Help design the physical hardware behind virtual fencing technology that is changing how livestock is managed.

eShepherd is Gallagher’s virtual fencing technology for cattle. Our system combines solar-powered neckbands, software, data and on-farm support to help farmers move livestock remotely, manage grazing more precisely, reduce reliance on physical fencing and operate in new ways.

We are looking for a Senior Product Development Engineer to join our eShepherd R&D team in Hamilton. This is a hands-on mechanical engineering role focused on designing, developing and continuously improving the physical hardware that enables eShepherd to perform reliably in real farming conditions.

You’ll work across the full product lifecycle, from early concept and design through to testing, production, field support and product improvement. You’ll be part of multidisciplinary project teams, working closely with electronics, firmware, product, manufacturing, procurement, customer success and field services.

This role will suit a practical, curious and commercially-minded engineer who enjoys solving real-world problems. You’ll use feedback from the field to understand how products are performing in-market, support root cause investigations, and turn those learnings into better, more robust product designs.

What you’ll do

• Design robust, cost-effective mechanical solutions for new products and improvements to existing products.

• Develop practical, manufacturable designs that meet customer, regulatory, reliability and commercial requirements.

• Identify technical issues early in the development process and work through practical design solutions.

• Conduct and participate in design reviews, DFM reviews and DFMEA.

• Support field services, customer support and sales teams with technical investigation of product issues.

• Lead or contribute to root cause analysis of field failures, warranty issues and reliability concerns.

• Translate field and customer insights into clear engineering actions and design improvements.

• Work closely with manufacturing, procurement and suppliers to support product changes and production readiness.

• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to strong design quality across projects.

• Apply a learning-first mindset, using evidence, testing and iteration to make sound engineering decisions.

What you’ll bring

You’ll bring strong mechanical engineering capability, sound judgement and the confidence to work in a role where practical design decisions matter.

Ideally, you will have:

• A Bachelor of Engineering or equivalent qualification.

• At least five years’ relevant industry experience.

• Experience working in an R&D or product development environment.

• Strong practical knowledge of injection moulded plastic design and material selection.

• Demonstrated ability to design functional mechanisms.

• Proficiency with CAD, ideally PTC Creo, including part and assembly modelling, GD&T and drawing release.

• Experience with DFM, DFMEA and identifying design risk early.

• The ability to diagnose root causes of mechanical failure and translate findings into design improvements.

• A clear communication style, with the ability to explain design intent and technical trade-offs to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• An understanding of designing products to meet safety and environmental standards.

Most importantly, you’ll be comfortable working with progress over perfection. We value people who can make well-reasoned decisions under uncertainty, learn quickly from testing and field evidence, and keep moving.

Why eShepherd?

What we offer is fundamentally changing how producers operate. Our customers are moving cattle remotely, managing grazing more precisely, using labour differently and creating grazing areas without building physical fences.

We’re a fast growing AgTech company backed by Gallagher, a company that has been solving problems alongside farmers for more than 88 years. You get the pace, autonomy and opportunity of something we are still building, with the reach and backing of an established global agricultural business.

As part of Team Gallagher, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive salary and annual incentive opportunity.

• Free parking, subsidised on-site café and great eateries nearby.

• Life and disability insurance.

• Boost App membership and Gallagher staff discounts across NZ retailers.

• Team events, guest speakers, social activities and regular team lunches.

• Genuine opportunities to grow your career within a global technology company.

If you want to design hardware that has to work in the real world, on real farms, in real conditions, this is a rare opportunity to do work that matters.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the role may be filled before the closing date.