Senior Software Engineer, AI Tooling, Information Security

Senior Software Engineer · Senior · Full Time

AU - MelbourneUSD 180k – 280k1w ago
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Role

What you'll do.

Senior Software Engineer focused on AI tooling and information security at Airwallex, a global fintech leader protecting hundreds of billions in financial infrastructure. You'll architect and build sophisticated AI-powered security tools, manage containerized infrastructure at scale (Kubernetes clusters, serverless workloads, terabyte-scale log pipelines), and lead incident response automation across a regulated financial platform serving over 675,000 businesses. This role requires 5+ years of full-stack software engineering expertise with demonstrated proficiency in scripting languages (Python), systems programming (Go/C++), cloud infrastructure, and autonomous project delivery in high-growth environments.

Responsibilities

  • Lead AI Tool Development: Architect and lead end-to-end development of AI-powered security tools and applications from conception through production deployment, ensuring alignment with information security objectives and business outcomes for a regulated financial platform.
  • Build Scalable Security Infrastructure: Design and maintain production-grade infrastructure supporting internal tooling, including Kubernetes orchestration, serverless workloads, ETL data pipelines, and terabyte-scale log aggregation and analysis systems that protect hundreds of billions in financial transactions.
  • Incident Response Engineering: Develop specialized tools and automation for threat hunting, vulnerability remediation, and continuous security scanning to accelerate incident response workflows and enhance the organization's security posture.
  • Cross-Functional Security Automation: Partner with engineering and product teams to identify, design, and implement automation opportunities including patch management systems, API gateways, and protective services that materially reduce organizational and customer risk.
  • Technical Leadership and Mentorship: Mentor software engineers across the team, establish coding standards and best practices, raise overall engineering bar through code reviews and architectural guidance, and foster a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • Scripting Language Proficiency

    Production-level expertise with Python or similar scripting language for automation, tooling, and rapid prototyping in security contexts.

  • Systems Programming

    Hands-on experience with Go, Rust, C, or C++ for building high-performance, low-level infrastructure components and security tools.

  • Cloud Infrastructure Expertise

    Demonstrated proficiency with modern cloud platforms including Kubernetes orchestration, serverless computing (Lambda, Cloud Functions), managed services, and cloud-native architecture patterns.

  • Data Pipeline Architecture

    Experience designing and implementing ETL pipelines, log aggregation systems, and event streaming architectures handling enterprise-scale data volumes.

  • Production Code Maturity

    Proven track record shipping and maintaining production codebases in high-availability environments with strong emphasis on reliability, observability, and operational excellence.

Education

  • Computer Science Degree

    Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, cybersecurity, or closely related discipline providing foundational knowledge in algorithms, systems design, and security principles.

Experience

  • Senior Software Engineering

    Minimum five years of professional software engineering experience, with substantial portion focused on infrastructure, backend systems, or information security domains.

  • Autonomous Project Ownership

    Demonstrated ability to identify, scope, and execute complex projects independently with minimal supervision, delivering high-quality results on aggressive timelines.

  • High-Growth Technology Environment

    Preferred experience scaling systems and engineering practices in fast-growing technology companies experiencing rapid infrastructure evolution and increased complexity.

  • Linux Systems Administration

    Preferred hands-on experience maintaining, troubleshooting, and optimizing Linux operating systems in production environments.

Skills

Required

  • Python

    Production-level proficiency for automation scripting, security tooling, and infrastructure-as-code implementations.

  • Go or C/C++

    Systems-level programming for performance-critical components, security tools, and low-latency infrastructure.

  • Kubernetes

    Advanced experience designing, deploying, and managing Kubernetes clusters in production environments with focus on security, scalability, and reliability.

  • Cloud Architecture

    Deep knowledge of AWS, GCP, or Azure with proficiency in serverless computing, networking, security, and cost optimization.

  • System Design

    Ability to architect scalable, secure, and maintainable systems handling high throughput and complex operational requirements.

  • Incident Response

    Experience responding to security incidents, root cause analysis, and implementing systematic remediation and prevention measures.

  • Technical Communication

    Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical engineers and non-technical stakeholders across global teams.

Preferred

  • AI/ML Integration

    Nice to have

    Hands-on experience integrating machine learning models and LLMs into production applications for security automation and threat detection.

  • Security Tooling

    Nice to have

    Background building or maintaining security infrastructure including SIEM, log aggregation, vulnerability scanning, or threat intelligence platforms.

  • FinTech Infrastructure

    Nice to have

    Experience in financial services or payments industry with understanding of regulatory requirements, compliance, and high-availability financial infrastructure.

  • Open Source Contribution

    Nice to have

    Active participation in security-focused or infrastructure open source projects demonstrating commitment to community and technical depth.

  • Linux Administration

    Nice to have

    Advanced Linux systems administration including kernel tuning, network configuration, and container runtime optimization.

Tech stack

Languages

PythonGoC/C++SQL

Frameworks

KubernetesApache SparkFastAPI/Flask

Databases

PostgreSQLElasticsearchRedisApache Kafka

Tools

AWS/GCP/AzureDockerTerraformGitPrometheus/Grafana

Other

Linux/UnixRESTful APIsCI/CD PipelinesSecurity Best Practices

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·USD 180,000 – 280,000

Equity·Stock options

Benefits

  • Equity Compensation

    Meaningful stock options providing long-term wealth accumulation and ownership stake in Airwallex's success as a growing fintech leader.

  • Comprehensive Health Coverage

    Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage for you and dependents with competitive premium contributions reflecting company investment in employee wellbeing.

  • Professional Development Budget

    Annual learning stipend for conferences, courses, certifications, and training to maintain cutting-edge expertise in security, AI, and infrastructure engineering.

  • Flexible Work Arrangements

    Three-day per week office requirement in Sydney or Melbourne with flexibility for remote work, supporting work-life balance while maintaining collaboration.

  • Global Mobility

    Access to Airwallex's 27 offices across 4 continents with opportunities for transfers, international rotations, and cross-functional experiences.

  • Parental Leave

    Generous paid parental leave policies reflecting commitment to supporting employee families and long-term retention.

  • Mental Health Support

    Employee assistance programs, mental health resources, and counseling services supporting holistic wellbeing in demanding technical roles.

  • Team Building and Social Events

    Regular team outings, company-wide gatherings, and social events fostering community and connection across global organization.

  • Latest Technology

    Access to current development tools, hardware, and software licenses enabling optimal developer experience and productivity.

  • Mentorship Programs

    Structured mentorship opportunities with senior leaders and cross-functional collaboration fostering continuous growth and career advancement.

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening

    Discussion with recruiting team to understand your background, career trajectory, motivation for information security and AI tooling specialization, and alignment with Airwallex's founder-level energy and first-principles thinking culture.

  2. 02

    Technical Deep Dive Interview

    Comprehensive conversation with senior engineers covering system architecture, infrastructure design decisions, Kubernetes experience, cloud platform expertise, and your approach to building reliable, secure systems at scale.

  3. 03

    Coding Assessment

    Practical coding exercise in your preferred language (Python, Go, or C++) focused on algorithm design, code quality, problem-solving approach, and ability to communicate your reasoning through infrastructure or security tool development scenarios.

  4. 04

    Security and Infrastructure Systems Design

    Whiteboard or collaborative design session discussing how you would architect a complex security infrastructure component, ETL pipeline, or AI tooling system, including trade-offs, scalability considerations, and operational excellence principles.

  5. 05

    Leadership and Collaboration Round

    Conversation with team leads and product engineering partners about your mentorship philosophy, cross-functional collaboration experience, how you raise engineering standards, and your approach to working with non-technical stakeholders.

  6. 06

    Hiring Manager Conversation

    Final discussion with hiring manager to explore long-term growth trajectory, learning philosophy, fit with team operating principles, and enthusiasm for building security infrastructure from first principles against real adversaries.

Full posting

Original listing.

About Airwallex

Airwallex is the AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. More than 675,000 businesses, including McLaren Racing, Qantas, SHEIN, and TikTok, use us, directly or through our platform partners, to run their financial operations or build and monetize financial products of their own.

We started in Melbourne in 2015 to build the infrastructure global commerce runs on. We're the regulated backbone behind global payments: not by accident, but by design. A decade plus, 85+ licenses, and a financial infrastructure spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

We're co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with more than 2,300 people across 27 offices. We hire builders with founder-level energy, people who move fast with good judgment, dig in with real curiosity, and make calls from first principles rather than waiting to be told what to do. Read our operating principles to see it in full.

 

How you'll make impact

You’ll lead the development of AI tools and applications that improve how Airwallex protects its systems, data, and employees. You’ll build, monitor, and maintain the infrastructure behind internal tooling, including Kubernetes clusters, serverless workloads, ETL pipelines, and terabyte-scale log pipelines.

  • Lead the development of AI tools and applications from inception through implementation.

  • Build infrastructure that supports reliable internal tooling, including Kubernetes clusters, serverless workloads, ETL pipelines, and terabyte-scale log pipelines.

  • Support incident response by developing tools for threat hunting, remediation, and security scanning.

  • Partner with engineers and product engineering teams to identify automation opportunities and deliver security outcomes, including patching automation, gateways, and other services that reduce risk.

  • Mentor Software Engineers and help raise the engineering bar across the team.

You'll work from our Sydney or Melbourne office three days a week.

What we're looking for

Essentials

  • A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field.

  • At least five years of relevant software engineering experience.

  • Experience working with production codebases.

  • Experience with at least one scripting language, such as Python, and one systems programming language, such as Go or C/C++.

  • Experience with modern cloud infrastructure, including data pipelines, serverless workloads, and Kubernetes.

  • A track record of working autonomously and delivering high-quality projects on time.

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

  • The ability to investigate deeply and find the best solution to a problem.

  • Obsessive curiosity, with a willingness to ask questions, gather context, and keep learning.

Preferred

  • Experience working in a high-growth technology company.

  • Hands-on experience leveraging AI to build applications.

  • Experience maintaining Linux operating systems.

You'll thrive here if

  • You're comfortable owning the roadmap yourself.

  • You own the outcome and you don't wait for permission to fix what's broken.

  • You're comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and moving quickly anyway.

  • You communicate clearly and directly across cultures, and you're thoughtful about how context shifts meaning across borders.

Learn more about your team

InfoSec at Airwallex runs one of the most modern security teams in the world, protecting hundreds of thousands of customers and hundreds of billions of dollars. Our scale, funding, and industry make us a real target, so we skip the standard playbook of off-the-shelf tools and tiered SOC analysts and build almost everything ourselves, often with AI ahead of the rest of the industry. You'll go back to first principles constantly, because the off-the-shelf answer is rarely right for us, and we can build better than what already exists. If you want to build security from the ground up, against a real adversary, with people who are actually good at this, this is the team for you.

 

Applicant Safety Policy: Fraud and Third-Party Recruiters

To protect you from recruitment scams, please be aware that Airwallex will not ask for bank details, sensitive ID numbers (i.e. passport), or any form of payment during the application or interview process. All official communication will come from an @airwallex.com email address. Please apply only through careers.airwallex.com or our official LinkedIn page.

Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary.

Equal opportunity

Airwallex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Airwallex is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We don’t regard color, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status when making our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

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