Principal Engineer

Job Description

About Portable

We care about people and the world. We look for areas of social need and policy failure and make transformational change using research, design and technology. Our clients are as passionate as we are, working in government agencies, nonprofit organisations and socially-minded businesses.

There are currently 65+ of us working as researchers, strategists, designers, technologists and producers from our head office in Collingwood, and remotely from co-working spaces and homes across Australia.

Then there’s you.

A principal technologist with range

This role is part of one of our delivery teams. The work covers multiple projects at once: different clients, different problem spaces, different technology environments. You won’t be embedded with a single client long-term. You’ll move across a portfolio of work, going where you’re needed and demonstrating excellence in all these areas.

That requires genuine adaptability. One week you might be leading architecture decisions on a cloud-native platform and the next, you’re pairing with a mid-level developer on a tricky integration, or helping shape a proposal. You’re comfortable with that kind of context-switching and even enjoy it.

You’re past the point of needing to prove yourself technically. What drives you is doing the work properly: building the right thing, making sure the team understands why, and leaving things in better shape than you found them. You can walk into an ambiguous situation, work out what’s needed, and get on with it.

You also know that good technology consulting isn’t only about delivery. You help us win work by being someone clients trust, and by being able to articulate the technical approach clearly when it matters.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is a principal-level practitioner: technically strong, adaptable across stacks, and able to lead projects independently
• Brings depth in C#, Python, Typescript, AWS and/or Azure, paired with a technology-agnostic mindset and willingness to work across open source and Microsoft ecosystems
• Is across AI tooling and applies it actively, both in their own work and to help their team work better
• Has designed and delivered complex systems across multiple projects and industries, from architecture through to production
• Can lead delivery independently: scoping work, managing uncertainty and keeping teams on track
• Communicates clearly with a wide range of stakeholders, in person and in writing, without hiding behind jargon
• Mentors more junior staff through pairing, pull request reviews and direct guidance
• Shares knowledge freely and makes the people around them better
• Helps us grow by contributing to pitches and building client trust

A week at Portable might look like:

• Leading architecture and implementation of a new API layer on an AWS-hosted platform, while reviewing infrastructure decisions on a separate Azure engagement
• Pairing with a mid-level engineer on a complex integration problem, not just solving it but helping them understand the reasoning
• Reviewing pull requests across a couple of active projects, with feedback that improves both the code and the person who wrote it
• Contributing to a proposal, helping the team frame the technical approach and make the case for why Portable is the right partner
• Running one of our monthly Deep Dive sessions on something you’ve been working with lately, maybe AI-assisted development or an architecture pattern worth sharing
• Sprint planning with a producer, writing up tickets in Jira, and thinking about how to structure the work so junior developers get some real learning opportunities

How we pay and support our team

The salary range for this role is $138,000 to $190,000 plus superannuation.

Here’s what else comes with working at Portable:

• Meaningful work: we take on projects aimed at making a real difference in areas like mental health, social justice and accessibility
• Flexible working: remote and hybrid options (up to 2 days per week), flexible hours, and personalised start/finish times
• Extra leave: bonus annual leave based on tenure, the option to buy more leave, paid volunteering leave, and paid mental health days with no explanation required
• Professional development: a $2,000 annual allowance plus two working days, structured career pathways, twice-yearly salary reviews, and access to our Leadership Development programs
• Wellbeing support: up to 4 counselling sessions per year through our EAP with The Mindroom, covering general wellbeing, career planning and life’s challenges
• Financial benefits: profit-sharing bonus, employee share plan options and salary sacrificing
• Family-friendly: enhanced parental leave and flexible arrangements around things like school drop-offs and caring for sick family members

How to apply

We are committed to building a diverse and equal team. People from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please send us:

1. Your resume
2. A short cover letter (max. 1 page) answering these two questions:

• What’s attracted you to this role and why do you think it would be a good fit for you?
• Tell us about a time you navigated a technically complex or ambiguous environment and delivered a strong outcome. What was your approach and what did you learn?