Software Engineering Manager - NZ at Serko Ltd. · Auckland

Serko is an NZX50, global business travel and expense company, with our Headquarters based in Parnell, Auckland. As the 2020 HI-Tech Company of the Year, we're a SaaS that is diverse, close-knit group where everyone's opinion matters. We’re already the established leader in Australasia and revolutionizing the way people do business travel in the USA and Europe – and we’re growing!

Our purpose is to "Bring People Together", coupled with a vision to "Create a Connected, Frictionless Travel Experience". While the world of business travel is changing, we’re preparing companies for this with intelligent technology that helps them ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of their travelers.

Our mission is to "Build the World's Leading Business Travel Marketplace"! We’re backed by the likes of Booking.com and there is an exciting road ahead of us at a time where travel needs real, impactful change. We’re hiring people from different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives to help us build a world-class team and product.

As an Engineering Manager, you are responsible for enabling your team to deliver reliable outcomes while supporting their growth and development. You translate business and product priorities into clear, achievable objectives and ensure work is planned, coordinated, and delivered effectively across your stream and the wider organisation.

You create an environment where engineers can do their best work — with clear expectations, constructive feedback, and a strong focus on collaboration, quality, and continuous improvement. Success in this role is reflected in a team that delivers predictably, works well with others, and steadily grows in capability and confidence.

What you will be doing

• Own delivery outcomes for your team’s product area, ensuring work is well planned, progress is visible, risks are managed, and commitments are met.
• Lead, coach, and support engineers through regular feedback, performance conversations, and career development, fostering engagement and psychological safety.
• Ensure engineering standards, reliability, and quality practices are consistently applied across the team.
• Support disciplined execution through agreed delivery practices, team rituals, and tooling, aligned with guidance from Stream and Engineering Leadership.
• Work closely with peer teams and stakeholders to manage dependencies, surface issues early, and align team decisions with stream and business priorities.
• Identify opportunities to improve team processes and ways of working, encouraging experimentation and pragmatic improvements that support productivity and delivery.
• Support the adoption of modern engineering practices, including appropriate use of automation and AI-enabled tools, where they add clear value.

What you will bring to the team

• Experience leading engineering teams in a delivery-focused environment, balancing business priorities with individual development and team health.
• A people-centred approach to leadership, with demonstrated ability to build inclusive teams and support psychological safety and wellbeing.
• Practical experience with agile delivery methods, delivery metrics, and continuous improvement of team workflows.
• Accountability for delivery commitments, including tracking goals, monitoring progress, and proactively managing and communicating risks.
• Ability to understand broader business and product context, and ensure team decisions contribute to wider organisational goals.
• Comfort using engineering data (e.g. delivery metrics, reliability, performance indicators) to inform decisions and guide improvement.
• Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to work constructively across functions and manage stakeholder expectations.
• Sufficient technical understanding of modern engineering stacks and cloud-native environments to provide context, ask the right questions, and uphold standards.
• Experience supporting teams through change, shifting priorities, or periods of growth, with a steady and pragmatic leadership style.

It's important to us that our people can bring their whole selves to work. Join our team and we have the following on offer for you!

• Competitive salary + Kiwisaver + Life Insurance + A generous employee incentive share scheme
• Laptop & tools, modern office with games, exceptional coffee, snacks, and a great social atmosphere!
• Flexibility to work-from-home and with starting and finishing times
• Extended leave benefits
• Promotional opportunities among an established & growing global organisation
• 1:1's to help focus on your personal growth via multiple career pathways
• Access to discounted: Free flu shots, and confidential support, guidance, and counselling services with EAP
• Inclusive culture which embraces the diversity of our people - with many different nationalities proudly represented across the Serko workforce. We look for people to add to our culture!