Engineering Lead - Integration

Virgin Australia Airlines; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted flights

Hybrid work style

Brisbane HQ location

Sydney CBD office

Travel discounts

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Virgin Australia is seeking an experienced IT Integration Lead to spearhead the development and delivery of integration solutions for our Operations projects. You will lead a small team across API, Java microservices, and event-driven platforms, shaping design, standards and delivery across design, build, test, deployment and warranty support.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, hands-on coding, and collaboration with architects, product teams and offshore/vendor partners to ensure secure,

Qualifications

• Extensive software engineering experience in integration.
• Strong Java and Spring Boot expertise.
• Experience with APIs, Kafka and event-driven patterns.
• Experience with Kubernetes and cloud microservices.
• Ability to lead and mentor engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical design and delivery of APIs, Java microservices, and event-driven integration solutions.
• Translate logical solution architecture into detailed physical designs, implementation plans, and engineering standards.
• Establish and maintain integration engineering standards, patterns, guardrails, and reusable assets aligned to strategic technology stacks and industry best practice.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across Java, Spring Boot, Kafka, API Management, AWS, Kubernetes, and containerised microservice environments.
• Guide teams in applying synchronous and asynchronous integration patterns, including REST, SOAP, APIs, event streaming, and layered microservice architecture.
• Lead technical discovery, solution options, estimations, and delivery planning across design, build, testing, deployment and warranty support.
• Review solution designs and code to ensure quality, security, performance, resilience, maintainability, and compliance with engineering standards.
• Use approved AI-assisted engineering tools to improve technical discovery, design, development, testing, code review and documentation.
• Establish reusable AI-assisted engineering workflows and provide clear technical context, prompts, and team guidance for safe, effective use.
• Coach and mentor engineers, supporting their technical growth and strengthening engineering capability across onshore, offshore, and vendor teams.
• Manage team member performance through regular one-on-one conversations, development planning and formal performance reviews.
• Oversee contractor performance and contribute to engagement and extensions in partnership with delivery, procurement and people teams.
• Partner with architects, delivery leads, product teams, testers, SREs, and suppliers to manage technical risks, dependencies, and delivery outcomes.
• Ensure services meet production-readiness expectations for observability, resilience, monitoring, CI/CD, operational support, and service improvement.
• Provide technical oversight for releases, critical incidents, and Level 3 support within your domain, including support outside normal business hours when required.

Skills

API design

Java

Spring Boot

Kafka

AWS

Kubernetes

Microservices

Cloud environments

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IS

Tools

Git

Jenkins

Job description

Brisbane is the preferred location for this role; however, Sydney-based candidates may also be considered.

We’re the airline that dares to be different, bold, down-to-earth and built around giving our guests real choice. Safety is our backbone, service is our heartbeat, and our people are our superpower.

At Virgin Australia, we’re on a mission to be Australia’s most loved airline, for our people, our guests and our owners and we’re looking for passionate talent to help take us even higher.

We’re vibrant, authentic and unapologetically human. Here, you can bring your whole self, your Virgin Flair and your ambition to a team that champions individuality, innovation and a whole lot of heart. If you’re excited by meaningful work, real opportunities to grow, and a culture where you can genuinely make a difference, you’ll feel right at home with us.

Your Impact:

In our IT team, we’re the engine room that keeps Virgin Australia running smoothly, blending technical excellence with that signature Virgin spirit. We’re curious problem solvers who move fast, think smart and own our impact. Whether we’re delivering seamless digital experiences or strengthening the systems that keep our operation flying, we do it with discipline, heart and a healthy dose of innovation.

As part of our Integration team, this role will lead a small team responsible for the development and delivery of integration solutions supporting our Operations projects.

Role responsibilities:

• Lead the technical design and delivery of APIs, Java microservices, and event-driven integration solutions.
• Translate logical solution architecture into detailed physical designs, implementation plans, and engineering standards.
• Establish and maintain integration engineering standards, patterns, guardrails, and reusable assets aligned to strategic technology stacks and industry best practice.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across Java, Spring Boot, Kafka, API Management, AWS, Kubernetes, and containerised microservice environments.
• Guide teams in applying synchronous and asynchronous integration patterns, including REST, SOAP, APIs, event streaming, and layered microservice architecture.
• Lead technical discovery, solution options, estimations, and delivery planning across design, build, testing, deployment and warranty support.
• Review solution designs and code to ensure quality, security, performance, resilience, maintainability, and compliance with engineering standards.
• Use approved AI-assisted engineering tools to improve technical discovery, design, development, testing, code review and documentation.
• Establish reusable AI-assisted engineering workflows and provide clear technical context, prompts, and team guidance for safe, effective use.
• Coach and mentor engineers, supporting their technical growth and strengthening engineering capability across onshore, offshore, and vendor teams.
• Manage team member performance through regular one-on-one conversations, development planning and formal performance reviews.
• Oversee contractor performance and contribute to engagement and extensions in partnership with delivery, procurement and people teams.
• Partner with architects, delivery leads, product teams, testers, SREs, and suppliers to manage technical risks, dependencies, and delivery outcomes.
• Ensure services meet production-readiness expectations for observability, resilience, monitoring, CI/CD, operational support, and service improvement.
• Provide technical oversight for releases, critical incidents, and Level 3 support within your domain, including support outside normal business hours when required.

You’ll be great in this role if you…

• Extensive experience in software engineering, with strong experience in the integration space.
• Practical experience using AI coding assistants across software design, development, testing, code review and documentation.
• The ability to write clear technical context and instructions that produce useful, repeatable AI-assisted outcomes.
• Deep hands-on experience with Java and Spring Boot.
• Experience with event-driven integration and Kafka.
• Experience working with Kubernetes and cloud-based microservice environments.
• Physical design leadership able to translate logical solution architecture into physical design for implementation by engineering teams aligned to industry best practices and VA strategic guidelines.
• Estimate new projects to within an agreed accuracy from a design, development, testing, deployment and warranty support perspective.
• Provide strong technical and thought leadership across the integration centre of excellence both inside the team, across federated journey teams and suppliers/vendors.
• Proven experience leading and line-managing software engineers in complex technology environments.
• Experience in leading and implementing Java-based microservice integration solutions in complex environments
• Take responsibility for any Level 3 support required for services within your assigned areas of accountability using the developers within your squad(s) effectively to liaise with Level 2 support
• Strong knowledge of software engineering practices, testing, CI/CD, observability and production support.
• The ability to work collaboratively across onshore and offshore teams.
• Clear communication skills and the confidence to engage with leads, peers, testers and delivery stakeholders.

What you’ll get from us

We’re committed to looking after you, with some of the best benefits and conditions in the industry – including (but not limited to):

• Discounted flights for you and your loved ones (including $1000 worth of travel credits per year)
• A flexible, hybrid work style. Work from home or the office, adapt your location to suit your style and needs
• One of Brisbane’s most admired head office locations, with South Bank train station, a supermarket, pharmacy, and lunch options downstairs plus a 5-minute walk to the Busway, a rooftop restaurant and onsite gym (with a low membership fee) and South Bank Parklands just across the road. This role can also be based out of our beautiful Sydney CBD office.
• Discounts on travel insurance, lounge membership, car hire, accommodation, and experiences worldwide
• Cheaper hospitality, retail, technology, beauty and wellness services
• Free counselling and access to a wellbeing app to support your physical, mental, social and financial health
• ‘Dress for Your Day’ – enjoy the freedom to wear whatever makes you feel great for the type of work you do and the day you have ahead of you.

When everyone is included, everyone wins

We’re all individuals. And we love that. That’s why we encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, those from diverse cultural backgrounds, our friends in the LGBTQI+ community, and anyone else who wants to join our family.