Principal / Staff Engineer - Greenfield Re-architecture …, Brisbane

Staff / Principal Software Engineer (100% IC)

Greenfield Re-Architecture
- Location: Gold Coast preferred (Open to Brisbane / Northern NSW for occasional face-to-face collaboration)
- Compensation: AUD $180,000 – $190,000+ base (Highly adaptable for top-tier talent)
- Role Type: Full-time, Permanent | Individual Contributor (No People Management) About the Company & Opportunity

My client is a highly successful, fully funded national B2B group operating with a powerful internal software focus. While the brick-and-mortar industry we operate in is highly traditional, our business trades at tech-firm multiples because we treat software and automation as our ultimate competitive advantage. After successfully building and testing our first-generation products over the last 6–7 years, we are spinning out a dedicated, fully funded startup unit within the wider parent company. We are now completely rebuilding our core platform from the ground up. This is a rare "If you had your time again, what would you build?" scenario. We are looking for a heavy-hitting, autonomous engineer to sit alongside the local Product Leader and our Head of Engineering to own the architecture and execution of this greenfield platform. The Mission & Core Responsibilities

- Own the Architecture: Lead the design and greenfield build of a unified, heavy-backend platform. This system will serve as the "core operating system" for 3–4 distinct product streams and must scale to seamlessly integrate future corporate acquisitions by cutting down traditional operational overhead.
- 100% Hands-on Execution: Turn high-level business strategies, Figma designs, and prototypes into robust, production-ready software. This is an elite individual contributor role (no people management, no Jira-heavy bureaucracy).
- Drive Technical Autonomy: While our initial thoughts lean toward Python, React, and Next.js on AWS, we are completely language-agnostic. You will have the freedom to define the target stack and choose the right tools for long-term scalability.
- Leverage Next-Gen Tooling: We view AI-assisted development (Claude, Copilot, etc.) as a non-negotiable accelerator. You will be expected to actively integrate these tools into your workflow to bypass standard development bottlenecks. Candidate Profile (What We Are Looking For)

- Proven Architectural Ownership: You have a track record of designing and building complex, distributed B2B SaaS platforms, complex workflow automation, or multi-tenant internal tools from scratch (not just maintaining legacy code).
- Backend & Data Heavyweights: Deep expertise in API design (REST/GraphQL), database modeling (PostgreSQL/MySQL/NoSQL), and building for performance, isolation, and scale.
- Startup Agility: You thrive working directly with founders and product leaders. You are mature enough to navigate ambiguity, self-sufficient enough to require zero hand-holding, and pragmatic enough to avoid short-sighted technical debt.
- Modern Workflow: You actively embrace AI-driven development tools to speed up your output and are excited about the leverage it provides.
- Cloud Competency: Solid awareness of the AWS ecosystem, CI/CD, and modern deployment/monitoring practices. Why This Role?

- Zero Bureaucracy: Skip the enterprise red tape, endless middle-management meetings, and agile ceremonies. Code daily and see your architectural decisions impact the business immediately.
- Stability + Agility: Enjoy the fast-paced, high-ownership environment of a startup, backed by the financial security and runway of an established parent company.
- Top-Market Comp: We value elite talent and prefer paying for top-tier capability over compromising on mediocrity. Interview Process

We value your time. Our process is short, transparent, and rigorous: 1. Initial Screen: A brief chat to align on motivations and expectations. 2. Technical Deep Dive: A single, thorough 2-hour technical architecture and implementation interview with our Head of Engineering. No separate culture rounds or take-home tests. Apply on Kit Job: kitjobau.com/job/3qx751