ogram: NEXUS Search and Rescue Platform
Location: Canberra, ACT (Hybrid)
Security Clearance: Must have Baseline Clearance
About the Role
AMSA is seeking an experienced Principal Java/Bespoke Software Engineer to support, maintain, and enhance its mission-critical NEXUS platform. NEXUS is AMSA's operational search and rescue system used by the Rescue Coordination Centre Australia (RCCA) to coordinate maritime and aviation emergency responses and pollution incident management.
This role focuses on the Java, AWS, and Oracle components of the NEXUS platform and requires a highly skilled engineer capable of operating at a strategic level while remaining hands-on in software delivery. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership, contribute to software architecture and design decisions, and ensure the ongoing reliability and evolution of a life-critical operational system.
Key Responsibilities
Software Engineering & Development
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Design, develop, maintain, and support enterprise-grade software solutions using Java technologies.
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Develop scalable and secure backend services using Java, Spring, Spring Boot, JPA, Hibernate, and related frameworks.
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Develop and maintain web-based user interfaces using ReactJS, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
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Design and implement RESTful and SOAP-based integration services.
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Develop and maintain OpenAPI specifications, WSDLs, XML schemas, and JSON-based interfaces.
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Build and support asynchronous messaging solutions using JMS and integration technologies.
Database & Data Engineering
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Design logical and physical data models.
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Develop and optimise Oracle database solutions, including PL/SQL packages, stored procedures, and performance tuning.
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Implement data access layers using Object Relational Mapping (ORM) frameworks.
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Support data integrity, reliability, and security across enterprise systems.
Cloud & DevOps
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Develop and maintain AWS-based solutions including:
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EC2
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Lambda
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API Gateway
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S3
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SQS
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CloudFormation
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Build and enhance CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Git, Maven, and Ant.
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Support automated testing, deployment, and release management processes.
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Participate in software release planning and implementation.
Technical Leadership
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Lead software construction activities for complex and high-risk initiatives.
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Develop and promote engineering standards, policies, and best practices.
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Provide technical guidance to developers and stakeholders.
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Produce and maintain detailed technical documentation, design artefacts, and implementation specifications.
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Support strategic technology decisions and provide expert advice to AMSA leadership, including the Applications Director and CIO.
Operational Support
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Support a mission-critical environment requiring high availability and reliability.
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Participate in an on-call support roster.
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Investigate and resolve production issues and system incidents.
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Work collaboratively with business and operational stakeholders to ensure ongoing service excellence.
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Demonstrated experience as a Senior Test Analyst within large-scale ICT environments.
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Strong experience developing and executing test strategies, test plans and test cases.
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Experience performing System Integration Testing (SIT), User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and regression testing.
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Proven ability to manage the full defect lifecycle, including identification, prioritisation, reporting and verification.
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Experience defining acceptance criteria and ensuring requirements traceability.
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Strong understanding of software testing methodologies, quality assurance principles and industry best practices.
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Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
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Ability to analyse business requirements and translate them into effective testing activities.
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Current Negative Vetting Level 1 (NV1) Security Clearance (minimum).
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Australian Citizenship.
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Ability to work onsite in Canberra, ACT.
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Experience working within Australian Government or Defence environments.
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Knowledge of SFIA testing competencies.
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Experience with enterprise testing tools and defect management platforms.
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Familiarity with Agile delivery methodologies.
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Experience contributing to process improvement initiatives and testing standards.
Essential Skills & Experience
Software Development
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Minimum 8 years' experience developing enterprise Java applications.
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Extensive experience with:
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Java SE / Java EE
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Spring Framework / Spring Boot
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JPA / Hibernate ORM
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Design Patterns
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Enterprise Application Integration
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Reactive Programming (desirable)
API & Integration Development
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Strong experience developing:
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REST APIs
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SOAP Web Services
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OpenAPI Specifications
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XML, XSD, and JSON interfaces
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Experience integrating internal and external enterprise systems.
Database Technologies
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Strong Oracle database development experience.
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Expertise in:
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Data modelling
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PL/SQL
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Stored procedures
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Database performance optimisation
Cloud & Infrastructure
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Proven AWS development experience, including:
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EC2
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Lambda
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API Gateway
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S3
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SQS
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CloudFormation
DevOps & Automation
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Strong knowledge of:
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Jenkins
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Git
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Maven
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Ant
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CI/CD pipelines
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Automated testing frameworks
Operating Systems
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Strong Linux/Unix administration and Bash scripting capabilities.
