Senior Software Engineer - AI

Build practical AI. Shape the platform. Ship real outcomes.

Kia ora,

If you’re a Senior Software Engineer who’s genuinely excited about AI — not as a side project, but as a core part of how systems are built — this could be your next big move.

At Heartland, AI isn’t experimental or bolt‑on. It’s foundational.

We’re building an AI‑enabled digital platform that will power fully end‑to‑end customer journeys at scale across banking and financial services. And we’re looking for senior engineers who want to roll up their sleeves and help make that real.

Why this role is different

This is a hands‑on AI engineering role, focused on practical delivery, not theory or hype.

You’ll be designing, building, configuring, and operating AI‑driven solutions using modern AI tooling and Microsoft’s ecosystem — delivering real internal and customer‑facing outcomes.

You’ll work with:

• Copilot Studio

• Microsoft Fabric

• Power Platform (Logic Apps, PowerApps)

• Custom GPTs and skills‑based AI solutions

• Hyperscaler AI services

• AI‑assisted dev tools like Codex and Cursor

You’ll prototype, iterate, ship, and improve — working closely with internal stakeholders to shape credible use cases and turn them into secure, scalable solutions.

What you’ll do

As a Senior Software Engineer – AI, you’ll:

• Build applied AI solutions that solve real business problems

• Design and configure AI solutions using Microsoft Fabric, Copilot Studio, Power Platform, and hyperscaler services

• Develop custom AI assistants, skills‑based agents, and task‑focused solutions

• Integrate AI capabilities into enterprise workflows and systems

• Balance delivery, experimentation, configuration, and enablement

• Work across Digital, Data, Architecture, Security, and Product teams

• Ensure solutions meet enterprise, security, and compliance standards

• Document what you build so others can learn, scale, and extend it

Agile experience matters (Kanban, Scrum), but mindset matters more. We’re looking for someone curious, adaptable, delivery‑focused, and genuinely excited to work in the AI era.

What we’re looking for

Core requirements

• 12+ years’ experience in software development

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (or higher)

• Experience transforming business processes into AI automated solutions

• Hands‑on experience designing, developing, or configuring AI solutions and agents using hyperscalers

• Practical use of AI‑assisted development tools (e.g. Codex, Cursor)

• Hands‑on experience with:

• OpenAI Custom GPTs

• OpenAI Skills

• OpenAI Agents and Agent Builder

• Copilot Studio & Flow

• PowerApps

• Logic Apps

• Microsoft Fabric

• AI Foundry

Strongly preferred

• Experience integrating AI solutions into enterprise systems

• Experience operating AI in regulated or security‑conscious environments

• Exposure to Responsible AI, governance, and risk management

Who you are

You’re a senior engineer with a delivery mindset who:

• Loves applied AI more than theory

• Is comfortable working in ambiguity and fast‑moving environments

• Can manage multiple initiatives without losing quality

• Cares deeply about security, reliability, and robustness

• Communicates clearly with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

• Enjoys shaping solutions, not just implementing tickets

Why Heartland, why now

Heartland is an NZX/ASX‑listed financial services group with ambitious growth plans across New Zealand and Australia. Our strategy is simple and bold: digitalise everything we do so we can deliver faster service, better experiences, and better value for customers.

Recently, we welcomed André Sampaio, formerly COO of PwC’s Global AI Factory, to lead the build of our intelligent, AI‑enabled platform.

Our engineering model is senior‑only:

• Small teams

• High trust

• Real architectural ownership

We work in the office four days a week because the problems are complex, and close collaboration helps us move faster and build better systems.

This is AI‑first platform work — simplifying the tech estate and building the foundations our future products and teams will run on.

Life at Heartland

We’re ambitious, supportive, and constantly evolving. Diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing matter to us, and we actively support internal communities including:

• Manawa Whenua (our Māori group)

• Rainbow Committee

• Diversity & Inclusion Committee

• Green Team

We’re proud to be a Living Wage Employer, a Hearing Accredited Workplace, and a Rainbow Tick organisation.

Keen to learn more?

• Watch our video: https://youtu.be/Sti0louBCw0

• Follow us on Instagram @heartlandbanknz

• Connect with us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/heartland-bank-nz

You must be eligible to work in New Zealand.

If building real AI solutions — not demos, not hype — sounds like your kind of challenge, we’d love to hear from you.