Help shape the future of free access to law in Australia. Lead meaningful AI innovation that strengthens the rule of law.

ABOUT THE JOB

AustLII (austlii.edu.au) is at a pivotal point in its growth. Under the leadership of world-class academics in computer science and law, we are developing the next generation of legal information services, combining trusted legal content, advanced search capabilities and new and emerging AI technologies to further strengthen free access to legal information in Australia.

This is a rare opportunity to take on future-focused, high-impact work that helps shape the next chapter of free online legal information for millions of users in the era of artificial intelligence.

You will help build and lead the newly established Software Engineering team at the centre of this transformation, providing direction and coaching to software engineers, developers and UI/UX designers. As a key technical advisor, you will provide technical leadership in the development of AustLII's next generation legal information, search and AI-enabled platforms. Working closely with our Data & Content and Infrastructure teams, you will help drive collaborative, agile ways of working and foster a culture of innovation across the organisation.

ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND

AustLII is Australia’s most-used free-access online resource for Australian legal information, serving more than 500 million page access requests last year — over 1 million per day — from more than 13 million distinct hosts.

Since 1995, AustLII has built the most comprehensive curated collection of Australian primary and secondary legal information and made it freely and anonymously available to the community online. In doing so, AustLII has created a service that plays a fundamental role in the Australian legal system, safeguards the integrity of Australian law and supports national data sovereignty.

Sitting at the intersection of technology and the law, AustLII pioneered free online access to legal information in Australia and helped shape similar services around the world. Now, on the cusp of the most significant transformation in access to information since the development of the World Wide Web, AustLII is ready to pioneer once more. We are uniquely placed to develop AI-assisted tools that make Australian legal information easier to discover, understand and navigate for citizens, courts, government, educators and legal professionals.

WHAT WE OFFER

We offer meaningful work and an opportunity to help build technology with impact:

· Be part of a mission-driven organisation creating technology with real-world impact

· Work alongside a small, passionate and supportive team

· Work from centrally located Sydney offices in a vibrant campus environment

· Receive a competitive salary package with generous superannuation

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES





This fixed term role offers the opportunity to shape software development within a newly established engineering team and contribute directly to AustLII’s next generation of AI-enabled services.

Key responsibilities include:

· Lead and manage: Lead, coach and mentor the software engineering team, translating AustLII’s strategic objectives into clear software engineering priorities, technical roadmaps and practical delivery plans.

· Engineering capability and quality: Establish engineering practices, development standards and delivery disciplines that strengthen software quality, system reliability and long-term maintainability across AustLII’s technology workplace.

· Collaborative engineering culture: Build a positive, constructive and agile software engineering culture that encourages deep collaboration, seamless integration and effective alignment across teams and organisational priorities.

Further information related to the position is available in the Software Engineering Manager Position Description available at http://www.austlii.edu.au/austlii/recruitment/2026/software_engineering_manager.pdf

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Postgraduate qualifications in Software Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of extensive enterprise software development experience and demonstrated software engineering leadership experience.

2. Demonstrated experience leading, coaching and developing software engineering teams, including supporting capability development and building accountable, high-performing team cultures.

3. Extensive software engineering experience, including the design, development, integration, testing, deployment and operation of large-scale software, information or data-intensive platforms and services.

4. Proven ability to establish and maintain engineering standards, development practices and quality controls that support secure, reliable and sustainable software solutions.

5. Strong technical capability across Linux-based environments, DevOps practices and modern software delivery approaches, with the ability to guide technical decision-making and evaluate technology options in evolving environments.

6. Proven ability to establish software engineering strategy, technical roadmaps and delivery plans, translating organisational priorities into sequenced initiatives, deliverables, dependencies, risks, constraints and success measures..

7. Knowledge of search technologies, information retrieval systems, database platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, large language models and related emerging technologies,



with the ability to guide their practical application to improve user outcomes.

8. Strong understanding of software engineering governance, including security, privacy, accessibility, quality assurance, documentation, operational risk management and sustainable platform operations.

9. Highly developed communication, stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences, build consensus across multidisciplinary teams and contribute constructively as a senior member of the organisation.

10. Demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively, supporting inclusive team practices and contributing to AustLII’s mission to improve free access to public legal information.

Highly regarded - Knowledge and Experience

· Knowledge of Australian law and the legal system or previous experience working with legal information or legal knowledge systems.

· Previous experience working in an agile software engineering environment.

· Experience leading software engineering teams within small to medium-sized organisations, research institutions, digital information services or mission-driven organisations.

· Familiarity with cloud, on-premise or hybrid technology environments.

· A genuine interest in AustLII’s mission to expand free access to legal information or digital public infrastructure or technologies that support access to information.

HOW TO APPLY

We would welcome applications from candidates who are inspired by the opportunity to build technology that supports open access to legal information and helps shape the future of AI-enabled legal research.

To apply, please submit the following documents:

- Your CV; and

- A cover letter of no more than two pages outlining your interest in and suitability for the role.

To be considered eligible for this role, you must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Applications close 25 October 2026.

AustLII reserves the right to commence shortlisting and interviewing prior to the advertised closing date and, where appropriate, to close the recruitment process early. Applicants are therefore encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a 45–60 minute interview, held in person or online, with a mix of technical and behavioural questions. We aim to keep candidates informed and will advise outcomes as soon as possible.

If you progress after interview, we will undertake reference checks and you will need to complete other relevant pre-employment background checks and clearances, including qualification verification.

For an initial discussion, contact Leah Angrisano, Organisational Design and Development Manager, AustLII, at ***********@austlii.edu.au or via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/leah-angrisano-8bb67825.

📌 Software Engineering Manager (Ultimo)
🏢 AustLII Foundation
📍 Ultimo