Senior Backend Engineer

About the Position

Senior Backend Engineer

Kernel Wealth is on a mission to help every Kiwi build long-term wealth through smart investing and financial education. As a Senior Backend Engineer, you’ll play a critical role in making that mission a reality. You’ll design and develop the backend systems that power our digital platform, enabling seamless experiences across web and mobile for products like KiwiSaver, index funds, and savings tools.

Responsibilities

• Build the backend that powers Kernel’s digital platform, helping Kiwis invest smarter and grow their wealth.
• Design and maintain APIs that serve both web and mobile, creating a seamless experience for thousands of users.
• Develop scalable, secure systems that support investment products like KiwiSaver, index funds, and savings tools.
• Apply best engineering practices, automated testing, continuous integration, and rapid deployments, to deliver features that make financial literacy accessible.
• Collaborate with a talented team to solve complex technical challenges and shape the architecture that will scale Kernel’s mission.
• Work in an environment that values autonomy and impact, where your code directly contributes to a healthier financial future for New Zealand.

Requirements

• Strong proficiency in C#/.NET for building backend services and APIs.
• Solid experience with AWS services such as Lambda, S3, SQS, and SNS, and familiarity with serverless or cloud-native patterns.
• Skills in DynamoDB and NoSQL data modelling, or a strong willingness to learn these patterns.
• Interest in Functional Programming and its application in F# or functional C#, including concepts like pure functions and patterns such as Map, Bind, Option, and Result.
• Flexibility to work in a hybrid Agile environment using Scrum and Kanban approaches.

Nice to Have

• Strong cloud experience applied to building stable backend systems, with solid capability across service deployment, API performance tuning, and secure environment management.
• Exposure to CI/CD pipeline design and infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or CloudFormation.

We Offer

• Shape investment products in a way no other fintech in New Zealand is approaching, connecting everyday financial goals with intuitive and customer-centric design.
• Contribute to a platform trusted by tens of thousands of Kiwis, helping them feel more confident and in control of their money.
• Join a team built on trust, collaboration, and flexibility, where feedback is constructive and everyone has a voice.
• Competitive compensation package.
• Enjoy the best of both worlds with a flexible hybrid setup, connect in person while keeping the freedom to work from home a couple of days each week (around 3 days in the office).
• Health insurance, parental leave top-up, and professional development support.
• Extra staff holidays, office snacks, coffee, and a dog-friendly environment.

About the Company

Kernel Wealth is on a mission to help everyone become wealthier. We’re a platform offering a range of investment products and innovative tools and technology to grow wealth - with ease and all in one place.

We’re passionate about leveraging technology and our financial expertise to create the best way to grow and manage money. Our trusted passive investment approach takes the guesswork out of creating a diversified portfolio while remaining cost-effective and accessible.

We help busy and ambitious Kiwis including families, individuals, iwi groups, and charitable trusts achieve their goals, gain financial stability, and unlock more opportunities.

Founded in 2019, Kernel Wealth has a team of 41 co-workers and is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Join our team

Not sure you meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply. We value growth, impact, and mindset just as much as specific experience. If this opportunity sounds like you, send us your cover letter explaining why you’re excited about the role and working at Kernel, along with your CV.

Visit our careers page for more on working at Kernel and follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram to stay connected.