Lead Developer

Personalised Plates Queensland (PPQ) works together with the Department of Transport and Main Roads and is responsible for the marketing and sales of personalised number plates throughout the state. The energetic PPQ Team have a passion for plates and a genuine interest in helping Queenslanders express themselves on the road. Proceeds from the sale of plates support road safety initiatives in Queensland.

The Role

We’re looking for an experienced Lead Developer to provide technical leadership within a small, high‑performing engineering team.

This role combines hands‑on development with technical direction and mentorship and plays a key role in shaping the evolution of our platform. Our architecture is API‑first, with an increasing focus on TypeScript APIs on Node.js, alongside existing C# .NET services, all deployed to AWS via automated CI/CD pipelines.

This position suits a senior developer who enjoys owning outcomes, guiding technical decisions, and balancing delivery with long‑term platform health in a multi‑priority environment.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the design and development of web applications using React and TypeScript
• Design, build, and maintain API‑first backend services, including:
• TypeScript APIs on Node.js
• C# .NET APIs, including guidance on refactoring and modernisation
• Provide technical leadership across the full stack, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, and maintainable
• Define and uphold standards for API design, coding practices, and system architecture
• Write and review complex SQL queries and data access patterns
• Own and improve CI/CD pipelines using GitLab
• Guide deployment and operational practices in AWS, including containerised workloads
• Mentor and support developers through code reviews, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing
• Collaborate with delivery and business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions
• Balance multiple streams of work while managing technical risk and delivery quality
• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex production issues

What You Can Bring

• Strong hands‑on experience with React and TypeScript
• Proven experience designing and building TypeScript APIs on Node.js
• Strong background working with C# .NET APIs in production environments
• Deep understanding of API‑based, distributed system architectures
• Advanced working knowledge of SQL and relational databases
• Experience designing and operating CI/CD pipelines (GitLab preferred)
• Strong experience working with AWS hosting environments
• Demonstrated ability to define, enforce, and evolve coding standards, including:
• Consistent naming conventions, formatting, and maintainability practices
• High‑quality code reviews focused on correctness, clarity, simplification opportunities, architecture quality, and documentation quality
• Capturing review feedback clearly (e.g., written review comments) and driving follow‑through to resolution
• Proven capability leading and coordinating a small team’s technical delivery, including:
• Mentoring developers through pairing, coaching, and structured feedback
• Setting expectations for delivery quality and supporting consistency across the codebase
• Helping plan and sequence work across multiple priorities while managing technical risk
• Ability to make sound architectural decisions and clearly articulate trade‑offs
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a pragmatic, delivery‑focused mindset

Nice to Have

• Experience with Kubernetes or containerised platforms
• Experience modernising or migrating legacy systems
• Exposure to backend frameworks such as Express, Fastify, or NestJS
• Familiarity with cloud‑native scalability, security, and observability patterns

What We Offer

Be a part of the Publicis Groupe family, recent winner of the Employer of Choice Awards and one of the world’s most progressive and dynamic modern communications businesses. You can learn more about us at www.publicisgroupeanz.com

Enjoy all the perks that come with our network offering:

• A comprehensive Wholeself program supporting Physical, Mindful and Financial wellbeing.
• A creative, lively and rewarding office environment where people love working with each other, supported by our Publicis Liberté flexibility approach “working your way, with us!”
• Access to our Global AI Platform, Marcel, connecting Publicis Groupe employees with opportunities for career mobility and collaboration across our global network.
• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities, including more than 15,000 learning programs via our online learning platform Marcel Classes.
• A culture of open feedback and support to reach your goals through our Career Conversations program.
• A committed Diversity, Equality and Inclusion strategy driven through our Viva! Women, Égalité, enABLE, EmbRACE, and Ecologique committees.
• Leave benefits including Birthday Leave, Flexible Public Holidays, and an additional 5 days of leave (after 2 years of service).
• Work Your World program enabling employees the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world for up to 6 weeks per year.
• Parental leave policy with up to 18 weeks (based on tenure) paid primary carer leave, secondary carer swap and Cub Care leave.
• Access to counsellors, psychologists and professionals through Sonder - an all-in-on digital wellbeing technology platform designed to support psychological, medical & safety needs.
• Proud partners of Diversity Council Australia, Pride in Diversity, Family Friendly Workplaces, Supply Nation and the Australian Disability Network.

If you don’t tick every box in this description, please don’t rule yourself out. We focus on hiring people who share our values of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, fearlessness, and integrity, rather than ticking boxes.

Diversity. Inclusion. Equity. More than just words, these are part of our DNA. At Publicis Groupe we are committed to the inclusion and recognition of all people; regardless of race, age, culture, ability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status and religious affiliation. We believe that to deliver the best solutions to our clients, our people need to reflect the diverse communities in which our clients operate in. We value diversity and the skills, knowledge and experience that difference brings to our culture and solutions.

Uniqueness is powerful; without it we wouldn’t be where we are today. So be you – we like it that way.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for people with disability or those that require additional support throughout the application process. If you need any assistance or adjustments, please contact us via [email protected] - your personal information will be kept confidential.