Free
Share your role with the community
Free
Always
- We share your role with the community
- Members apply to you directly
- You run the hiring yourself
For employers
Hire young Kiwis who build with AI
Looking for someone who actually wants to push AI in your business? Our members use it every day. Post your role for free, or let us find the right person for you.
6
students and grads placed in AI roles
5
companies have hired from YKIA
352
members across New Zealand
Two ways to hire
Do it yourself, or let us do it
Placement
We find and place someone for you
Pay on hire
A one-off fee, quoted once we know the role
- We scope the role with you first
- Up to 3 vetted candidates we would back
- Shortlist usually within 5 to 10 business days
- Nothing to pay unless someone starts
Universities are barely teaching AI development. Our members taught themselves.
Plenty of experienced developers are still sceptical of AI. The people who use it heavily are early in their careers, and they are hard to find. That is why this exists.
How a placement works
- 01
Tell us the role
A quick call or email. What they will build, the hours, and where they will be based.
- 02
We shortlist
We know who is building what. You get up to 3 people we have vetted and would back.
- 03
You interview
Meet them, set a test if you like, and make the call. No pressure to hire anyone.
- 04
They start
The fee is invoiced on their start date. If no one starts, there is nothing to pay.
Already hired from YKIA
Real hires, not logos on a slide
SentryAI
A Christchurch company building solar-powered, AI-enabled surveillance towers for construction sites. They hired Karl out of the community.
Harkness AI
The AI consultancy Blake runs, and the founding supporter of YKIA. Two of its engineers came straight out of the community: one who had already run his own tests on a new model before the interview, and a first-year Canterbury engineering student who offered to work for free and ended up on a contract.
Flock Consulting
A data and AI consultancy based in Dunedin. Flock hosted and catered our Ōtepoti meetup, and hired an AUT Master’s graduate from YKIA.
N16 Consulting
An AI and automation advisory for New Zealand businesses. N16 has hired from YKIA.
GrowLab
An Auckland AI consultancy building AI-native operating models for infrastructure and engineering firms. GrowLab hired an AUT graduate from YKIA as an AI developer.
Questions employers ask
- Who is in the talent pool?
- 352 students, graduates and early-career builders across New Zealand who use AI every day: building agents, automations and software with it, not just talking about it.
- What kinds of roles can you fill?
- AI-focused developers, automation builders, AI engineers and analysts. Part-time, contract, casual and full-time. Remote or in person, anywhere in New Zealand.
- When do I pay the placement fee?
- Only when your hire starts. It is a one-off fee, quoted and agreed in writing before we introduce anyone. Sharing a role with the community is always free.
- Do candidates pay anything?
- Never. Members are not charged anything to be put forward for a role.
Got a role to fill?
A few details is all we need. Blake will come back within a couple of working days with the best way to find the right person.
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