About PolkaVet PolkaVet is an award-winning Australian veterinary technology startup building a smarter way for pet owners to access veterinary care.
Our platform aims to simplify the journey from recognising a pet's health concern to accessing appropriate veterinary services, while helping clinics improve efficiency and manage patient demand.
Founded by a veterinary clinician and an experienced startup founder, PolkaVet brings together clinical expertise, technology and commercial experience to address challenges in the veterinary industry.
The Opportunity We're looking for a Founding Engineer to join our team at an early stage and help shape the technical foundation of PolkaVet.
This is an opportunity for someone who wants more than a traditional engineering role. You'll work directly with the founders and be able to contribute to product and technical decisions.
As our first engineering team member, you'll play a central role in developing and scaling our platform as we grow.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the technical development of our platform, from MVP through to production and future iterations.
- Design and build scalable, reliable and secure software architecture.
- Develop and maintain frontend, backend and database systems.
- Explore and implement practical AI-driven features to enhance the user experience.
- Collaborate with the founders to translate customer insights and business requirements into product solutions.
- Establish engineering best practices, including testing, documentation and security.
- Help shape the long-term technical strategy and future engineering team.
What We're Looking For
- Strong experience in full-stack software development, particularly backend systems and databases.
- Experience building,
deploying and maintaining production applications.
- Familiarity with AI/LLM integration and modern AI-assisted development tools.
- Understanding of cloud infrastructure, APIs and data security.
- Ability to work independently, prioritise effectively and make sound technical decisions.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a product-focused mindset.
- An entrepreneurial attitude and enthusiasm for building something from the ground up.
Experience in healthtech, veterinary technology or early-stage startups is advantageous but not essential.
Why Join PolkaVet?
- Equity opportunity: Participate in the long-term value you help create.
- Direct industry impact: Build technology that addresses real challenges for veterinary professionals and pet owners.
- Early-stage growth: Join a multi award-winning startup with opportunities to grow into a technical leadership role.
- Flexible working: Part-time or full-time commitment, with a preference for Melbourne-based candidates.
Compensation & Engagement This is an equity-based prospect with no cash salary at the initial stage. Equity allocation and engagement terms will be discussed with suitable candidates and structured in accordance with applicable requirements.
Our intention is to introduce salaried compensation following successful fundraising, subject to funding availability and mutual agreement.
Interested? We'd love to hear from engineers who are passionate about startups, technology and building products that make a meaningful impact.
Please apply with your LinkedIn profile, GitHub or portfolio (if available), and a brief introduction outlining your experience and interest in PolkaVet.