Principal Generative AI Engineer

Overview

Tribe Group is collaborating with a distinguished New Zealand technology consultancy to recruit a Principal Generative AI Engineer to found and lead a Generative AI Centre of Excellence. This opportunity is tailored for professionals who have spent substantial time actively developing with AI agents in their workflow, focusing on practical AI system delivery for real users and datasets, closing the gap between impressive demos and dependable production systems.

Role Responsibilities and Scope

You will spearhead the AI practice while remaining actively engaged in coding. Your responsibilities will encompass client-facing work from proofs of concept to early-stage development, internal knowledge sharing through workshops, collaborative pair programming, providing reference implementations, and establishing standards on responsible AI use, privacy, and security safeguards.

Required Experience and Expertise

• A minimum of 8 years in building and launching production-level software, with experience in technical leadership of complex projects.
• At least 12 months of consistent hands-on development using an agentic coding tool such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or similar, integrated into daily workflows.
• Comprehensive experience applying AI agents throughout all phases: design, implementation, evaluation, testing, and deployment, with continuous assessment rather than post hoc testing alone.
• Strong skills in conceptualizing and engineering systems surrounding AI models, including harness architecture (tool definitions, context control, routing, permissions, approval workflows, and observability).
• Expertise in loop engineering, implementing iterative cycles of planning, acting, verifying, and repairing, with termination criteria grounded in measurable evidence rather than trust in agent output.
• Proven methods for trustworthy evaluation, including developing evaluation suites, establishing completion criteria, diagnosing failure states, and progressively improving system reliability.
• Hands-on experience creating agentic AI systems as primary deliverables, beyond using agents solely for accelerating code writing.
• Proficient coding skills in Python, C#/.NET, or TypeScript with versatility to work across different layers of the technology stack.
• Strong consulting and educational abilities involving discovery phases, senior stakeholder engagement, clear guidance on feasibility, costs, and risks, plus enhancing other engineers’ skills via coaching and workshops.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Microsoft Copilot Studio and Microsoft Foundry (previously Azure AI Foundry).
• Experience with Azure AI services and cloud platforms (AWS knowledge also valued), including responsible AI principles concerning privacy and security.
• Exposure to Microsoft data ecosystem components such as Fabric, Synapse, Power BI, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365.
• Knowledge of New Zealand-specific regulatory frameworks (Privacy Act 2020, NZISM), public sector assurance standards, and Māori data sovereignty principles.
• Prior experience establishing a Centre of Excellence or similar practice from inception.

What This Position Offers

• An active, principal-level position focused on creating and shipping AI systems, beyond strategic planning.
• The chance to define standards, procedures, and governance frameworks foundational to the Centre of Excellence.
• Engagement with diverse clients facing complex, real-world technical challenges.
• A dynamic and inclusive workplace with a commitment to diversity and creativity.
• The opportunity to conceive and develop internal accelerators and tooling to extend solutions throughout the organization.

Additional Information

Applications should be submitted directly through the recruitment channel without attaching references, which will be requested later if needed. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens, residents, or hold valid work visas allowing employment in New Zealand. For inquiries, contact Paulina Gutek at +64 272 063 431 with reference to Job ID: 18413.