Software Engineer

Company Description

• Hybrid working (3 days from home)
• Located next to Southern Cross Station
• 12-month maximum term contract

At Open Universities Australia (OUA), we believe everyone should have access to quality education, no matter their background or stage of life.

For more than 30 years, we’ve helped over 400,000 students take their next step, often during some of the most important moments of their lives. Whether someone is changing careers, returning to study or pursuing a lifelong goal, the work we do helps open new possibilities every day. That’s what makes working at OUA meaningful. Every experience we create, every conversation we have and every decision we make can have a real impact on someone’s future.

When we do our best work, we help change lives.

In this role, you'll immerse yourself in cross-functional product teams, working collaboratively to enhance the experiences of both our students and university partners. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to broaden your skill set by diving into diverse tools and technologies, including TypeScript, React, Node.js and AWS.

The role of a software engineer is changing, and we’re changing with it. AI assisted tools are becoming increasingly central to the development process. This means more time spend planning and reviewing code, and less time handcrafting it. We are constantly looking for ways to leverage these tools to deliver more value while also improving the quality and reliability of the software that we are building.

If you’re excited by this and want to work somewhere that will give you the freedom to experiment, grow and make a real impact, we want to hear from you.

Check out our Engineering blog for more insights about our journey and progress to date.

Here's a glimpse into your day-to-day:

• Collaborating closely with our product development team to understand requirements and plan development tasks
• Working with AI coding agents as a normal part of how you build - we expect every engineer to own the code they ship, regardless of whether they handcrafted it or handed it off to an agent
• Reviewing code closely
• Designing, developing, testing, and deploying web-based systems using a mix of TypeScript, HTML, CSS, Node.js, and React
• Applying modern web architecture patterns and conventions such as microservices, API design, contract testing, containerisation, test automation, and serverless architecture
• Utilising modern software development techniques like test-driven development, deployment automation, and CI/CD
• Supporting production systems and maintaining existing products – As a member of the team, you’ll have joint ownership of the support and maintenance of production systems.
• Sharing knowledge and continuously honing your technical skills.

If you're ready to make an impact, here's what we're looking for:

• Experience using AI coding tools on production work, and a point of view on where they earn their keep and where they don't
• Solid planning skills - You can think through a problem, break it down and develop a plan
• Strong code reviewing skills - you can tell the difference between code that works and code that's right
• Familiarity with our software stack
• Familiarity with web architecture patterns and conventions, including microservices, API design, contract testing, containerization, test automation, and serverless architecture
• Knowledge of modern software development techniques, such as test-driven development, refactoring, deployment automation, DevOps, and CI/CD Experience with cloud computing services, particularly AWS (Lambda, SQS/SNS, S3, DynamoDB)

Why you’ll love working at OUA

OUA is a not-for-profit organisation with a strong people-first mindset. We do meaningful work that helps change lives through education, while creating an environment where our people feel supported, valued and empowered to grow.

When you join OUA, you become part of a warm, inclusive and curious culture where your ideas matter, your wellbeing is prioritised and your development is encouraged.

Flexibility and ways of working

• Hybrid working, with three days working from home each week

• Workation leave, work from anywhere for up to 10 days each year

Leave that supports you

• Menstrual and menopausal wellbeing leave, with up to six additional paid days each year

• Inclusive leave to celebrate cultural, religious or personal events

Health and wellbeing

• Discounted health insurance

• Annual flu vaccinations

• A paid Calm subscription to support your wellbeing

OUA is committed to building and fostering an inclusive, diverse workplace. Our marketplace is for everyone, so is our workplace. Come and share your personal experiences, your perspectives and your background with us as we continue to help students transform their lives.

We strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to get in touch, even if you don’t meet all the requirements of the advertised position. It’s highly likely you’ll bring something to the workplace that we haven’t thought of yet, and we would love to hear from you.