Jobs

Founding Software Engineer
Javascript
Software Development/Engineering
Melbourne
Permanent / Full Time
Salary Period
Posted On 05/03/2026

About

New Consumer Platform - Melbourne or Adelaide (Hybrid)

Most engineering roles ask you to join a team and ship features.

This one asks you to build the product from scratch.

A group of experienced founders from the sports, media and technology sector are launching a new digital venture focused on building a membership and community platform.

The business model is already defined and ready to go. What they need now is the first engineer to help turn it into a product.

This is a rare opportunity to join right at the beginning and help build something from the ground up with founders who have already built and scaled successful businesses.

What you’ll be building

The product will be a consumer-facing platform built around memberships, digital experiences and partner integrations.

Initial functionality is likely to include things like:
  • Membership and subscription management
  • User accounts and authentication
  • Digital experiences and community features
  • Promotions, rewards or partner integrations
  • E-commerce or third-party platform integrations
  • Admin tooling and operational dashboards
You’ll play a key role in taking the product from concept to v1, designing the architecture and building the first version of the platform.

Why this role is interesting

This isn’t a typical engineering role where you join an existing team.

You’ll be:
  • The first engineering hire for the venture
  • Building the initial product and platform architecture
  • Working directly with the founders and leadership team
  • Helping shape the product as it evolves
  • Potentially helping build the engineering team as the company grows
What they’re looking for

This role is open to engineers across a range of experience levels.

What matters most is someone who is:
  • A builder who enjoys creating products from scratch
  • Strong on the backend, but comfortable touching some frontend
  • Curious, entrepreneurial and comfortable working in early-stage environments
  • Someone who enjoys shipping products quickly and solving real problems
  • Ideally someone who has built side projects or their own applications
They’re looking for a modern product-focused engineer who enjoys using the latest tools, including AI-assisted development, to build and iterate quickly.

Tech environment

The stack is still flexible and will likely be shaped by the first engineer.
The goal is to build a modern, scalable platform that can grow with the business.

The product will likely involve:
  • Backend services and APIs
  • Web application interfaces
  • Integrations with third
  • Cloud infrastructure and scalable architecture
  • Using AI tools to accelerate development and experimentation
  • Rapidly prototyping and validating product ideas
  • Automating repetitive work wherever possible
  • Choosing simple, scalable solutions rather than over-engineering
  • party platforms
Location The role can be based in:
  • Melbourne
  • Adelaide
There will be some in-person collaboration with the founders, but flexibility is important.

Why this could be a great move

Opportunities to join this early in a product’s life are rare.

You’ll have the chance to:
  • Build a product from the ground up
  • Work directly with experienced founders
  • Shape the technical direction of the platform
  • Be part of a venture that plans to scale quickly 
  • Full working rights in Australia required 
For a confidential chat contact dominic@justdigitalpeople.com.au or 0491011875
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