Salary: $180,000 – $230,000

Job Type: Full-time

Remote: Hybrid

Melbourne, Canberra or Brisbane | Hybrid | 12-month contract with extensions up to 24 monthsSenior federal contract with a competitive day rateLead engineering on large, complex national platformsHybrid after 6 weeks onsite, with extensions up to 24 monthsAbout the organisationOur client is a large Australian Government agency delivering digital platforms and services used across the country. It is investing in contemporary technology and engineering capability to build secure, reliable systems at scale.About the roleAs Principal Software Engineer (EL2), you will lead large, complex software development projects. You will set engineering standards, approve solutions and lead a team of software engineers, working with senior executives, partner agencies and service providers.What you will be doingLead technical design and development of large, complex software projectsReview and approve solutions, and assess technical impactSet standards for code quality, methods and toolsOversee release, go-live and production supportLead,



coach and develop a team of software engineersSkills and experienceSenior engineering leadership at SFIA Level 6 or equivalentSoftware and systems design, integration and build at enterprise scaleA track record leading engineering teams on large, complex programsExperience in government or a similar large-scale organisationSAP CRM / S/4HANA or PEGA highly regarded; process improvement a plusAustralian citizenship, as you must be able to obtain a Baseline security clearanceWilling to work onsite for the first 6 weeks, then hybridBased within reasonable travel of the Melbourne, Canberra or Brisbane office, and able to attend onsite when neededWilling to work in that location for the duration of the contractTerm: initial contract up to 12 months, with extensions up to a maximum of 24 monthsHours: full timeLocation: Melbourne, Canberra or BrisbaneWhy take itTechnical authority over engineering on platforms used across AustraliaA senior leadership role shaping standards, design and deliveryA long-term contract with extension options and hybrid workApplications close Monday 19 October 2026 at 5pm AEDT.#J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Principal Software EngineerFederal Government | Contract (Melbourne)
🏢 Exceed Global
📍 Melbourne