Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer (44212)

Role Type: 2-year full time contract

Salary: $127,793 - $135,612 per annum plus superannuation

• Orchestrate AI agents across the full stack in one of Australia's leading genomics research teams
• Fully remote role, with optional office space in Sydney or Melbourne and regular in-person team events
• Help translate cutting-edge genomics research into tools that speed up rare disease diagnosis for children

Help build the AI-powered tools that are transforming rare disease diagnosis for children worldwide.

The opportunity:

The Centre for Population Genomics (CPG) Rare Disease Program is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our high-energy team of computational biologists and researchers. This role suits a versatile, AI-fluent engineer who will orchestrate AI agents across the stack and apply the engineering judgement needed to verify what they produce. Working closely with senior AI and genomics leads, you'll also be part of an active collaboration with Anthropic, working alongside their team to develop a rare disease diagnosis platform built on frontier AI models.

About your new team

CPG is a non-profit joint initiative of the Garvan Institute (Sydney) and Murdoch Children's Research Institute (Melbourne), working at the intersection of genomic medicine and data science. We operate a long-term remote-first model with a team of 50 staff across Australia and New Zealand, and have already generated some of the largest genomic and clinical datasets ever assembled in Australia.

What you'll do

• Partner directly with bioinformaticians and researchers to understand data bottlenecks and rapidly iterate on technical solutions
• Proactively use and experiment with AI coding assistants and agents to accelerate development cycles across the entire stack
• Review and refine AI-generated code, and write the tests and checks that make it trustworthy
• Develop high-quality open-source software packages designed for bioinformaticians, researchers and clinicians
• Deploy and run services within CPG's existing Google Cloud Platform architecture to support large-scale genomic analysis

What you'll bring

• 3+ years' professional software engineering experience, with a track record of shipping and maintaining production software
• Proficiency in Python, and the ability to quickly master other languages such as TypeScript via AI
• A commitment to using LLMs and AI agents as your primary tool for scaling output, debugging and mastering new frameworks, and treating AI-generated code as a draft you verify
• Experience deploying and running backend services on a major cloud platform; familiarity with Google Cloud is an advantage
• Comfort working in a research-driven environment where requirements evolve through discovery, with strong communication skills to engage with researchers

Please view the position description here.

Any questions? Reach out to Toby Sargeant at [email protected].

What you'll enjoy

• Access a range of salary packaging options—covering entertainment, novated leases, and more
• Work in a fully remote role, with optional office space available at the Garvan Institute (Sydney) or MCRI (Melbourne) and regular in-person team events throughout the year
• A unique opportunity to join a highly respected research institute
• Work alongside a team that's dedicated to making a real difference
• Work in a dynamic and energetic setting with our expanding team

Who we are

Murdoch Children's Research Institute envisions a transformative future for child health. Our institute is a hub of impactful scientific breakthroughs, particularly in early interventions, enhanced diagnosis, prevention, and potential cures. We thrive on collaborative, multidisciplinary problem-solving to address challenging queries in child health. Committed to inclusivity and respect, we foster a positive working environment that values diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a proud member of the Australian Network on Disability and a dedicated supporter of Science Australia Gender Equity (SAGE), we uphold principles of equal opportunity and diverse representation.

We are committed to the safety of children and young people and takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of child abuse, exploitation and harm. Child safety is prioritised in our decision-making at all levels of the Institute.

Apply now!

If you believe this role is a good fit for you, please apply by submitting:

• Your resume
• A cover letter outlining your interest and suitability for the role

Ensure these documents are combined into a single PDF file.

We welcome individuals of diverse genders, ages, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, abilities, religions, and sexual orientations in our workplace. We actively encourage talented individuals from all walks of life to apply for our job openings. Our commitment lies in fostering a workplace that is barrier-free and inclusive, aiming to attract the most skilled candidates.

For any questions related to the recruitment process, feel free to reach out to our Recruitment Team at [email protected]. Ensure that you include the position number and job title in the subject line. Please refrain from sharing your application to this email address.

Please note, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

No recruitment agencies please.
Applications close: Friday 25 September, AEST