Lead Software Engineer/ Technical Lead

Nine is Australia’s largest locally owned media company. Working at Nine, you’ll have access to a unique range of experiences and opportunities, helping drive the success of the country’s most trusted television, radio, digital and publishing brands. 

Our content reaches almost every Australian - meaning what we do has real impact. We bring people together, celebrate the big moments, and capture the everyday ones.

Some of our most beloved brands have been part of Australian life for generations, and others - new on the scene - have already found their place firmly in our lives. We’re evolving and we need people like you to bring new ideas, innovate and make your mark.

Drive is seeking a hands-on Technical Lead (React, Node, AWS) to join our team in Sydney. Reporting to the Senior Engineering Manager, you will be a key player in planning, designing, and executing technical solutions for our product and platform development. This is a hands-on role where you will be an individual contributor while leading a dedicated squad.

You will be responsible for setting technical standards and leading from the front on architecture, development, documentation, quality, and application performance. Your strong technical skills and collaborative approach will be essential in helping your squad deliver its objectives.

Day to day you will:

• Lead your squad to deliver key sprint goals and planned points.
• Ensure that key delivery and agile processes are followed.
• Work with BAs, QAs, and developers to groom, estimate, and provide solutions for requirements.
• Proactively support developers and remove blockers to ensure tickets progress from "In Progress" to "Ready For Prod".
• Distribute tasks to create equal opportunities for all developers to learn and contribute.
• Participate in and provide input on feasibility, effort, and risk in business-led settings.
• Craft and run Proof of Concepts (POCs) to de-risk complex items.
• Deliver key tasks each sprint as a hands-on developer.
• Architect solutions that are automated, reliable, performant, and cost-efficient.
• Drive continuous improvements to key technical metrics such as application throughput, error rates, and response times.

What you'll bring:

• 8+ years of hands-on development experience in a Front-End, Back-End, or Full Stack environment.
• 2+ years in a Tech Lead or similar role, overseeing at least three developers.
• A Bachelor's degree or better in Computer Science or a related discipline.
•  A strong understanding of the Agile development process and practices like backlog planning, grooming, and retrospectives.
•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience coaching and mentoring other developers.
• Experience building high-traffic systems that are secure, available, scalable, and cost-efficient. You'll also have a practical understanding of a framework like AWS's Well-Architected Framework.
• Experience building, deploying, and maintaining applications in at least one cloud environment (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
•  An intermediate understanding of Cloud Infrastructure, Microservices, Distributed Systems, and ETL processes. You should have experience with archetypes common in High Availability systems, such as Queues, Tiered Caches, and Containerization.
•  A practical understanding of key DevOps principles: Automation, CI/CD, and Observability.

Nice to Have

• Conceptual understanding of Infrastructure-As-Code principles.
• Experience with frameworks such as
• Terraform or CDK will be a plus.
• Hands-on experience implementing solutions on top of SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Comfortable using an ORM system like Eloquent, Sequelize, or Prisma.
• Experience developing GraphQL APIs using a framework like Apollo and/or REST APIs using Serverless/SST or Laravel.

How we work

At Nine, our flexible work options vary by role and team. Depending on the position, this may include flexible hours, hybrid work, or part-time arrangements. We welcome discussing your flexibility needs during the hiring process - just ask the Talent Acquisition team. 

More info at Nine Careers.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

We're committed to a safe, respectful and inclusive Nine. From day one, you'll be encouraged to bring your whole self to work and will be supported to perform at your best.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, and of all ages, genders, nationalities, backgrounds and cultures as we recognise the importance and value of diverse perspectives. Should you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please advise us when you apply.

Work rights: Please note to apply for this role you must already have the right to lawfully work and live in Australia.