Kernel is growing and quality is critical to how we scale.
We’re looking for a Junior Quality Analyst to join our product and technology team, helping ensure our investment platform delivers reliable, high‑quality experiences for our customers.
This is a hands‑on role where you’ll build strong foundations in manual testing, working closely with product, design, and engineering. You’ll be supported by an experienced team and given the opportunity to develop your QA skills while contributing meaningfully to real product outcomes.
This role goes beyond testing the UI - you’ll help validate integrations, workflows, and end‑to‑end processes that sit at the heart of how Kernel works.
About Kernel
We're a 100% Kiwi owned and operated fintech on a mission to make wealth accessible for every Kiwi. Our investment platform takes the guesswork out of investing – offering KiwiSaver, Managed Funds, US shares & ETFs, and Smart Saver accounts, all in one place with some of the lowest fees in the market.
We're at an exciting stage. Scaling fast, expanding our team of globally experienced financial professionals, and building the foundations for what's next. Our culture is collaborative, hands-on and ambitious – built on trust, innovation and saying it like it is. We value diverse perspectives, empower individuality, and believe the best ideas come from thinking together.
Things move quickly here, and every person plays a key role in shaping our future.
What you’ll do
Manually test new features, enhancements, and change requests against acceptance criteria, user needs, and business requirements
Write and maintain clear, structured manual test cases and scenarios (including exposure to BDD / Gherkin)
Take a risk‑based approach to testing, focusing on critical flows, integrations, edge cases, and failure points
Identify, replicate, and clearly document defects with accurate steps and supporting detail
Log and manage bugs in tools such as Linear (or similar), supporting developers to resolve issues efficiently
Review requirements and designs early to identify gaps, ambiguities, risks, and missing scenarios
Work closely with product managers, designers, developers, and stakeholders to clarify expected behaviour
Support regression testing and release readiness to help prevent defects reaching production
Contribute ideas to improve QA practices, documentation, and ways of working
Participate in sprint planning, stand‑ups, reviews, and retrospectives as part of an agile delivery team
You’ll be great if you bring
At least 1 year of experience in a QA role, with strong foundations in manual testing and test case design
Solid understanding of QA fundamentals, including exploratory, regression, smoke testing and defect management
Confidence validating work against acceptance criteria, expected behaviour, and user outcomes
Strong investigative skills - able to consistently reproduce issues and communicate them clearly using tools like Linear (or similar)
An understanding that quality goes beyond the UI, including integrations, workflows, and wider business processes
A curious, proactive, and collaborative mindset, with clear professional communication style
Bonus things you could bring along to the role
Exposure to test automation (nice to have, not required)
Experience testing APIs, integrations, or complex workflows
Familiarity with BDD / Gherkin practices in a team environment
Interest in fintech, investing, or complex digital platforms
Why You’ll Love it at Kernel
Shape investment products in a way no other fintech in New Zealand is approaching, connecting everyday financial goals with intuitive and customer centric design.
Contribute to a platform trusted by tens of thousands of Kiwis, helping them feel more confident and in control of their money.
Join a team built on trust, collaboration, and flexibility, where feedback is constructive and everyone has a voice.
Competitive compensation package
Enjoy the best of both worlds with a flexible hybrid setup, connect in person while keeping the freedom to work from home up to couple of days each week (minimum 3 days/week in the office).
Health insurance, parental leave top-up, and professional development support
Extra staff holidays, office snacks, coffee, and a dog-friendly environment