Lead Software Engineer

About Stanford

Stanford exists to guide Australians through life's biggest moments by building in-house technology that amplifies human talent in professional services.

Stanford Innovations is developing an AI-powered operating system for professional services: an end-to-end, walled-garden platform that changes how people interact with these industries in Australia. The platform is built in-house and owned entirely by Stanford.

This position sits within Stanford Innovations Pty Ltd.

About the Role

Stanford is hiring a Lead Software Engineer to help lead the team building its professional-services platform. You will work across React frontends, PHP and Node.js backends, Python tooling, and TypeScript, while operating across AWS, GCP, and Azure.

The role involves database design, complex problem-solving, security, system reliability, and ownership of the architecture and technical direction of major platform components. AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code and Cursor are an important part of the engineering workflow.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and technical direction of major platform components.
• Advise directors on software strategy, build-versus-buy decisions, and software costs.
• Translate business and user needs into system designs and technical specifications.
• Lead projects end to end, from requirements through production.
• Write and maintain high-quality production code.
• Set engineering standards, conduct code reviews, and mentor engineers.
• Establish continuous improvement and continuous delivery practices.
• Build and operate automated testing and deployment systems.
• Test, debug, diagnose, and resolve faults.
• Identify and address weaknesses in existing systems and processes.
• Build internal tools supporting software management and security.
• Monitor operational metrics to improve performance and reliability.
• Reduce performance and security risks throughout the product lifecycle.
• Maintain technical documentation, user guides, and operating procedures.

Requirements

• Experience owning a production platform end to end.
• Experience leading engineers and making architecture decisions.
• Strong full-stack experience with React, PHP, JavaScript, Node.js, TypeScript, and Python.
• Database design and optimisation experience across SQL and NoSQL systems.
• Experience operating across AWS, GCP, and Azure.
• A track record of solving complex problems and delivering reliable software under pressure.
• Strong focus on clean, maintainable code.
• Active use of AI development tools and the ability to apply them effectively.
• A degree in software engineering, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Remuneration

$110,000–$130,000 plus superannuation, depending on experience and capability.

Application Requirements

Please include:

• An example of a technically complex problem you solved and your approach.
• An architecture decision you made and how it performed in practice.
• The AI tools you use in your development workflow and how they improve the way you work.