Technical Lead

CIRQL; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Cirql is seeking an entrepreneurial, hands-on tech leader to own the technical engine of our expanding digital marketplace in Melbourne. You will bridge commercial goals with production-grade engineering, setting high standards and guiding a mature engine alongside a zero-to-one venture.

Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, you will shape architecture, guide offshore delivery, and stay hands-on in code to drive velocity, maintain quality, and explore AI-driven development workflows across

Qualifications

• 5-8+ years in software engineering, with recent leadership in architecture or technical delivery.
• Strong C#/.NET and TypeScript skills; React and React Native experience.
• Experience with AI tooling, LLMs, and automated developer tooling.
• Experience briefing distributed or offshore teams and leading architecture.
• Familiarity with RESTful APIs, webhook design, cloud environments, CI/CD, and data privacy (Australian principles).
• Bonus: Next.js, Tailwind, payments/billing (Stripe, Adyen), mobile app deployments, or marketplace mechanics.

Responsibilities

• Own Platform Architecture: Architect web platforms, provider portals, and mobile apps.
• Shape the Product Roadmap: Collaborate with the CPO on build-versus-buy decisions impacting value.
• Direct Partner Execution: Steer offshore engineering partner, milestones, and spend.
• Stay in the Code: Dive into critical paths, spikes, production bugs, and API logic.
• Design Complex Integrations: Build frictionless integrations with booking platforms, management systems, and CRMs.
• Lift the Quality Bar: Establish CI/CD, automated testing, code reviews, and release processes.
• Pioneer AI-Assisted Workflows: Test and operationalise LLM-driven tooling and spec-driven engineering.

Skills

Full-stack engineering

C# / .NET

TypeScript

React / React Native

AI tooling

Distributed delivery

Tools

Next.js

Tailwind

Stripe

Adyen

GitHub Copilot

Job description

At Cirql, we partner with middle-market businesses navigating pivotal inflection points. This client represents the ideal sweet spot: a profitable, long-established Australian online marketplace entering its next major growth cycle, while actively incubating a brand-new consumer venture from the ground up.

Backed and led by proven marketplace operators, alumni who have helped scale some of Australia’s most iconic digital platforms, the business combines proven commercial stability with true startup agility. Millions of consumers visit the core platform every year, supported by an active B2B provider portal. Now, with strong revenue foundations locked in, the team is investing heavily into its new products, rich API integrations, and scaling their second consumer brand.

This is a high-visibility seat in a compact Melbourne team. You will sit directly alongside the founders and executive leadership, owning genuine scope, architecture, and technology direction across both a mature engine and a zero-to-one venture.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the Chief Product Officer, this is a greenfield-style technical leadership role built for an ambitious, hands-on technologist ready to take the next step in their career. You will be the operational bridge between commercial ambitions and production-grade engineering, crafting resilient technical designs, making pragmatic trade-offs, and acting as the candid technical voice on what will and won't work.

You'll set the technical direction for a proven offshore engineering team steering delivery velocity, controlling platform spend, and keeping your hands in the code where it counts. The partner team already handles daily execution; your job is to direct that firepower, modernise core workflows, and spearhead the adoption of AI-assisted, spec-driven development

What You'll Do

This is a high-autonomy, zero-bureaucracy role designed for a builder who wants to own the technical engine of an expanding digital marketplace. You will sit side-by-side with experienced digital leaders who have built iconic Australian tech businesses, translating high-level commercial vision into clean, scalable architecture. Rather than getting bogged down in corporate red tape, you will act as the technical anchor, setting high engineering standards, architecting complex integrations, and staying hands-on in the code where precision matters most. An established offshore engineering team gives you dedicated execution muscle, freeing you up to drive product velocity, solve hard technical problems, and explore next-generation AI development workflows.

You'll split your time between technical direction, partner delivery, and the codebase itself:

• Own Platform Architecture: Architect web platforms, provider portals, and mobile apps to ensure security, scalability, and performance balance seamlessly with speed to market.
• Shape the Product Roadmap: Collaborate closely with the CPO to make clear, actionable build-versus-buy decisions that directly impact enterprise value.
• Direct Partner Execution: Steer the offshore engineering partner, owning milestones, delivery plans, and engineering spend so leadership always has total visibility.
• Stay in the Code: Dive hands-on into critical paths, architectural spikes, production bugs, and complex API logic whenever depth is required.
• Design Complex Integrations: Build frictionless integrations and webhook flows with third-party booking platforms, management systems, and CRMs.
• Lift the Quality Bar: Establish practical engineering standards across CI/CD, automated testing, code reviews, and release processes to ensure predictable, clean deployments.
• Pioneer AI-Assisted Workflows: Proactively test and operationalise LLM-driven tooling and spec-driven engineering practices to amplify development output.
• Executive & Board Communication: Translate intricate architectural trade-offs into straightforward commercial terms for non-technical stakeholders and the Board.

What You'll Bring

You are an entrepreneurial, full-stack engineer who genuinely loves building software and wants to learn how technology drives enterprise growth. You have no interest in hiding behind spreadsheets or ticket queues, you bring low ego, high ownership, and the technical backbone to jump into code reviews or solve production hurdles yourself.

• Engineering Foundation: 5-8+ years in software engineering, with recent experience stepping up to lead architecture, code quality, or technical delivery on live production systems.
• Modern Stack Depth: Solid full-stack foundations across C# / .NET and TypeScript, alongside hands-on modern frontend/mobile frameworks (React and React Native).
• AI & Tooling Curiosity: Practical exposure to building with or leveraging LLMs, GitHub Copilot, and automated developer tooling.
• Distributed Delivery Experience: Proven ability to brief, guide, and hold the standard for distributed or offshore development teams.
• Systems & Data Mindset: Familiarity with RESTful APIs, webhook design, cloud environments, CI/CD pipelines, and data protection (including Australian Privacy Principles).
• Bonus Exposure: Experience with Next.js, Tailwind, payments/billing (Stripe, Adyen), mobile app store deployments, or consumer marketplace mechanics.

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