. No two days are the same.

Join our journey building AI capability across BNZ!

We are building the future of software development at BNZ. This role sits at the heart of our GenAI-Enhanced Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) programme, helping 850+ builders work faster, smarter, and more securely with AI-assisted tooling and agentic workflows.

You will design, build, and operate the tools and frameworks that embed generative AI into every stage of the development lifecycle, from planning and coding through testing, review, and deployment. You will also establish how we measure the productivity and quality impact of these tools, ensuring we can demonstrate real value to senior stakeholders.

Based in either Auckland or Wellington, this is a hybrid role with three days in the office per week.

Mō te Tūranga | About the Role

We sat down with our Head of Technology - Artificial Intelligence, and they let us know the following about the role.

What are some of the responsibilities for this role?

GenAI SDLC Tooling & Platform

• Build and maintain GenAI developer tools across the SDLC, including MCP servers, GitHub Copilot extensions, and IDE integrations (VS Code, IntelliJ, Xcode).

• Develop and refine workflow templates, prompt libraries, and agent skill definitions using the GenAI SDLC Tools to standardise AI-assisted development practices.

• Integrate AI tooling into CI/CD pipelines for automated code review, security scanning, and quality gates.

• Mentor and help grow others in the team.

Productivity & Quality Measurement

• Design and implement instrumentation to measure developer productivity gains from AI tooling (e.g., cycle time reduction, code review throughput, defect rates).

• Build dashboards and reporting tools that surface ROI evidence for senior leadership, supporting programme milestones.

• Run controlled experiments (e.g., A/B testing AI-assisted vs. traditional workflows) and analyse results to guide tool adoption decisions.

AI Agent Development Practices

• Pioneer the practice of development with AI agents at BNZ, defining patterns, guardrails, and best practices for agentic coding workflows.

• Evaluate and integrate agentic tools (e.g., Claude Code, Github Copilot) into secure, enterprise-approved development workflows.

• Contribute to AI security governance, including agent security principles (scoped identity, blast radius controls, human approval gates) and red teaming frameworks.

• Deliver education and enablement content for DevAI Talks (fortnightly, 850+ builder audience) and squad onboarding sessions.

What is the most exciting thing about this opportunity?

• A greenfield opportunity to shape how 850+ builders build software with AI at BNZ.

• Direct influence on engineering standards and developer experience across BNZ.

• Work alongside a passionate team driving AI governance, security, and enablement.

• Exposure to cutting-edge AI tooling and agentic development patterns in an enterprise context.

What will success look like for the candidate in this role?

Success is defined not just by technical ability, but by mindset and how you contribute to the team’s dynamic. A successful candidate is a team player who values collaboration, shares knowledge freely, and supports others to achieve collective goals. They are open-minded, welcoming diverse perspectives and adapting readily to new ideas, technologies, and ways of working. Most importantly, they embrace continuous improvement, not only in refining their technical skills, but in seeking feedback, learning from challenges, and growing both personally and professionally.

What specific tech skills would be beneficial?

Essential

• 5+ years software engineering experience with strong proficiency in at least one of: TypeScript/Node.js, Python, Kotlin, Java.

• Hands-on experience building developer tools, CLI utilities, IDE extensions, or platform engineering infrastructure.

• Practical experience with LLM APIs (Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, or equivalent) including prompt engineering, function calling, and structured output.

• Experience with AWS services (CDK, Lambda, EKS, Step Functions) or equivalent cloud platforms.

• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines, GitHub Actions, and developer workflow automation.

• Strong analytical skills with experience designing metrics, running experiments, and presenting data-driven insights.

Desirable

• Experience with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or building tool-use integrations for AI models.

• Familiarity with GitHub Copilot administration, Enterprise licensing, and security controls.

• Background in application security, secure SDLC practices, or security tooling (SAST, DAST).

• Familiarity with agentic AI frameworks and patterns (agent orchestration, tool use, autonomous workflows).

What attributes will this person display in order to be successful in this role?

Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams is essential. You will have the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities. Alongside your strong problem-solving skills, you will have a proactive approach to addressing challenges and a passion for delivering high quality solutions to colleagues.

Nau Mai ki te Pēke o Aotearoa | Come to the Bank of New Zealand

Please note applications close Wednesday 18 November 2026.

This is an exciting opportunity to join us! We're bold thinkers who are taking brave steps to create a company that people want to work for, and customers want to bank with. If you're ready to join a fun organisation where we are proud of our culture and how we are helping New Zealander's to 'Find their way', then show your interest by submitting your application - we can't wait to read it.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini" - Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many.”

Applications will be reviewed regularly across the advertising period, but we do reserve the right to close applications early.