Deputy Lead Engineer PHP / React in Sydney

Deputy Lead Engineer PHP / React in Sydney

Sydney Full-Time 90000 - 110000 $ / year (est.) On-site
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead engineering projects, scale systems, and embed AI into our platform.
  • Company: Join Australia’s fastest-growing B2B automotive marketplace.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, onsite work in Sydney, and leadership opportunities.
  • Other info: Dynamic environment with growth potential and collaborative culture.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact while shaping the future of AI in our business.
  • Qualifications: 6+ years full-stack experience with strong PHP and React skills.

The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 $ per year.

MotorPlatform is Australia’s fastest-growing B2B automotive marketplace and SaaS platform. The core platform is built. The next phase is the hard, high-leverage work: scaling product, scaling engineering, and scaling operational excellence, while we shift to being AI-first in how we build and how the platform creates value.

We’re hiring a Senior Full-Stack Engineer to act as Deputy Lead / 2IC in engineering. You’ll be a hands‑on builder who can take ownership of major initiatives, lead projects end‑to‑end, and keep delivery moving with clarity and discipline. Onsite in Sydney. We want fast feedback loops, high collaboration, and strong product‑engineering alignment.

What you’ll be doing (this is a scale role, not a “greenfield” role)

  • Scale system performance, reliability, and developer velocity as usage expands
  • Harden security, privacy, observability, and operational runbooks
  • Build new marketplace capabilities that unlock liquidity, speed, and better dealer outcomes
  • Reduce friction in critical workflows and improve conversion through product‑led engineering
  • Lead projects that cut across web, mobile, backend, and infrastructure
  • Improve delivery predictability through planning, coordination, and proactive risk management
  • Mentor engineers and set the bar for pragmatic, high‑quality execution

AI‑first: what we expect from you

We’re becoming an AI‑first business. That means AI isn’t an experiment on the side—it’s part of the operating system. You’ll help embed AI into:

  • Product: smarter workflows, better matching, better quality control, dealer‑facing efficiency
  • Operations: internal tools, automation, knowledge capture, faster support and triage
  • Engineering: AI‑assisted development, testing acceleration, improved reviews, quicker iteration

You’ll partner with our AI/BI team to embed intelligence into the platform and marketplace, including:

  • Integrating valuation engines into core workflows (pricing, buying, selling, approvals)
  • Shipping analytics and insights (vehicle acquisition and disposal performance, liquidity signals, margin drivers)
  • Productionising data/AI services: API contracts, monitoring, quality checks, fallbacks, latency and cost controls
  • Building internal tools for faster decisions (dashboards, alerts, workflow automation)

You don’t need an ML background. You do need to be comfortable shipping AI‑enabled features responsibly and using AI to increase leverage.

Tech stack

  • Web: React
  • Mobile: React Native
  • Backend: PHP (Laravel & Vapor) + Node/TypeScript where it fits
  • Database: Postgres
  • Cloud: AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, Lambda)
  • Delivery: CI/CD, testing, modern development practices

What we’re looking for

  • Must-haves
  • Min 6+ years full‑stack engineering experience in production
  • Strong PHP/Laravel (non‑negotiable)
  • Strong React; React Native strongly valued
  • Strong Postgres fundamentals (schema, migrations, optimisation)
  • AWS experience (EC2/RDS/S3/Lambda)
  • Track record leading delivery end‑to‑end and operating as a senior owner
  • Highly organised, proactive, and quick to absorb product + industry context
  • Wants to work onsite in Sydney (Lane Cove)
  • Nice-to-haves
  • Marketplace / high‑growth SaaS scaling experience
  • AI‑enabled feature delivery (LLM APIs, retrieval/search, automation)
  • IaC (Terraform/CloudFormation)
  • Testing frameworks (PHPUnit/Pest, Jest/Mocha)

Why this is a strong next step

  • The platform is real and growing and your work immediately compounds
  • You’ll have leadership scope without being removed from building
  • You’ll help shape how we scale and how we embed AI into the business
  • You’ll work closely with Product and influence what gets built and why

Deputy Lead Engineer PHP / React in Sydney employer: Motor Platform

Motor Platform offers a dynamic work environment where engineers can take ownership of major initiatives and lead projects from start to finish. The company emphasizes professional growth through mentorship opportunities and the integration of AI into its platform, providing employees with unique challenges and learning experiences. With a focus on performance, security, and observability, Motor Platform fosters a culture of clarity and discipline in project delivery.

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Contact Details:

Motor Platform Recruitment Team

We think you need these skills to ace Deputy Lead Engineer PHP / React in Sydney

Full-Stack Engineering
PHP
Laravel
React
React Native
Postgres
AWS