Senior Software Engineer C/C++ (12 month fixed-term contract)

The Squiz product team is working to deliver a cloud-based Digital Experience Platform (DXP) with several core capabilities including Content Management, Search, Web Optimisation, AI Conversation and Platform services.

We're seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our Product Engineering team on a 12 month fixed-term contract basis and contribute to a core strategic initiative: the modernization of our proprietary PADRE search engine core. This foundational system was originally built by CSIRO, and transforming it represents a unique opportunity to work with Australian heritage technology at the deepest level. You will be part of a team transforming its architecture and performance for the next generation of the Squiz Digital Experience Platform (DXP).

The primary focus for this role will be contributing to the rewrite of our existing C-based PADRE search core into modern C++. This work is critical to decoupling its architecture and improving its overall performance to keep our search engine market competitive. You'll be working on Information Retrieval (IR) concepts like indexing and query processing at a fundamental level.

This role is open to all candidates on the east coast of Australia and is hybrid, allowing you to work where and when works best for you.

What You Would Do (The Role Day to Day)

• Work within a team of 3-5 software engineers to help build our Digital Experience Platform.
• Develop robust C/C++ application code which meets all technical requirements.
• Contribute to the C to C++ core rewrite and architectural decoupling efforts.
• Collaborate with team members to generate User Stories, Acceptance Criteria and estimates.
• Write and maintain software documentation.
• Ensure adherence to strong understanding of testing principles and help implement testing strategies to improve software quality and robustness.

Experience We Ask For

We ask that you can demonstrate the following experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience in related fields.
• 5+ years of professional hands-on experience in software development.
• Proficiency and hands-on experience with C and C++.
• Familiarity with containerization (like Docker) and version control (like GitLab or similar).
• Experience with Agile or other iterative development methodologies.
• A strong understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms, especially as they relate to performance optimization.

Nice to Have:

• Knowledge of or hands-on experience with AWS or other cloud platforms.
• Experience with testing frameworks relevant to C/C++ development.
• Knowledge of Information Retrieval (IR) concepts, including indexing or query processing.
• Familiarity with secure coding practices, such as OWASP principles.
• Previous experience working on or integrating with Search platforms.
• Knowledge of or experience working with Go language, Puppet, Selenium/Playwright test suite.

Why work for Squiz? 

You’ll work with some of the most intelligent and down to earth people you’ve ever met. We are made up of a diverse range of passionate professionals who love challenging the status quo. Every day is different, but what is constant is we all love what we do.

We have a lived commitment to flexibility, we know the success of our people is dependent on them having a balanced life. You will be offered flexibility as to where and how you work every day. We want you to be able to work in a way that drives productivity, efficiency and outcomes; along with connection and collaboration.

Who we are: 

Squiz helps complex, service-led organisations harness the power of digital, improving the services they offer online. 

Founded in 1998, Squiz grew during the rise of the internet. Since then, we have evolved from a simple web content management system into a full digital experience platform (DXP), helping customers make the shift from being content managers to experience creators.

The Squiz DXP brings together content, search, data and applications in one place. To get the most out of the platform, customers can collaborate with our digital experts to design solutions and adapt as demands change.  

We are headquartered in Australia, with teams and customers across the globe, and offices in New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and Poland.

We celebrate diversity and unite on the elements of our company DNA, starting every customer conversation with “why?” to really understand their needs, working hard to find a way to overcome every challenge, and fighting for better outcomes with the work we do. We also check our egos at door, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we have fun along the way.