Principal Product Manager - Technical - API

Role Overview

This is a senior product leadership position focused on API infrastructure and the wider developer ecosystem. You will own the strategy, delivery, and commercial performance of the company’s APIs, integrations, developer portal, and partner network for a platform that is creating an essential data layer for a major global industry.

Unlike a typical product role, this position is not about incremental funnel tuning or inheriting someone else’s backlog. You will be responsible for shaping the external API program end to end, from architecture direction with engineering through to developer adoption, retention, and revenue outcomes.

This is the final hire in an initial group of four product managers, and the people brought in at this stage will strongly influence how the company builds product going forward.

About the Company

The employer is a venture-backed technology business building foundational infrastructure for an industry that still relies heavily on manual processes such as phone calls and PDFs. The company is supported by well-known venture capital investors and has backing from founders associated with widely used consumer and technology companies.

The business has more than tripled in headcount over the past year and has the funding to continue expanding quickly. It operates from New Zealand and also has a growing footprint in the United States and Europe. The team aims for a high-calibre, globally ambitious culture while offering the New Zealand lifestyle.

Location and Mobility

The role is based in Christchurch or Auckland, New Zealand, with Christchurch preferred. Remote working within New Zealand may be considered for the right person. Full relocation assistance is available, and visa sponsorship is offered, including support for family members.

What You Will Own

• The external API program, including its design, versioning approach, governance model, and commercial structure.
• The developer portal and supporting documentation that help third-party developers join, learn, and stay engaged.
• The partner and integration ecosystem, including onboarding new data partners and enabling programmatic access across the network.
• The future direction of the APIs toward agentic and autonomous usage patterns.
• Internal platform APIs, working in close partnership with engineering so the architecture supports both current and future product surfaces.
• Key performance measures such as API adoption, developer activation, integration reliability, and revenue contribution from the ecosystem.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate has already delivered API products used at scale by developers. You should have a strong grasp of what creates an effective developer experience and be able to point to real examples of success.

You need to be technically credible with experienced engineering teams, while still thinking like a product leader who focuses on outcomes rather than just output.

The role suits someone who enjoys ambiguous, high-difficulty problems and wants to help define the playbook rather than follow one.

Experience You May Have

• Built or grown an API platform, developer ecosystem, or integration program in a demanding technical environment.
• Worked directly with outside developers and learned what drives trust, uptake, and long-term usage in developer-facing products.
• Delivered a developer portal, SDK, or documentation strategy rather than only writing requirements for one.
• Participated in architectural decisions alongside engineers instead of simply approving what was already proposed.
• Owned commercial results linked to API usage, partner growth, or ecosystem expansion.
• Comfortably prototyped in code even if you are not primarily an engineer.

Package

• Base salary of NZD 180,000 to NZD 220,000.
• Share options valued at 1.5 to 2.4 times annual salary, with a $0.01 strike price, a 1-year cliff, a 4-year vesting schedule, and no requirement to exercise on exit.
• Visa sponsorship for the successful candidate and their family.
• Relocation support and allowance.

Application Notes

Applications are handled privately. Interested candidates are invited to submit their interest through the application process provided by the employer.