Level

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Principal Software Engineer

Commonwealth Bank of Australia is hiring a Principal Software Engineer. Level rates it ; you can apply on Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Level's read on this job

  • Works on AI ●●●○ is how Level rates this software engineer role: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
  • The posting mentions AI safety among its tools and skills.
  • Level classes it as a lead role.
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia has 190 other open roles on Level.
  • Posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

ai-safety

Principal Software Engineer

  • Set the technical direction for platforms that detect and investigate financial crime.
  • Shape domain-wide architecture while remaining close to engineering and code.
  • Advance shared platforms, modern cloud engineering and responsible AI at CommBank.

Do work that matters


Join EC Technology, where our crews build the detection, investigation and data capabilities that help protect customers and keep financial crime out of the bank.


As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll set the engineering direction across a technology domain rather than a single squad. You’ll shape architecture, platform investment and build-versus-reuse decisions, helping multiple teams move from fragmented systems towards shared, scalable capabilities.


This is an opportunity to influence technology that operates in a highly regulated environment. You’ll set patterns for resilience, security, observability and responsible AI, while remaining hands-on enough to turn technical direction into practical engineering outcomes.


Bring your ambition and help shape secure, future-ready engineering that delivers meaningful outcomes for customers and communities.


See yourself in our team


EC Technology brings together engineers, product professionals, data scientists and architects to strengthen the bank’s crime-detection, investigation and data platforms.

In this role, you will:

  • Own the domain’s technical strategy, including architecture direction, platform choices and build-versus-reuse decisions.
  • Drive consolidation and decommissioning, reducing system and pipeline duplication while establishing reusable golden paths.
  • Scale platforms from minimum viable products into resilient, highly available and enterprise-ready services.
  • Set engineering standards across continuous integration and delivery, testing, observability, operational readiness and security.
  • Provide hands-on technical leadership across the stack, guiding the development of scalable services, well-designed APIs, backend-for-frontend layers and fit-for-purpose internal interfaces.
  • Define reliable, observable and responsible approaches to AI and agentic systems, with appropriate human oversight.
  • Embed regulatory, control, security and privacy considerations into engineering decisions from the outset.
  • Mentor senior engineers and lift engineering capability through influence, technical leadership and hands-on contribution.

We’re interested in hearing from people who


You’re a foundations-strong engineering leader who can reason across technologies, connect strategy with delivery and create clarity in complex environments. You bring broad, full-stack software engineering experience and can influence teams without relying on formal authority.

You’ll bring:

  • Strong computer-science foundations across algorithms, data structures, concurrency and distributed-system design.
  • Proven experience owning technical outcomes across complete product or platform surfaces, with the judgement to move between breadth and depth.
  • Experience designing and operating production services and APIs at scale using a modern typed language such as Python, Java, Kotlin or Go.
  • Strong API, contract and integration-design capability, including experience with REST, OpenAPI, API gateways or equivalent technologies.
  • Full-stack capability, including experience with React and TypeScript or equivalent technologies, as well as backend-for-frontend layers.
  • A practical approach to frontend engineering. The role principally supports internal, systems-facing applications rather than consumer-grade interfaces, but you’ll be comfortable contributing across the stack when required.
  • Cloud-native engineering experience involving technologies such as AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub Actions or ArgoCD, with a focus on high availability and operational excellence.
  • Experience with platform strategy, reusable capabilities, legacy-system modernisation, event-driven integration, observability, security-first engineering, or reliable AI and agentic systems.


Working with us


At CommBank, we're committed to creating an accessible, inclusive and respectful workplace. If you require support or adjustments, please let us know.


We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and we're particularly committed to making a positive difference for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples. For support, please contact 1800 989 696.


If this sounds like you, apply today.

 

If you're already part of the Commonwealth Bank Group (including Bankwest, x15ventures), you'll need to apply through Sidekick to submit a valid application. We’re keen to support you with the next step in your career.

We're aware of some accessibility issues on this site, particularly for screen reader users. We want to make finding your dream job as easy as possible, so if you require additional support please contact HR Direct on 1800 989 696.

Advertising End Date: 07/11/2026

How we rate this

Principal Software Engineer at Commonwealth Bank of Australia rates 64 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.

  1. ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
  2. ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
  3. ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
  4. ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

AI Safety

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Pay

Typical software engineer job
$168k

This posting doesn't list pay. Use the typical software engineer figure when pay comes up. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

  1. How do you think about the risk of an AI system in this kind of role failing silently?
  2. Describe a typical day in a role like this one: which parts run through AI directly?
  3. If you removed AI from this role, what would be left, and how do you decide what still needs a human?

Adapt your resume

  • List these exact terms on your resume: AI Safety. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
  • Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
  • Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.

Want an expert to read your CV for this job?

Free. Send your CV and the role you want next. We reply by email within 2 to 4 business days.

Get new software engineer jobs (Works on AI ●●●○ or higher) by email

One email a week with the new software engineer jobs (Works on AI ●●●○ or higher), each rated for how much AI is in the work. No recruiter spam, unsubscribe in one click.

Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe in one click.

Similar roles

Software Engineering roles that work on AI, at other companies.

What kind of AI work fits you?

Answer 12 practical questions in about three minutes. Get a simple profile, the work it points to, and live roles to explore next.

Find my next step

More jobs at Commonwealth Bank of Australia

More software engineer jobs

Related searches

Same AI level