Principal Software Engineer

About Transpower

Transpower operates New Zealand's National Grid, linking power generation sites with consumers nationwide. As the country transitions to more renewable and electrified energy sources, the technology supporting the electricity sector is becoming increasingly crucial.

Team Overview

The Application Services team develops and maintains essential applications and integrations used for real-time electricity grid and market operations. They manage diverse enterprise and operational systems encompassing market systems, transmission, finance, asset and information management, and HR systems. Collaboration with architects, operations teams, and business stakeholders is integral to delivering secure, scalable, and reliable technology solutions.

Role Summary

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will provide technical direction and expertise throughout the software development lifecycle including requirements gathering, design, development, deployment, operational support, and continuous enhancement. You'll collaborate with engineering managers, architects, designers, vendors, and other teams to guide the technical strategy and foster modern engineering practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and maintenance of critical business applications and integrations.
• Offer technical leadership and mentorship to engineering staff.
• Promote continuous enhancement of development practices, tools, and standards.
• Champion DevOps methodologies, automation, secure coding, and agile delivery.
• Work closely with solution architects to implement scalable and maintainable technology solutions.
• Ensure ongoing stability and performance of systems fundamental to the country's power sector.
• Collaborate with vendors and delivery partners to elevate engineering capabilities and outcomes.
• Participate occasionally in third-level support outside standard hours for vital applications.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate combines deep technical proficiency with strong leadership abilities. You navigate complex systems involving enterprise applications, integrations, and operational infrastructure and have a passion for engineering excellence and continuous team development.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Over 10 years in software analysis, architecture, design, and development.
• Proven experience leading software development projects and growing engineering talent.
• Expertise in Java and contemporary Spring frameworks.
• Experience with DevOps toolchains, continuous integration/delivery (CI/CD), and deployment automation.
• Solid understanding of enterprise integration patterns and large-scale system integrations.
• Practical use of AI-assisted development tools throughout software lifecycle.
• Strong leadership in technical project and operational contexts.
• Comprehensive knowledge of software architecture, design principles, and development best practices.
• Experience interfacing with enterprise stakeholders, external vendors, and multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Java/Spring Boot framework.
• Experience developing REST APIs and distributed service architectures.
• Frontend frameworks such as React or Angular.
• Version control with Git and knowledge of modern development toolchains.
• Cloud platforms including AWS and/or Microsoft Azure.
• Familiarity with databases like Oracle, PostgreSQL, or Neo4j.
• Tools like GitLab, Jira, and Confluence.
• Expertise in messaging and integration technologies.

Additional Information

The role is Wellington-based with hybrid working options and features excellent employee benefits encompassing health, wellbeing, flexibility, and leave to support both personal and professional growth. Occasional after-hours duties for critical system support are required. Applicants must have full New Zealand work rights.