Mō te tūranga | About the role
Join us as we reimagine how customers understand and manage their money. We're forming a brand-new squad dedicated to exploring a modern approach to Personal Financial Management (PFM), and we're looking for a Lead Software Engineer to help shape it from day one.
This is a rare opportunity to work from discovery through to delivery. In the initial discovery phase, you’ll work closely with a Product Owner as a two‑person team, conducting deep technical investigation, researching architectural options, validating feasibility, and defining the technical direction. Once discovery is complete and the approach is confirmed, the squad will expand, and you’ll grow & lead the newly formed team through full implementation, turning insights into tangible customer value.
Mō te tūranga | About the role
In this role, you will combine hands-on engineering with technical leadership to:
Lead a new squad from inception, establishing engineering practices, delivery rhythms, and team culture.
Conduct deep technical investigation into new PFM capabilities, exploring integration patterns, third-party tools, and modern architectures.
Pivot the squad into implementation, delivering scalable, secure, high‑quality digital experiences for customers.
Make critical technical decisions that align engineering choices with product strategy and business outcomes.
Collaborate closely with product owners, designers, architects, and engineers to define the roadmap and remove delivery blockers early.
Reduce technical debt and champion continuous improvement across codebases, pipelines, and team ways of working.
Provide technical mentorship, supporting engineers to develop their craft and grow their impact.
Contribute approximately 50% hands-on engineering, with the remainder focused on technical leadership, system design, and team enablement.
Nā tāu rourou | What will you bring?
We’re after a seasoned engineer who combines technical depth with strong leadership. You’ll have:
10+ years in full stack development, delivering scalable web, mobile, and backend solutions.
Expertise in Java, React, and mobile technologies (Android, iOS, or cross‑platform).
Proven leadership skills with a collaborative, team‑first mindset.
Strong understanding of service layers, networking, security, and UI/UX principles.
Hands‑on experience with modern frameworks and tools such as:
Spring Boot, Micronaut, Quarkus
Kafka, ForgeRock, Finacle
Docker, Kubernetes
Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Git, Bitbucket
Selenium, Cucumber, automated testing frameworks
SonarQube and other quality engineering tools
Experience designing, integrating, and optimising API-driven and event‑driven architectures.
Strong CI/CD experience and familiarity with cloud‑native deployment patterns.
Solid Agile and DevOps experience.
Excellent problem‑solving skills, resilience, and the ability to guide teams through complex challenges.
Westpac Hei Wāhi Mahi | Working at Westpac
In addition to immersing yourself in a supportive team environment, you'll receive some great job perks and benefits including:
4 weeks standard holiday + 5 additional days of wellbeing leave to support you to be your best
Additional purchased leave options up to 4 weeks per year
Banking benefits, insurance discounts and superannuation scheme
Growth and development – we provide opportunities for development and promote internal mobility
Recognition - we recognise and reward our star performers
School holiday subsidy - help you balance work and family during school holiday
2 Volunteer days per year
Ko mātou tēnei | Our Organisation
At Westpac, we’re working together to build a fairer and stronger New Zealand for our people, customers, and communities. For over 160 years we’ve been driven by our purpose to Create Better Futures Together.
What makes us unique are the incredible people we’re lucky enough to have walk through our doors every day. The giant ‘W’ on our building doesn’t just stand for Westpac – it says, double you. We’re a place that values, rewards and recognises individuality. Where you can be your whole self, your true self, and your best self. We’re recognised as a place where talent is developed, where passions are fuelled and where ambitions of all shapes and sizes thrive. And it all starts with you!
Tono mai ināianei! | Apply Now!
Apply today with your CV and Cover Letter.
The people of Aotearoa, New Zealand hail from many cultures and backgrounds. At Westpac New Zealand, we draw on this enormous talent pool to cultivate a team rich in ability and empowered to reach its full potential. Our aim is to be brave challengers, celebrating our differences and relentlessly advocating for our customers. It starts with us – we believe that when we care deeply and do our best for our people, they’ll do their best for our customers. We encourage people from all walks of life to apply, including those who are neurodiverse, have chronic health conditions or disabilities – your attitude and passion are as important to us as your experience, qualifications and capabilities.
Mahi tahi tātou, kaha ake tātou | Together Greater
Applications close:
7 February 2026
