Principal Software Engineer

Talent; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent in Canberra is seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to lead cloud and data infrastructure initiatives in a Federal Government environment. You will drive AWS‑based solutions, IaC with Terraform and containerised deployments, while guiding agile teams and engaging with senior stakeholders.

The role is EL2‑equivalent, highly autonomous, and requires NV1 clearance. Hybrid work with at least three days in office is supported, delivering secure, scalable infrastructure across

Qualifications

• Extensive hands‑on experience designing and managing AWS infrastructure.
• Strong DevOps experience with CI/CD pipelines and tooling.
• Terraform / IaC expertise for scalable cloud deployments.
• Containerisation with Docker and Kubernetes in complex environments.
• Agile development with effective stakeholder communication.
• Proven technical leadership across engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, deployment and ongoing support of Cloud and Data Infrastructure.
• Architect scalable AWS cloud solutions and governance frameworks.
• Implement DevOps practices and continuous delivery pipelines.
• Develop infrastructure as code using Terraform.
• Support containerised environments and cluster orchestration.
• Provide high‑level technical guidance to senior stakeholders.
• Manage complex internal and external stakeholder relationships.

Skills

AWS Architecture

DevOps Pipelines

Terraform IaC

Docker & Kubernetes

CI/CD Tools

Agile Methodologies

Stakeholder Mgmt

Technical Leadership

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub

GitLab

Jira

Job description

• 12-month contract + 12-month extension option
• ACT | Hybrid - minimum 3 days in office
• NV1 clearance required

Position Overview

An opportunity is available for an experienced Principal Software Engineer to take a senior technical leadership role within a large Federal Government environment.

Operating at an EL2-equivalent level, you will lead complex cloud and engineering initiatives, with a strong focus on AWS infrastructure, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code and containerised environments. You will work closely with technical teams and business stakeholders to design, develop, deploy and support scalable Cloud and Data Infrastructure solutions.

This is a highly autonomous, hands-on position requiring both strong technical depth and the ability to provide strategic technical guidance, influence engineering direction and lead delivery across complex initiatives.

Key Duties

• Lead the design, development, deployment and ongoing support of Cloud and Data Infrastructure.
• Design and manage scalable AWS cloud solutions.
• Lead and implement DevOps practices and continuous delivery pipelines.
• Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code using Terraform.
• Support containerised environments using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Ensure technical solutions follow appropriate integration and engineering practices.
• Prioritise and manage technical work to support timely delivery of key initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership within Agile project teams.
• Work closely with business and technical stakeholders to define requirements and priorities.
• Provide high‑level technical advice and support to senior stakeholders.
• Manage complex internal and external stakeholder relationships.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Extensive hands‑on experience designing, implementing and managing AWS infrastructure and services.
• Strong experience implementing DevOps practices, tooling and continuous delivery pipelines, including GitLab, GitHub, Artifactory and Jira.
• Strong Terraform / Infrastructure as Code (IaC) expertise.
• Strong experience with Git and Agile development methodologies.
• In‑depth experience with Docker, Kubernetes, containerisation and cluster deployment/orchestration.
• Strong technical leadership capability within complex engineering environments.
• Ability to work autonomously while engaging effectively with senior technical and business stakeholders.
• NV1 clearance is required

Highly regarded experience includes:

• PostgreSQL and MySQL deployment and administration.
• Azure infrastructure administration and multi‑cloud environments.
• Cloud networking design, administration and troubleshooting.
• HashiCorp Vault and secrets management.