System Developer

Most software isn’t built from scratch. It’s inherited. We build and look after platforms written in PHP. Some of that work is new. A lot of it is understanding something that already exists and improving it without breaking the parts people depend on. That work is rarely visible. It’s also where most of the real learning happens. We’re looking for a system developer who understands that code is only part of the job. How something is structured, the trade-offs behind it, and how easy it is to work on later matter just as much as getting it running. You like problems that don’t come with neat edges, and you want to understand the decisions that shape how systems evolve. You don’t need a long track record. We’re hiring for what you can do, not how long you’ve been doing it. Most people ready for this role have a year or two behind them, but that’s a pattern we’ve noticed, not a rule we’re holding to. This role exists because the platforms we build for clients need to be robust, adaptable, and thoughtfully designed. Not rushed. Not clever for the sake of it. Built to last. We’re ambitious about this. We want to be the team organisations turn to when the decision actually matters, not just when something needs to look good. That’s a high bar, and we’re not there yet. It’s why we take people early in their career seriously, and why we expect a lot of them. The role, plainly You’ll work as a system developer in a PHP-based environment, building and extending systems that underpin client platforms, products, and services. You’ll be involved early, while questions are still forming. You’ll help decide how things should be built, not just how fast they can be shipped. You’ll work closely with designers, producers, and other developers to make sure what’s proposed makes sense technically, commercially, and operationally. This isn’t a role for someone who wants tightly scoped tasks handed down fully formed. It’s for someone who wants responsibility for the shape, health, and durability of the systems they work on. You’ll have senior developers around you who will explain their reasoning if you ask, and who expect you to ask. How people grow here is written down. We assess how far ahead you work, whether you find work or wait for it, what you’re trusted to decide on your own, what you take responsibility for, and how deep the craft goes. It measures what you reliably do, not what you’re reaching for on a good day. You’ll know where you sit and what would move you, which is the part most places leave vague. What you’ll actually be doing Building backend and platform systems in PHPMaking decisions that balance robustness, clarity, and pragmatismWorking within existing platforms and codebases without fighting themImproving structure, reliability, and extensibility over timeCollaborating closely with design and production to shape feasible solutionsTaking responsibility for the long-term quality of what you ship This work includes detail, iteration, refactoring, and sometimes rebuilding something that was right at the time and isn’t any more. Ownership means being comfortable with all of that. You will need This list is about ability. If you can do these things, how long it took you to get there isn’t the point. Real hands-on experience building backend or platform systems, ideally in PHPA solid grasp of programming fundamentals and an interest in system designSome experience working within established platforms or frameworks, not just greenfield buildsWillingness to make trade-offs and explain them clearlyThe ability to work with a degree of independence while contributing actively to a multidisciplinary teamDeveloping judgement about when something needs more work and when it’s fit for purposeThe drive to get your own work done, dealing with obstacles early rather than letting them stallA start on spotting what needs doing without waiting to be handed it If you’re looking for a role where requirements are fixed and decisions are already made, this won’t be the right fit. Non-negotiables You have the right to work in AustraliaYou are able to work onsite from our Richmond officeThis is a full-time role Extra credit, not essentials Experience working with CMS-driven platforms such as WordPress or DrupalExposure to frameworks like Symfony or LaravelAny familiarity with AWS or similar cloud infrastructureSide projects, open source contributions, or anything you built because you wanted to None of this needs to be perfect on paper. If you’re close to it and keen, we’d rather hear from you than not. You’ll probably enjoy this role if You want to understand how something works before you change itYou’d rather ask a blunt question early than guess and fix it laterYou treat a job as yours until it’s actually done, not until it’s handed onYou want to know exactly what would move you to the next levelYou like learning from people who explain their reasoning rather than just their answer Working at August Working at August is deliberate. It’s not chaotic, and it’s not rigid. It’s designed to give experienced people room to do their best work without unnecessary friction. We’re building something here. Not in a rush, and not for scale at any cost, but with intent. We want our work to influence how organisations make decisions, not just how they market themselves. That ambition shows up in the standard we expect of the work and the problems we choose to take on. You’ll work with smart, pragmatic people across design, strategy, production, and development. You’ll have autonomy, paired with clear expectations about quality, judgement, and follow-through. The work is thoughtful and often complex. It rewards people who like to think things through, ask better questions, and take responsibility for outcomes. A sense of play still matters, but it’s grounded in craft, not chaos. If this feels worth exploring If you’ve read this far and it sounds like your kind of work, we’d like to hear from you. Everyone who expresses interest gets a reply from a person. If you’d like to express interest, send us: Your CVA short note about why this role caught your attentionThe name of one August client you’ve looked into If you have a personal site, GitHub, or examples of work you’re proud of, include them if you’d like. If you’ve got questions, ask them. We pay attention to how people think, not just what they’ve built. Are you a recruiter? We know it’s a competitive field, and a listing like this is an obvious lead. We’re running this one ourselves, so please don’t contact us about people for this role. We’d rather hear from them directly.