AI Engineering Director

About ClearPoint

ClearPoint has spent more than 19 years helping organisations through demanding digital transformation work. The company combines software engineering, artificial intelligence, data and insights, cloud capability, and human-centred design to create outcomes that last. It supports some of New Zealand’s most influential organisations and places strong emphasis on build quality.

The Auckland head office is located overlooking the Viaduct, about 5 minutes from Britomart, and the business also offers co-working access across New Zealand and Australia. ClearPoint operates with teams serving clients across New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.

Culture

The team environment is described as collaborative, curious, and high-performing. The company values are:

• Respect and care for people
• Act with integrity
• Earn and nurture trust

Employees work alongside motivated and capable colleagues who take responsibility, aim high, and enjoy their work. The organisation also supports growth and gives people room to excel.

Role overview

This is a senior engineering leadership position for someone with deep hands-on experience in software development who has progressed into people leadership. The role requires someone who has worked through complex technical and organisational environments, especially in mid-sized to large enterprise settings. Reporting to the Chief Practice Officer, you will help shape the AI engineering practice and ensure it creates measurable value for clients.

Key areas of focus

• Defining and growing an AI-first engineering practice and roadmap, including the use of agentic coding and AI tools in the way software is designed, built, and delivered.
• Leading and managing engineers with clear accountability, including hiring, capability development, performance management, and difficult people decisions when needed.
• Providing technical leadership in client work, from early solutioning through delivery oversight and pre-sales conversations.
• Maintaining hands-on involvement in consulting delivery, including billable responsibility and quality control across engagements.

Candidate profile

The right person will have moved from coding into leading engineering teams and will bring credibility from having done both well. You should have a strong software engineering base and a commitment to high-quality delivery. Experience in the Microsoft ecosystem is welcomed, though strong leaders from other modern technology backgrounds will also be considered. Knowledge of modern architecture, including microservices and cloud-native approaches across AWS, Azure, or GCP, is important.

You should also have experience leading engineering teams in medium to large corporate settings, where navigating complexity, aligning stakeholders, and delivering quality software are part of the day-to-day work. The role calls for practical people management skills, including setting expectations, coaching, conducting reviews, and managing performance issues when necessary.

A background in professional services or consulting is valuable because the role involves client-facing delivery, billable work, margin awareness, scope management, and trust building. You should already be comfortable using AI tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, or similar in your work and have a grounded view of where generative AI and agentic coding truly add value. Strong experience with Scrum, TDD, and modern engineering practices in larger team environments is also expected.

What success looks like

The ideal leader brings confidence earned through depth of craft, communicates directly without being abrasive, understands commercial realities, and keeps focus on both people and engineering quality. You will likely have led teams of 10-30+ engineers in large enterprises or consulting environments. You should be calm in difficult situations, able to bring clarity to uncertainty, and skilled at creating the conditions for a team to perform at its best.

ClearPoint is looking for someone who is still eager to grow and who is excited by the future of AI in software engineering, especially in shaping how that future is applied within the company.

What’s on offer

• Challenging, high-value work with technically interesting projects
• Competitive pay, health insurance, subsidised gym access, barista coffee, wellness workshops, and other benefits
• Flexible and remote working options, with trust placed in you to deliver wherever you work best
• An annual training allowance plus access to learning resources from AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Salesforce
• BYOD support, a phone allowance, and the technology needed to do strong work
• A recognised and award-winning culture, including AWS Social Impact Partner of the Year and a CIO 50 Award

Additional information

This is a permanent full-time position based in Auckland, New Zealand. Applicants must be eligible to work in New Zealand. ClearPoint is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an inclusive hiring environment.

The hiring process may involve the use of AI tools to assist with tasks such as reviewing applications, analysing resumes, or evaluating responses. These tools support recruitment but do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

Interested candidates are asked to share a CV and a short introduction as part of the application process.

Application details

Location: Auckland, New Zealand.