2 x Principal Java / Bespoke Software Engineers
Canberra / Hybrid
12-month contract + 2 x 12-month extensions
Baseline clearance preferred
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Really Awesome People is seeking two highly experienced Principal Java Engineers to support and enhance NEXUS , a life-critical operational system used by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Rescue Coordination Centre Australia.
NEXUS helps coordinate maritime and aviation search-and-rescue incidents and supports responses to marine pollution events. This is not just another development contract. The work directly contributes to Australia’s national safety and emergency-response capability.
You will join a small, highly skilled engineering team responsible for the continued development, support and modernisation of a complex enterprise environment spanning Java, Oracle, AWS and integration technologies.
The opportunity
This role will suit a senior engineer who remains technically hands-on while also operating as a trusted technical leader.
You will
- Lead and contribute to complex enterprise software-development activities
- Develop and maintain Java and Java EE/JMS components
- Build services using Spring, Spring Boot, REST and SOAP
- Design and implement Oracle data models, stored procedures and integrations
- Support AWS services including EC2, Lambda, API Gateway, S3, SQS and CloudFormation
- Maintain CI/CD workflows using Jenkins, Git, Maven and Ant
- Produce detailed technical designs and engineering documentation
- Improve software-development standards, practices and capability
- Provide authoritative technical advice to senior stakeholders
- Participate in a shared on-call roster for critical incidents
What you will bring
You will ideally have
- At least eight years of professional Java-development experience
- Robust experience with enterprise design patterns, JPA and Hibernate
- Experience with Java web services, REST APIs, SOAP, OpenAPI, XML and JSON
- Strong Oracle or comparable enterprise-database experience
- Linux, Unix and Bash capability
- AWS development experience
- A strong commitment to testing, maintainability and robust engineering
- The ability to operate at a principal or SFIA Level 6 standard
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Experience with ReactJS, HTML, CSS, reactive programming or ArcGIS integrations would be highly regarded.
Engagement details
- Canberra-based hybrid arrangement
- Regular work from home available
- Sydney-based candidates who can travel regularly to Canberra may be considered
- Up to 40 hours per week
- Estimated start date: 1 September 2026
- Initial 12-month contract
- Two potential 12-month extensions
- Australian citizenship required
- Baseline clearance preferred, or ability to obtain one
- Competitive market-based hourly rate The role includes participation in a shared 24/7 on-call roster. After-hours calls are historically rare, but candidates must be comfortable accepting responsibility while rostered.
To be considered, please send:
- Your current résumé
- Proposed hourly rate
- Earliest available start date
- Citizenship and clearance status
- Confirmation you are comfortable with the on-call requirement
Applications should be received by Friday, 7 August 2026 .
[email protected]
0484 520 815
Really Awesome People
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📌 Principal Java, Bespoke Software Engineer (Canberra)
🏢 Really Awesome People
📍 Canberra