Senior Backend Engineer

About the Role Kernel is on a mission to help every Kiwi build long-term wealth through smart investing and financial education. As a Backend Engineer, you’ll design and develop the backend systems that power our digital platform, enabling seamless experiences across web and mobile for products such as KiwiSaver, index funds and savings tools. This is a hands-on engineering role that works with modern technologies, including C#/.NET, AWS and serverless patterns, and offers the chance to learn functional programming as we scale. What You’ll Do 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 such as 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. Qualifications 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. Bonus 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 such as Terraform or CloudFormation. Benefits 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. Flexible hybrid setup with the freedom to work from home a few days a week. Health insurance, parental leave top-up, and professional development support. Extra staff holidays, office snacks, coffee, and a dog-friendly environment. #J-18808-Ljbffr