Customer Success Team Lead

About Kernel

Kernel is growing! We’ve grown 100%+ year on year for the past six years. With 60K customers today and growth on track to reach 100K by the end of next year.

We’re on a mission to help Kiwis build wealth, improve financial literacy, and create lasting saving and investing habits. Our investment platform makes investing simple and accessible, with tools and guidance to support long-term financial goals.

We’re at an exciting stage, scaling fast, expanding our team, and building the foundations for the next phase of growth. Our culture is collaborative, hands-on and ambitious. Things move quickly here, and every person plays a key role in shaping what we become.

The opportunity

Kernel Wealth is looking for an experienced Customer Success Team Lead to join its Auckland-based team.

This newly created role combines people leadership with hands-on customer delivery. You’ll lead and develop a team of approximately five Customer Success specialists while continuing to support customers directly across phone, email and chat.

You’ll work closely with the Head of Customer Success, deputising when required and helping shape the way the team uses tools such as Intercom, Fin AI and HubSpot to deliver efficient, personal and compliant customer experiences.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead, coach and develop the Customer Success team

• Manage workloads, priorities and service levels

• Resolve complex customer issues and escalations

• Support recruitment, onboarding and team development

• Respond to customer enquiries across phone, email and chat

• Explain Kernel’s investment, savings and KiwiSaver products clearly

• Improve processes, customer content, automation and AI tools

• Step up to lead the wider team when required

What you’ll bring

• Proven experience leading a customer-facing team

• Strong coaching and people management capability

• Senior-level, hands-on customer support experience

• Confidence managing escalations and complex customer enquiries

• Clear, empathetic written and verbal communication skills

• Experience using CRM or customer support platforms

• Adaptability, initiative and a practical problem-solving approach

• Financial services experience is preferred, with KiwiSaver knowledge an advantage

• The right to work in New Zealand

Why You’ll love it at Kernel

• Connecting Kiwis with investment products that are designed in a way no other fintech in New Zealand is approaching, connecting everyday financial goals with intuitive, customer-first experiences.

• Contribute to a platform trusted by tens of thousands of Kiwis, helping them feel more confident and in control of their money.

• Execute across a broad range of Kernel’s Customer function initiatives, with the autonomy to test improvements, learn from customer insights, and scale what enhances the overall experience.

• Join a team built on trust, collaboration, and flexibility, where feedback is constructive and everyone has a voice.

• Competitive compensation package

• Health insurance, parental leave top-up, and professional development support

• Extra Kernel holidays

• Office snacks, coffee, and a dog-friendly environment

Join our team

Not sure you meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply. We value growth, impact, and mindset just as much as specific experience. If this opportunity sounds like you, send us your cover letter explaining why you’re excited about the role and working at Kernel, along with your CV.

Visit our careers page for more on working at Kernel and follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram. to stay connected.