About ZBOS
ZBOS is building the operating system for modern businesses, bringing operations, payments and AI into one modular platform.
Think Square + Shopify + Toast, reimagined as a single AI-native platform that eliminates fragmented software and gives businesses one place to run everything.
We've already validated strong market demand with approximately $200 million in Expressions of Interest from established Australian hospitality businesses, built a fully interactive product prototype, and completed a comprehensive technical architecture for the platform.
Now we're assembling our founding engineering team to transform that vision into a world-class product capable of powering thousands of businesses across Australia and beyond.
The Opportunity
We're looking for an exceptional backend engineer who loves solving difficult engineering problems.
You'll work directly alongside the founders and the founding engineering team to build the systems that power ZBOS.
The architecture has already been designed. The product vision is clear. Now we're looking for engineers who can build secure, scalable and reliable software capable of supporting thousands of businesses.
If you enjoy APIs, databases, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure and performance optimisation, this role is for you.
Responsibilities
- Design and build scalable backend services.
- Develop secure REST APIs and internal services.
- Design efficient PostgreSQL database structures.
- Build reliable authentication and authorisation systems.
- Optimise application performance and scalability.
- Collaborate with frontend engineers to deliver production-ready features.
- Contribute to architecture discussions and engineering standards.
- Build systems designed for long-term reliability and growth.
Requirements
- 5+ years of professional backend software engineering experience.
- Strong experience with Node.js and TypeScript.
- Experience designing production APIs.
- Excellent knowledge of PostgreSQL or other relational databases.
- Experience building cloud-native applications.
- Strong understanding of software architecture and distributed systems.
- Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
- Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment.
Preferred Experience
- Experience building SaaS or enterprise software.
- Event-driven architectures.
- Redis and Kafka.
- Docker and Kubernetes.
- AWS or similar cloud platforms.
- CI/CD pipelines.
- AI technologies including OpenAI or Anthropic APIs.
- Startup or scale-up experience.
- Experience at companies such as Atlassian, Canva, Block, Stripe, Airwallex, Xero, SafetyCulture, REA Group or similar.
Technology Stack
Our current technology stack includes:
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- Fastify
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- Kafka
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- AWS
- GitHub Actions
- OpenAI APIs
- Anthropic Claude APIs
Founding Equity & Compensation
Please read this section carefully before applying.
ZBOS is currently a pre-seed startup.
This is not a conventional salaried engineering position.
We're looking for engineers who genuinely want to build a company from the ground up and understand the risks and rewards that come with joining at this stage.
Successful candidates will receive meaningful founding equity based on experience, expected contribution and long-term commitment.
At this stage, participation is equity-based. As ZBOS grows and subject to successful fundraising and the company's financial position, remuneration arrangements will be reviewed.
If you're primarily looking for an immediate salary or guaranteed cash compensation, this opportunity isn't the right fit.
We're looking for builders—people willing to take founder-level risk because they believe in building something extraordinary.
Why Join ZBOS?
- Become one of the first backend engineers in an ambitious Australian technology company.
- Work directly alongside experienced founders from day one.
- Build from an already architected platform rather than starting with a blank page.
- Design systems that will support thousands of businesses.
- Influence architecture, engineering standards and technical decisions.
- Receive meaningful founding equity with significant long-term upside.
- Help build software designed to redefine how businesses operate.
Commitment
We're looking for someone who wants to make a significant contribution during the company's earliest stage.
Ideally, you'll be available for full-time involvement, although we're open to discussing suitable arrangements with exceptional candidates.
Application Question(s):
- How many years of professional backend software engineering experience do you have?
- Which backend technologies have you used to build production-ready systems?
- Tell us about the most technically challenging backend system you've designed or built. What was your role?
- Have you built scalable SaaS products or worked in an early-stage startup? Tell us about your experience.
- This is an early-stage founding opportunity where initial participation is equity-based rather than salary-based. Are you genuinely comfortable with this arrangement? If yes, what motivates you to join a company at this stage?
- Why do you want to become a founding backend engineer rather than join an established technology company?
- If selected, what would you hope to accomplish during your first six months at ZBOS?
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Melbourne VIC 3000
