Software Engineering Manager

Job description

At Halter, we know how much farmers care - for their animals and their pasture.
But the tools they rely on haven't kept up, and we're on a mission to change that.
Halter helps farmers make smarter decisions - fast.
We reckon good pasture management is the key to more productive and sustainable farms.
More grass.
Healthier soil.
Happier animals.
And more time back for the people doing the work.
About the role
We're looking for a Software Engineering Manager who builds and elevates their team, drives strong technical solutions, and goes deep on hard, real-world problems.
This isn't a pure delivery or people role – you'll be in the work, shaping technical direction, collaborating closely with design and product, and helping your team do the best work of their careers – don't worry, you'll also be hands on!
You'll be leading a team operating in one of our deepest domains – building the systems that help us understand land, pasture, and productivity at scale.
You'll need to hold the technical bar high while creating the space for others to grow.
We're solving problems that haven't been solved before – and you'll be crucial to helping to figure them out.
You'll be responsible for both the growth and performance of your team, and the technical decisions they make.
It's a role that demands absolute ownership – someone who can take a blurry problem, create clarity, and lead a team to nail it!
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who cares deeply about product, leads from the front, and leaves things loads better than they found them.
What you'll do
This role is full-stack – you'll be working on systems that power how we model the farm.
From a high performing backend platform to an intuitive mobile product.
Lead a team of engineers – frontend and backend – supporting their growth, giving great feedback, and helping them focus on what matters.
Own the technical direction and delivery of your team's work – making sure it's reliable, maintainable, and impactful.
Help define the structure, shape, and scope of our work – and ensure it lands well with farmers and ranchers.
Stay close to the technical details – across services, data, and system design – and bring a strong point of view.
You'll be backing engineering-led initiatives and getting ahead of scale.
You'll look for opportunities to use AI tools and systems to accelerate development, improve decision-making, or unlock entirely new ways of working.
Get out on a farm.
Deep domain knowledge matters, and you'll be expected to develop it.
Contribute to the broader engineering culture and practices that make Halter a great place to build.
You'' be great if
Have experience leading engineers directly, including performance, mentoring, and hiring.
Think like a product engineer – you care about what we build and the impact it has.
You have built software products that have real world impact.
Know how to balance speed with quality, and can help your team make the right trade-offs.
Understand how to shape and structure work without being overly prescriptive.
Stay calm under pressure, have a low ego, and can rally a team through tough or complex work.
You've worked in fast-moving startups, seen growth, tackled ambiguous problem spaces.
Bonus, you've worked with hardware/real-world systems and understand the unique constraints of developing experiences for mobile.
Why our team loves working at Halter
At Halter, we're committed to creating an environment where people thrive.
We offer unlimited paid annual leave, as well as additional wellness days.
Each year, every team member receives a $1,000 self-development budget to invest in whatever fuels their personal growth.
We offer six months of fully paid leave for primary caregivers and four weeks of fully paid leave for secondary caregivers, along with a range of additional family-friendly benefits.
To support your wellbeing, we offer subsidised health insurance through Southern Cross.
And finally, everyone at Halter is an owner.
Every employee is part of our stock ownership plan; when we succeed, you share in that success.
Our office-first approach
Being office-first is a core pillar of our culture.
We believe in-person connections are key to driving your own growth, learning, impact, and building genuine long-lasting relationships.
We're office first, not office only.
This means that working from the office every day is our default setting, but we flex when needed.
Your growth, learning, and impact are truly unlimited here, and a big part of that comes from being together, solving problems, innovating, building context, and constantly learning from each other.
We have a state-of-the-art, dog-friendly office in the heart of Auckland City and a test farm in Morrinsville.
Delicious snacks and drinks are readily available.
About Halter
At Halter, we're on a mission to enable farmers and graziers to run the most productive and sustainable operations.
Our customers are using Halter to break free from the time-intensive constraints of conventional practices and revolutionising grazing with Halter.
People join Halter to do meaningful work.
Our team out-think, out-work and out-care.
We're committed to delivering real change in the world.
We're backed to deliver on a mission that matters by Tier 1 investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC, Blackbird, Promus Ventures, Rocket Lab's Peter Beck and Icehouse Ventures.
Join our team
If this opportunity sounds like you, please apply below by sending your cover letter explaining why you're excited about this role and working at Halter, along with your CV.
If you think you have what it takes but don't necessarily meet every requirement on this job description, please still get in touch.
We'd love to chat to see if you'll be an epic fit!
Feel free to check out the careers page for more information on working at Halter and don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram.
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Required Skill Profession

Other General