Principal Software Engineer

Commonwealth Bank; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth Bank, EC Technology, is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to set engineering direction across a technology domain, not a single squad. You’ll shape architecture, platform investment and build-versus-reuse decisions to move teams toward shared, scalable capabilities.

This role operates in a highly regulated environment, defining patterns for resilience, security, observability and responsible AI while staying hands-on enough to turn strategic direction into practical engineering

Qualifications

• Strong computer-science foundations across algorithms, data structures, concurrency and distributed-system design.
• Experience owning technical outcomes across complete product or platform surfaces, with the judgement to move between breadth and depth.
• Experience designing and operating production services and APIs at scale using a modern typed language such as Python, Java, Kotlin or Go.
• Strong API, contract and integration-design capability, including experience with REST, OpenAPI, API gateways or equivalent technologies.

Responsibilities

• Own the domain’s technical strategy, including architecture direction, platform choices and build‑versus‑reuse decisions.
• Drive consolidation and decommissioning, reducing system and pipeline duplication while establishing reusable golden paths.
• Scale platforms from minimum viable products into resilient, highly available and enterprise‑ready services.
• Set engineering standards across continuous integration and delivery, testing, observability, operational readiness and security.
• Provide hands‑on technical leadership across the stack, guiding the development of scalable services, well‑designed APIs, backend‑for‑frontend layers and fit‑for‑purpose internal interfaces.
• Define reliable, observable and responsible approaches to AI and agentic systems, with appropriate human oversight.
• Embed regulatory, control, security and privacy considerations into engineering decisions from the outset.
• Mentor senior engineers and lift engineering capability through influence, technical leadership and hands‑on contribution.

Skills

Strong CS foundations

Full-stack software engineering

Influence teams without formal- 1?

Hands-on technical leadership

Production service design and operate

Tools

REST

OpenAPI

API gateways

React

TypeScript

Java

Python

Kotlin

Go

AWS

Kubernetes

Docker

GitHub Actions

ArgoCD

Job description

Principal Software Engineer

• Set the technical direction for platforms that detect and investigate financial crime.
• Shape domain-wide architecture while remaining close to engineering and code.
• Advance shared platforms, modern cloud engineering and responsible AI at CommBank.

Do work that matters

Join EC Technology, where our crews build the detection, investigation and data capabilities that help protect customers and keep financial crime out of the bank.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll set the engineering direction across a technology domain rather than a single squad. You’ll shape architecture, platform investment and build-versus-reuse decisions, helping multiple teams move from fragmented systems towards shared, scalable capabilities.

This is an opportunity to influence technology that operates in a highly regulated environment. You’ll set patterns for resilience, security, observability and responsible AI, while remaining hands‑on enough to turn technical direction into practical engineering outcomes.

Bring your ambition and help shape secure, future‑ready engineering that delivers meaningful outcomes for customers and communities.

See yourself in our team

EC Technology brings together engineers, product professionals, data scientists and architects to strengthen the bank’s crime‑detection, investigation and data platforms.

In this role, you will:

• Own the domain’s technical strategy, including architecture direction, platform choices and build‑versus‑reuse decisions.
• Drive consolidation and decommissioning, reducing system and pipeline duplication while establishing reusable golden paths.
• Scale platforms from minimum viable products into resilient, highly available and enterprise‑ready services.
• Set engineering standards across continuous integration and delivery, testing, observability, operational readiness and security.
• Provide hands‑on technical leadership across the stack, guiding the development of scalable services, well‑designed APIs, backend‑for‑frontend layers and fit‑for‑purpose internal interfaces.
• Define reliable, observable and responsible approaches to AI and agentic systems, with appropriate human oversight.
• Embed regulatory, control, security and privacy considerations into engineering decisions from the outset.
• Mentor senior engineers and lift engineering capability through influence, technical leadership and hands‑on contribution.

We’re interested in hearing from people who

You’re a foundations‑strong engineering leader who can reason across technologies, connect strategy with delivery and create clarity in complex environments. You bring broad, full‑stack software engineering experience and can influence teams without relying on formal authority.

You’ll bring:

• Strong computer‑science foundations across algorithms, data structures, concurrency and distributed‑system design.
• Proven experience owning technical outcomes across complete product or platform surfaces, with the judgement to move between breadth and depth.
• Experience designing and operating production services and APIs at scale using a modern typed language such as Python, Java, Kotlin or Go.
• Strong API, contract and integration‑design capability, including experience with REST, OpenAPI, API gateways or equivalent technologies.
• Full‑stack capability, including experience with React and TypeScript or equivalent technologies, as well as backend‑for‑frontend layers.
• A practical approach to frontend engineering. The role principally supports internal, systems‑facing applications rather than consumer‑grade interfaces, but you’ll be comfortable contributing across the stack when required.
• Cloud‑native engineering experience involving technologies such as AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub Actions or ArgoCD, with a focus on high availability and operational excellence.
• Experience with platform strategy, reusable capabilities, legacy‑system modernisation, event‑driven integration, observability, security‑first engineering, or reliable AI and agentic systems.

Working with us

At CommBank, we're committed to creating an accessible, inclusive and respectful workplace. If you require support or adjustments, please let us know.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and we're particularly committed to making a positive difference for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples. For support, please contact 1800 989 696.