We are not currently taking on new staff.

But when we do have more work than we can handle, then we'll put out the call once more. If you are a talented and enthusiastic programmer with great skills, then we'll be asking you to Contact Us and send us a CV or inquire for more information.

Please be aware that you will need to be physically based in New Zealand, so that we can get together for a face-to-face interview.

All our development projects are based on realistic time estimates. We have high standards for project planning and management. That means we like to keep on track and use our time wisely so that we don't have to work nights and weekends just to meet the project deadlines.

Of course, exceptions do happen. And when something does start heading off the rails, we are all expected to do what is needed to set things back on track again.

Most N-Squared project work is performed in teams of two or three. Teams work best when they work together. Team communication is vital, and the best way to communicate is to be in the same room working side by side.

That also means that we like the team to generally start and finish work at “normal” hours, so that there's plenty of overlap together. For the the same reason, working from home isn't something that we offer in the general case.

We have clients based around the lower North Island. Occasional day trips to client sites are occasionally required.

We make no attempt to conceal that fact that N-Squared Software is a small software company. Similarly, we freely admit that we often actively enjoy the work that we do. In our most exuberant moments, we may even occasionally describe our jobs as “fun”.

But please don't misunderstand us. We are not a group of “cowboys”. The senior heads at N-Squared have been in this business for long enough to know that absolute professionalism is essential for success.

The IT Industry is a tough business. Software is expensive, and clients are critically dependent on the success of their projects. Yet the IT industry in general has a poor reputation. All around the world, software projects frequently fail to succeed on time or schedule.

Even if they are completed at all, many software deliveries throughout the industry disappoint the end user in terms of features, suitability and/or quality. Constantly-changing standards, languages, tools and techniques are often blamed. Though perhaps this is actually somewhat of a distraction. Technology problems are rarely the primary cause of IT project failure.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when encountering new technology in a project is that despite the latest technology “improvement”, most development fundamentals still continue to apply. Projects typically fail because of poor specification, poor communication, or ill-considered architectural and design decisions.

The team at N-Squared may be small and enthusiastic. But we understand what makes successful projects. We also understand that our survival is immediately linked to the success of our work and the quality, timeliness and suitability of our deliverables.

There's a world of difference between working for a large development group in a massive corporate environment, and working for an agile software team like those at N-Squared.

The most important difference is that the people inside a small company know that they make a real difference. They make a difference to the culture, to the technology directions, and finally they make a real difference to the success or failure of the whole business.

In a young, dynamic company, it becomes absolutely clear that you're making a difference every day. When you do a good job, the company does well. Of course, if you screw up, the company can really suffer. If you're looking for a place to hide out of the way and be ignored, then a new business is not for you.

But if you're tired of feeling disconnected and irrelevant, then maybe this is just the place you need. There's no “head office” to deal with, there's no seven layers of management between you and the guy who makes decisions. The “boss” is the guy sitting next to you, so he knows exactly what's going on.

He probably even made you a cup of coffee this morning. It's sitting cold on your desk right now, because you got distracted trying to figure out how to make that inner code loop run three times faster in order to meet the specifications before tomorrow's delivery.

Some people may feel that working for a small company means limited opportunities to progress, perhaps because there is no well-defined “career path” within the organization. Some folks like the idea of a reassuring set of graded pay scales, and a defined road that takes them from “graduate” to “Senior VP of Technology” over forty-five well-planned years.

Fortunately for us, this kind of “old world” thinking isn't that common these days. Most people realize that a few years in a successful startup or small business is a fantastic thing to have on their CV. It shows initiative, it's a fast way to pick up new technologies and skills, and if you keep your eyes open you can learn quite a bit about business that may well come in handy to you some time later.

Not only that, the transition from “graduate” to “senior” can often happen much faster in a smaller outfit. When a job needs doing, a startup will choose you on your abilities and your commitment - rather than simply counting how many years you've been sitting at your desk, and then telling you to wait your turn.

If you prefer programming to politics, and want to really have input into how things happen in your workplace (from coding standards to coffee brands) then a young company like N-Squared is probably going to work out pretty well for you.

Of course, when you're working with a small group, you're going to need to pull your own weight. But if you're a damn good software developer and you work well in a team, then that's not going to be a problem is it? So you'll have no excuse not to come and join us.