Principal Engineer / Consulting Engineer (AI-Led Digital Platform)

Mindera; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Strategic role with visibility across engineering and client leadership

Opportunity to shape AI application across a digital platform

Job summary

A technology and consulting firm in Melbourne is seeking a Principal Engineer/Consulting Engineer to shape the next phase of a modern smart energy platform. The role requires over 10 years of software engineering experience, with a strong full-stack capability in React, Node.js, and AWS. The successful candidate will have a balance of technical leadership and client advisory, focusing on AI-driven engineering practices within a hybrid working model. This high-impact position offers strategic visibility across engineering and client leadership.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering.
• Proven ability to lead architecture across distributed systems.
• Experience working in consulting or client-facing roles.

Responsibilities

• Define and guide end-to-end architecture across technologies.
• Act as a senior technical advisor to client stakeholders.
• Drive AI adoption across engineering teams.

Skills

Software engineering

Full-stack development (React, Node.js)

AWS

AI-driven engineering practices

Consulting experience

Communication skills

Job description

We're seeking a Principal Engineer / Consulting Engineer to play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of a modern smart energy platform. This role sits at the intersection of technical leadership and client advisory, balancing hands‑on architectural oversight with strategic stakeholder engagement.

What You'll Do

Engineering Leadership

• Define and guide end‑to‑end architecture across React, Node integration services, and AWS infrastructure.
• Shape how AI is embedded across the SDLC, from development workflows to runtime capabilities.
• Provide hands‑on architectural oversight across frontend, backend, and cloud layers.
• Support engineering teams locally and offshore, ensuring standards and delivery quality.
• Lead technical discovery, solution design, and implementation planning.
• Ensure scalability, security, performance, and maintainability across the platform.

Client & Consulting Leadership

• Act as a senior technical advisor to client stakeholders, including technology and product leadership.
• Lead deeply technical discussions while translating complexity into clear commercial outcomes.
• Influence roadmap decisions through architectural insight and delivery realism.
• Balance pragmatism and innovation in a client‑facing environment.

AI Across the SDLC

• Drive the adoption of AI‑enabled development practices across engineering teams.
• Apply AI in areas such as code generation, testing automation, data intelligence, observability, and optimisation.
• Identify opportunities to embed AI into product capabilities where appropriate.
• Maintain awareness of evolving AI tooling and ensure responsible, scalable adoption.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with significant experience as a senior or principal/staff engineer.
• Strong full‑stack capability across React, Node.js, and modern TypeScript ecosystems.
• Deep experience designing and operating systems on AWS.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD, and infrastructure‑as‑code.
• Proven ability to lead architecture across distributed systems and integration layers.
• Experience working in consulting or client‑facing roles, engaging directly with senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills, comfortable presenting to executive audiences.
• Genuine interest and applied experience in AI‑driven engineering practices.
• Ability to move between strategic thinking and hands‑on technical detail.

Nice to Have

• Experience in energy, utilities, or integration‑driven platforms.
• Exposure to event‑driven architectures and modern integration patterns.
• Experience leading distributed teams across multiple geographies.

Benefits

• Melbourne‑based, hybrid working model.
• Strategic, high‑impact role with visibility across engineering and client leadership.
• Opportunity to shape how AI is applied across a modern digital platform.