Stuff hiring founding engineer for AI-native news platform
New Zealand media company Stuff has created a founding Principal Engineer role as it prepares to build a new AI-focused digital platform separate from its existing systems.
The Auckland-based position is the organisation's first engineering hire for the venture. The company plans a ground-up build of a consumer-facing platform with no inherited codebase or legacy architecture. The move marks a shift in how Stuff structures product and technology development around its news audience and emerging digital services.
The Principal Engineer will report into the Chief Product Officer and work closely with the executive team. The role combines technical architecture, hands-on software development and strategic input into a new product line.
Stuff describes the position as a chance to design, build and ship the first working version of a modern, scalable, AI-native platform. The successful candidate will define initial engineering patterns and standards that later hires will follow.
Greenfield build
The company plans a multi-stage build. The Principal Engineer will first design the architecture and technical blueprint for the new platform. The next step will be a working prototype that expresses the product vision and allows early testing with users.
The engineer will then deliver a secure, production-ready first version. The company expects this platform to support future scale and changes in product direction. It will also expect the founding engineer to establish conventions and principles for the engineering function that is likely to follow.
The role includes exploration and evaluation of different technical approaches. The engineer will partner with product, design and research teams during the discovery phase. They will translate user needs and business aims into specific technical solutions and make decisions on whether to build or buy core components, services and integrations.
Stuff expects the Principal Engineer to define the platform's end-to-end architecture. This includes services, APIs, data models, security and hosting arrangements. The engineer will set standards intended to let future teams deliver features quickly while maintaining safety and reliability.
Hands-on delivery
The company states that this is a hands-on role, particularly in the early phases. The Principal Engineer will write code, ship features and deliver the platform as an individual contributor before a wider team is in place.
Responsibilities span backend services, frontend experiences, infrastructure, continuous integration and deployment, and monitoring. Stuff also wants the engineer to use AI-assisted development and automation tools in daily work. The company positions this as a way to move quickly during the build-out of the prototype and the initial production platform.
Data architecture sits at the centre of the job. The Principal Engineer will design data models and pipelines that support analytics, insight and personalisation. Stuff expects privacy, governance and security practices from the outset. The platform will need reporting functions and the potential for future machine learning features.
Executive-level role
The company pitches the role at executive level. The Principal Engineer will work closely with senior leaders and communicate technical concepts in clear language for non-technical stakeholders.
The engineer will provide updates on progress, risks and trade-offs. The company expects alignment between technical execution, the product roadmap and the organisation's strategy. The role also includes shaping future engineering practices and workflows, including how AI tools are used across the team.
As the platform scales, the Principal Engineer will contribute to the structure of the future engineering team. This includes methods that encourage experimentation and fast learning cycles.
Profile sought
Stuff is targeting senior engineers with broad experience across backend, frontend, infrastructure and DevOps. The organisation wants candidates with a track record in designing and building cloud-based digital platforms and architecting greenfield products from first principles.
The company lists practical experience with AI-assisted development tools, strong systems thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ability to operate in fast-moving environments with changing priorities. Experience with consumer-facing or marketplace products would be an advantage but is not mandatory.
Stuff positions the role within its wider mission around journalism and digital reach. It notes that the platform will sit inside one of New Zealand's most influential media organisations and will connect with millions of people. The company also highlights direct access to decision-makers and significant influence over technical decisions.
"At Stuff, you'll have the opportunity to create a platform that matters, one that supports high-quality journalism, reaches millions of New Zealanders and opens the door to new digital possibilities," said Stuff. "You'll work with smart, committed people, have direct access to decision-makers and be trusted to build something meaningful. This is a role where your technical decisions will shape the product, the team and the future of the venture."
Stuff states that it will continue to invite applications from a wide range of backgrounds as it looks for a founding engineer to anchor the new platform and the team that will follow.