Senior Software Engineer
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Full-Time (35hpw) Permanent Opportunity
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Salary Range $134,626– $162,153pa+ super
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Parramatta or Sydney CBD location with hybrid working (1-2 office days)
About the team
The Authentication team build and operate the systems that help millions of customers securely access government services, protecting accounts while ensuring authentication remains simple, accessible and trusted.
We are a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, and product managers. Our culture is highly collaborative, based on shared ownership of security, customer, and financial outcomes. Team members are trusted to contribute ideas, challenge assumptions constructively and take ownership of their work. We encourage experimentation, innovation and the thoughtful adoption of emerging technologies where they improve our ways of working, or outcomes.
About the role
This role provides a unique opportunity to work on one of the most critical digital platforms within NSW Government. Senior Software Engineers influence authentication, identity and security capabilities used across the State, work on large-scale, high-impact systems, and solve complex technical challenges that directly affect the experience and security of millions of customers. The team offers exposure to modern cloud and identity technologies, strong cross-functional collaboration, and support for ongoing professional growth and development.
About you
We’re looking for a self-motivated, customer-focused Senior Engineer who is passionate about building secure, reliable and scalable platforms that support critical digital services. You thrive in collaborative environments, enjoy mentoring others, and lead through influence rather than authority.
You will bring a strong focus on system reliability, security and continuous improvement, balancing technical leadership with a pragmatic approach to delivery. You will be comfortable working on highly available platforms, and contribute to incident response, service resilience and technical decision-making while helping uplift engineering practices across the team.
Key responsibilities
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Designing, building and reviewing secure authentication services, APIs and supporting platform components
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Pair programming with other engineers and leading by example in coding, testing and secure design practices
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Reviewing code, architecture and test approaches to ensure security, reliability, scalability and maintainability
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Contributing to and leading releases (aligned to delivery readiness), ensuring changes meet strict reliability and security requirements
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Supporting BAU activities including proactive maintenance, patching, monitoring, and incident response for a highly dependent, always-on platform
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Occasional out-of-hours work may be required to support critical incidents, releases or urgent operational issues, with appropriate flexibility and notice where possible
To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:
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Strong experience in software development using modern languages (Java/Kotlin with Spring Boot, and JavaScript/TypeScript with React)
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Experience designing and building secure, scalable backend systems and APIs, with exposure to full-stack development
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Experience working with cloud platforms and modern CI/CD practices
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Proven ability to deliver reliable, high-quality software in production environments
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Experience contributing to incident response and production support in high-availability systems
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Strong problem-solving and systems thinking
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Highly collaborative, comfortable with pairing, reviews and cross-team work
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Takes ownership of outcomes, balancing delivery with reliability, security and operational stability
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Able to self-manage and contribute as a de-facto technical leader
Desirable
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Experience with authentication, identity or other highly dependent platforms
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Strong backend engineering practices (e.g. API design, data modelling, concurrency, performance)
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Familiarity with microservices, APIs and containerisation
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Exposure to monitoring, observability and security practices
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Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical concepts clearly
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Growth mindset and continuous improvement focus
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Experience with high-traffic, highly available platforms
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Exposure to platform or shared services environments
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Interest in progressing towards senior technical leadership roles
Essential Requirements
To be considered for roles in the NSW public sector, applicants must:
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Be NSW residents or in the process of relocating to NSW
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Hold appropriate working rights for the type of employment offered
Why join Service NSW?
You’ll be part of an organisation that:
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Delivers services that genuinely impact millions of people
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Invests in modern technology, ways of working and professional growth
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Supports flexible, hybrid working and inclusive practices
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Values collaboration, purpose and continuous improvement
If you’re motivated by scale, complexity, and the opportunity to shape meaningful digital outcomes, we’d love to hear from you!
How to apply
Please submit your resume and cover letter as a single document. Your application should highlight your skills, experience, and why you're the perfect fit for this role.
Our recruitment process
Our recruitment and assessment process is merit based. For this recruitment we will be conducting a minimum of three interview and assessment stages that form a comparative process. This will include:
1. Behavioural interview
2. Live Coding Task
3. Technical Interview
4. Psychometric Assessment
5. Reference checks
Support office roles will be headquartered across McKell and Parramatta. We will consider role headquarters outside of the above locations where the role can reasonably be performed from that location taking into consideration the operational, financial and customer requirements of the role, and an ability to attend a NSW Government workplace as required. At the point an employee is notified of our intention to assign them to a role, the relevant leader will discuss headquarter options.
Further Information
Salary Grade 9/10, with the base salary for this role starting at $134626 base plus superannuation
For enquiries relating to recruitment please contact Bec Conquest via
[email protected].
Visit the Capability Application Tool to prepare for the recruitment process by accessing practice application and interview questions based on the focus capabilities listed in the role description.
A talent pool may be created as part of this recruitment process and will be valid for up to 18 months. The talent pool may be used to fill future ongoing or temporary vacancies of the same or similar role.
Closing Date: 10am, Friday 14th August 2026
Careers at Department of Customer Service
A career at the Department of Customer Service (DCS) gives you the opportunity to help improve government services and be part of reform that benefits people across NSW. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service, digital transformation, and regulatory reform. Come join us and influence the future of our great state.
Belong in our diverse and inclusive workplace
The strength of our workforce lies in its diversity and embracing difference, while the key to our success is leveraging the contributions of employees with different backgrounds and perspectives.
You can view our full diversity and inclusion statement here.
We provide adjustments to the recruitment process for candidates, including individuals with disability. If you require an adjustment during the recruitment process, including alternate formats or have questions about the support available, please contact Talent Operations on 02 8276 8130 or
[email protected].
For more information, please visit
Information on some of the different types of disabilities
Information on adjustments available for the recruitment process
