Associate Software Engineer

Job description

Permanent role based in Melbourne Build applied AI capabilities that help keep REA’s marketplace safe and trusted, with a direct impact across REA’s products. We're REA With bold and ambitious goals, REA Group is changing the way the world experiences property. No matter where you're at on your property journey, we're here to help with every step - whether that's finding or financing your next home. Our people are the key to our success. At the heart of everything we do, is a thriving culture centred around high performance and care. We are purpose driven and collaborative, which drives innovation and our ability to make a real impact. As such, we’re proud to have been named in Australia’s “Top 5” Best Workplaces two years in a row, as well as being recognised as a Best Workplace for Women. Where the team fits in The Content Moderation Platform squad is building the tools and services that help REA identify, review and act on harmful or non-compliant content more quickly and consistently. Our mission is to build the tools, services and standards that keep the REA community safe and trusted. The squad sits within the Customer Enablement portfolio in Experiences & Platforms (XP) and is focused on developing AI-powered capabilities that can proactively detect fraud and content breaches across REA’s marketplace. What the role is all about As a Software Engineer in the Content Moderation Platform squad, you will work across the full moderation lifecycle. This includes automated detection pipelines, LLM-based evaluation services, APIs and data workflows, as well as the tools that help human reviewers understand outcomes and take action with confidence. You will be part of a cross-functional squad and will contribute through hands-on delivery, technical design, production support and continuous improvement. You will also help shape how we build this platform over time, particularly as we explore practical and responsible ways to use AI and LLMs to detect harmful content at scale. This is a good opportunity for someone who enjoys solving real problems, wants to work with applied AI, and is interested in building a platform that has a direct impact on trust and safety across REA’s products. Day to day you’ll be doing: Design, build, test and document high-quality software in line with REA engineering practices. Build and improve AI-powered detection services, APIs, data pipelines and supporting tools used for content moderation. Maintain and improve existing systems through feature development, bug fixes and operational improvements. Support production systems, including troubleshooting incidents and taking part in support or on-call rotations where required. Work closely with engineers, product, design and other stakeholders to shape technical direction and deliver reliable and explainable moderation outcomes. Contribute to delivery planning and technical design by considering trade-offs, effort, quality and long-term maintainability. Look for ways to improve our products, technology, team processes and ways of working. Keep up with changes in AI and LLM technology and help the team understand where new capabilities could be useful. Use AI-assisted development tools thoughtfully to improve productivity and software quality. Support other engineers through code reviews, pairing and day-to-day knowledge sharing. Who we’re looking for Strong experience with modern software engineering practices, including automated testing, continuous delivery and collaborative development. Experience building production software with TypeScript. Experience building software that is maintainable, observable, reliable and able to scale. A solid understanding of software design patterns, web or application architecture and cloud-based systems. Experience working with APIs, data pipelines or distributed systems. Some experience with LLMs or AI APIs, or a genuine interest in learning how they can be used responsibly in production systems. Experience using AI-assisted tools to support software delivery, productivity or problem-solving. A practical, solutions-focused mindset and the ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical people. A strong sense of ownership, curiosity and a willingness to keep learning and improving. The REA experience The physical, mental, emotional and financial health of our people is something we’ll never stop caring about. This is a place to learn and grow. Some of our Perks & Benefits include: A hybrid and flexible approach to working Flexible leave options including, birthday leave and purchase additional leave Flexible parental leave offering for primary and secondary carers Our Because We Care program offers employees volunteering leave, community grants, matched payroll giving and our Community Café donates 100% of revenue to charity Hackdays so you can bring your big ideas to life Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion We are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe teams with diverse ideas and experiences are more creative, more effective and fuel disruptive thinking. If you've got the skills, dedication and enthusiasm to learn but don't necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch. Join our Talent Neighbourhood Keen to be part of REA but didn't find a perfect match with this opportunity? Perhaps the timing isn't right? You should join our Talent Neighbourhood! #LI-HYBRID