Senior Software Engineer (AI Systems)

Senior Software Engineer (AI Systems)

LabNext70

• Join LabNext70 - UNE's applied innovation lab at the forefront of AI in higher education
• Shape UNE's AI future - lead the design and development of a university-wide AI platform
• Full-time, two year fixed term role
• Based at UNE's Armidale Campus - remote working arrangement available
• Competitive salary with salary packaging options available

About the role

As the Senior Software Engineer (AI Systems) at LabNext70, you'll architect the systems that put large language models (LLMs) to work. This is a high-impact, hands-on role where you will design, develop, and deploy the AI-powered systems and backend infrastructure that power real innovation across the University and beyond.

You will be at the forefront of LabNext70's AI initiatives: building scalable systems that harness LLMs, designing and implementing advanced AI workflows, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to integrate AI technologies into complex, real-world environments. From prototyping new concepts to optimising production systems for performance and scale, your work will directly shape how AI is applied at UNE.

This is a role for someone who loves building things and wants to keep doing it. You take a hard problem, strip it back to its essentials, and ship something clean, secure, and built to last.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Deep, hands-on experience as a direct contributor in Python backend development, with the architectural instincts to design systems that scale and stay maintainable without accruing tech debt
• Proven experience designing and building complex systems end-to-end with a track record of taking ideas from concept through to production
• Familiarity with React on the frontend, complementing a primary focus on backend architecture and delivery
• A security-first mindset embedded in every design decision from the outset
• Hands-on experience building and operating production systems on AWS, with infrastructure defined and managed as code rather than configured by hand
• The ability to work across the full delivery cycle: from scoping and architectural decisions through to shipping production-quality code, with automated testing and CI/CD as standard practice
• A natural inclination to elevate those around you through code quality, thoughtful reviews, and sound technical decisions
• A considered and confident approach to technical decision-making, with the collaborative instincts to bring the team with you