Staff Software Engineer

Job Title: Staff Software Engineer (End-to-End System Architect)

Company: Smartlox Pty Ltd. (No Security Clearances Required, Just Pure Innovation)

About Smartlox: (Where Your Code Actually Sees the Light of Day)

Hey there We're Smartlox, a rapidly growing tech company providing an innovative Safety & Security solution for large industrial organisations. We're not about endless meetings, soul-crushing acronyms, or projects that never see the light of day. Our product combines Bluetooth padlocks with native mobile (Android & iOS) and web applications, all supported by a robust cloud-based backend utilising Google Cloud Services (GCP) and Firebase. Our tech keeps people safe and secure across Rail, Mining, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Theme Parks, and Ski Resorts on six continents. We're building real-world solutions that make a tangible difference, with an impact that extends far beyond the typical Canberra government/defence contractor space. If you're ready to dive into a role where your ideas matter, your code gets deployed, and you become a critical partner in defining engineering maturity, read on.

The Role: (Architect, Custodian, and Coder—The Ultimate System Owner)

So, What's the Job? We are seeking an experienced and genuinely excited Staff Software Engineer to become the system custodian and technical lead, taking responsibility for the improvement and implementation of the system architecture and process optimisation across our mobile, web and cloud environments. You'll actively code and drive key feature development, and your strategic focus will be establishing robust engineering standards and documenting critical system IP to future-proof the company.

Key Responsibilities:

• End-to-End Architectural Governance: Define, document, and maintain the architecture, integrity, and security across the entire Smartlox platform, including native mobile applications, web portals, and cloud infrastructure.
• Engineering Process & IP Management: Help establish and document our engineering practices, including GitHub workflows (branching strategy, PR reviews, CI/CD), and create system documentation to reduce tacit knowledge and onboard new engineers efficiently.
• Core Technology Strategy: Lead the strategic planning for technology refresh or rebuild (including evaluating frameworks like React, Vue, or continuing with Flutter), ensuring architectural alignment across mobile and cloud systems.
• Full-Stack Development & Delivery: Actively design, develop, and deploy front-end and robust, scalable backend services on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including mastery of API design (REST/JSON) and implementation.
• Deployment Management: Own the entire CI/CD pipeline, guaranteeing seamless and efficient delivery across all platforms (web and mobile releases).
• DevOps and Infrastructure: Design and maintain the complete CI/CD pipeline infrastructure for automated testing (unit, integration, and regression), building, and deployment across mobile (iOS/Android), web, and GCP cloud services, including rollback strategies, monitoring, and security scanning integration. Establish Infrastructure as Code practices, implement comprehensive monitoring and alerting, define reliability metrics (SLIs/SLOs), and create developer tooling.
• Quality & Security Assurance: Ensure the highest standards of code quality, performance, and security across the platform.

Required Skills & Experience: (If you have most of these, we'd love to talk)

• System Ownership Experience: Demonstrated experience managing and scaling complex, multi-platform technical ecosystems (mobile, web, and cloud) from architecture to deployment.
• Cloud & Infrastructure Mastery: Deep expertise in Google Cloud Platform services (e.g., App Engine, Cloud Functions, Firestore, Cloud SQL, Cloud Run) and related security best practices.
• Cross-Platform Engineering: Proven mastery of modern front-end architecture (e.g., component models, and event-driven architecture) and deep proficiency in at least one major stack, plus a comprehensive understanding of mobile application architectures (Flutter is highly relevant due to our existing environment).
• Process & Compliance Governance: Proven experience implementing security and compliance controls, especially related to data privacy and personal information (e.g., ISO 27001 or SOC 2 compliance).
• Architectural Design: Demonstrated ability to design and implement highly scalable, secure, and maintainable application architectures.
• Problem-Solving & Communication: Ability to identify and solve complex, system-wide technical problems and articulate solutions clearly to both technical and business audiences.
• Tooling Acumen: Hands-on experience with project management using tools like ClickUp and mastery of version control workflows in GitHub.

Bonus Points: (Not Mandatory, But Definitely Cool)

• Design Eye: Experience with UI/UX design principles or graphics, and an eye for creating visually appealing applications.
• Data Engineering & Analytics: Experience working with large datasets, ETL pipelines, or utilizing tools like BigQuery or Google Analytics to derive product insights from data.
• Testing: Test automation experience would be well regarded as we continuously develop and deploy.

What's in it for you?

• The chance to be part of a fun, collaborative, and supportive team that's passionate about what they do. We foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing their ideas.
• The opportunity to make a tangible, immediate impact on the operational efficiency and growth of a cutting-edge tech company. Your work will directly enable the success of our entire team and contribute to a safer, more secure solution for our clients.
• A workplace that values your ideas, encourages your growth, and celebrates your wins. You'll have opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues and contribute to our collective knowledge. We are committed to your professional development.
• Flexible work conditions.
• A competitive salary and benefits package.
• Based in our vibrant Fyshwick office in Canberra.

What next? (Tell Us Your Story)

We're looking for a great cultural fit, and we want to hear
your

story. Please submit your resume, and more importantly, a cover letter that helps us understand the side of you that's hard to put down on paper. Tell us about the engineering work you're most proud of, the projects that truly excite you, or simply why you're confident you can step up to this challenge. While links to your GitHub or public work are always appreciated, your confidence and story are what matter most