Senior Product Engineer

About Us

Optimal is a comprehensive user insight platform that empowers product teams and UX researchers to make confident, data-driven decisions. We offer a robust suite that converts complex human behaviors into actionable insights, enabling our clients to understand user interactions with digital products and uncover the reasons behind user behaviors. We partner with notable companies such as Lego, Nike, Netflix, and Apple to bridge the divide between user expectations and product performance.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Product Engineer to join a cross-functional team focused on building the next era of user research tools. This role involves rapid development and deployment of innovative methods for conducting research at scale. As a senior, full-stack engineer, you will lead projects from conception to deployment, collaborating closely with product and design teams. You will be responsible for engineering excellence across the stack, including frontend UI polish and backend service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of significant features and initiatives, managing projects from initial concept through enterprise-grade releases.
• Collaborate actively with product and design teams to influence project direction, delivery strategies, and feature behavior down to interface details.
• Design, develop, and release new user research functionalities that are both intuitive and effective.
• Work confidently across the entire stack, including React frontend, Ruby on Rails backend, and AWS deployments.
• Engage deeply with the problem space and user needs to influence product strategy through hands-on experimentation.
• Lead technical decisions, uplift engineering standards, and mentor other team members.
• Implement fast iteration cycles, releasing new ideas promptly and refining them based on user feedback.

Candidate Qualifications

• Extensive, practical experience as a senior full-stack engineer, especially with React on the frontend, Ruby on Rails on the backend, and AWS cloud infrastructure.
• A strong product mindset focused on understanding both the purpose and technical execution behind features.
• Excellent frontend development capabilities, including crafting high-quality UI experiences.
• Creative and discerning craftsmanship with the ability to prototype quickly and deliver polished results.
• Proven leadership skills, capable of managing projects and taking responsibility for their success.
• A keen interest in AI technologies and integrating modern AI tools into user-facing software to enhance development efficiency.
• An entrepreneurial attitude characterized by initiative, innovation, and a passion for creating new solutions.
• A collaborative approach, thriving in open, cross-functional team environments.

What We Offer

• A competitive salary aligned with your expertise, plus access to our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) allowing you to share in the company’s long-term growth.
• Annual wellbeing allowance and supportive resources.
• Generous support for professional learning and development.
• Home office setup assistance.
• Four weeks of annual leave plus one additional day off on your birthday.
• Opportunities for career advancement and professional growth.
• Flexible, remote-first work arrangements with headquarters located in Wellington, New Zealand; remote work possible across New Zealand and Australia.