Senior Engineer

About us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We're here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we're building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do -- delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive.

Now is an exciting time to join us. You'll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do -- and in return for your talent, you'll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.

About the role

Are you a senior engineer who enjoys solving practical technical problems, supporting developers and improving engineering practice? Join our team as Senior Engineer and help strengthen the connection between architecture direction and hands-on delivery.

This newly created role will support developers with detailed design guidance, practical implementation choices, reusable engineering patterns and the ongoing uplift of our SDLC as automation, AI and faster experimentation change how we design, build, test and release change.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support developers with technical questions, detailed design choices, practical problem-solving and implementation options.

• Translate architecture patterns, high-level designs and integration guidance into delivery-level examples, notes, reusable patterns and technical guidance.

• Contribute hands-on to design and development, including reference implementations, prototypes and working directly in the codebase alongside the team.

• Perform code and design reviews and pair with developers on complex, higher-risk or higher-impact changes.

• Help identify where technical decisions need input or escalation from the Architect, Technology Delivery Lead or Product Delivery Lead.

• Promote practical engineering habits including lightweight design notes, clear decision records, reusable patterns, developer-owned unit testing, maintainability and testability.

• Support practical use of AI tools across design exploration, coding, refactoring, documentation, test generation and review within agreed guardrails.

• Work with QA and, over time, the Senior QA Specialist to connect development practice with quality outcomes, automation opportunities and feedback loops from defects or rework.

What We’re Looking For:

• Senior developer or senior engineering experience, typically 7+ years in software development or a comparable practical engineering environment.

• Strong understanding of software design, integration, APIs, data flows, maintainability, testability and release considerations.

• Ability to interpret architecture direction and make it understandable, usable and actionable for developers.

• Experience supporting technical trade-offs, implementation planning, code/design review and reusable engineering patterns.

• Ability to guide and influence without creating unnecessary gates or removing ownership from developers.

• Good understanding of the SDLC, AI-assisted software engineering, automation and how development practice affects QA, release confidence and operational support.

Ngākau nui. Āhurutanga. Tikanga.    
 

Join a proud diverse team, that's always there, always real, always true. If you thrive in a caring, honest and open culture, we think you’ll love working with us.     

 We know that it is our team’s culture and wellbeing that will drive us forward. That’s why we prioritise not only professional development opportunities but opportunities to thrive personally, too. We offer exceptional work/life balance and our employees are encouraged to – and rewarded for – living well.    

Southern Cross employee benefits include:      

• five days of wellbeing leave per year     

• health insurance for you and your immediate whānau  

• life insurance cover and discounts on pet and travel insurance  

• extra parental leave benefits and financial wellbeing support     

• leading workplace wellbeing programme.     

That’s not all. Need more time to study, volunteer or support your whānau? You’ll have the opportunity to purchase flexi leave. Each year, you will also get to take part in a volunteer day, to contribute to a cause or community with your team. 

We are proud to have taken the Pride Pledge, reflecting our commitment to inclusion and belonging. We also facilitate an active, employee‑led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, which includes our Rainbow Network, Māori Network, Pasifika Collective, and Neurodiversity and Whānau Support networks.

If you share our commitment and passion, we'd love to hear from you.