Principal Cloud Engineer, Platform Services

Be Bold. Belong. Be More.At Southern Cross University, we do things differently, and so can you.A career with us is more than you might expect. Yes, it’s about the heart, connectedness and community you’d hope for in a regional university. But there’s also so much more. Our game changing Southern Cross Model brings a deeper, focused learning experience and our research is deeply connected to our regions, making a difference on a global scale. This is your chance to help us build something new and meaningful for our students, our communities and your career. To drive change, make a real impact, and thrive in a place as unique as you.You can be good anywhere. Here, you can be great.

Your opportunity

Technology Services provides transformative technology leadership, strategy and expertise through collaborative engagement with all University portfolios and their partners, delivering outstanding digital experiences that support student, staff and research success. The team delivers and maintains technical services and solutions across a broad range of functional areas, from frontline service delivery through to innovative cloud and digital transformation initiatives.

As our Principal Cloud Engineer, you will provide technical leadership in the design, implementation and support of enterprise cloud and platform services that enable scalable, secure and resilient IT operations across the University. This is a highly specialised senior technical role focused on cloud transformation, automation, architecture and modernisation of critical ICT services.

Working closely with architecture, security and platform engineering teams, you will lead cloud platform adoption and drive technical excellence across a complex and evolving technology environment. This role is ideal for someone who thrives solving complex problems, mentoring others and shaping future-ready cloud capability.

You will make an impact by:

• Leading the design, delivery and optimisation of enterprise cloud and platform services across Azure, AWS and hybrid environments
• Driving cloud transformation initiatives, automation and infrastructure-as-code practices across the University
• Providing senior technical leadership, mentorship and architectural guidance to platform engineering teams
• Leading the resolution of critical incidents and complex technical challenges impacting University-wide ICT services
• Establishing cloud engineering standards, best practices and technical roadmaps that support innovation, security and scalability

What you will bring

You are a highly experienced cloud and platform engineering professional with deep technical expertise, strong leadership capability and a passion for modernising enterprise technology environments. You enjoy collaborating across teams, influencing technical direction and solving complex challenges that create meaningful organisational impact.

To succeed in this role, you will also need:

• Postgraduate qualifications in Information Technology and/or significant experience in Cloud Engineering, Platform Engineering or Software Development environments
• Extensive experience designing, implementing and supporting cloud and platform services in large, complex environments
• Advanced expertise across Azure, DevOps, DevSecOps, FinOps, Kubernetes, Docker, APIM, GitHub and monitoring platforms such as Grafana and Prometheus
• Strong experience with automation and Infrastructure-as-Code tools including Terraform, Ansible and related technologies
• Demonstrated senior technical leadership experience, including mentoring engineers and leading enterprise-wide technical initiatives
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence technical and business

It’s not essential, but we’d love it if you had experience working within the higher education sector. If you don’t have this experience but still think you would be a great fit, we still encourage you to apply.

Why Southern Cross University

SCU is proudly a regional university, young, small and vibrant. That means you’ll find more exposure, opportunity and ownership - to grow, achieve and build a career that means more. And you’ll do it alongside passionate people and leaders who go the extra mile to help you succeed. A career with us is about more than just work. It’s about place, community and the life you want to live. With three main campuses at the Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour and the Northern Rivers region of NSW, we’re integral to all these wonderful communities. Find your place and be more in this beautiful part of the world.

Your opportunity is:

• Full-time, continuing (permanent)
• Located at either Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Gold Coast, QLD 4225, or Lismore, NSW 2480. Relocation assistance is available, making it easier to join our regional communities
• HEW Level 9. The base salary ranges from $134,393 - $140,896 per annum, plus 17% employer’s contribution to superannuation. The total remuneration package is up to $164,848.32.

You will enjoy a range of perks designed to support your wellbeing, growth and work-life balance. For more information on our benefits and what it’s like to work at SCU, visit Why work at Southern Cross University?

Be more with Southern Cross University today

Southern Cross University values potential as much as experience. If you do not meet all the listed requirements but are excited about the role and confident you can contribute, we encourage you to apply or reach out for more information.

Name: Lana Morgan

Email: jobs@scu.edu.au

Applications close 11.30pm AEST 18 June 2026.

Eligible applicants must have Australian or New Zealand citizenship, Australian permanent residency or current working rights in Australia for the entire duration of the appointment. Employer visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Applicants must apply online and attach a CV and cover letter. The cover letter must clearly address each selection criterion in the position description. Information to support you prepare your application is available on our website.

Southern Cross University celebrates the rich diversity of our regions and international community. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and values people of all backgrounds. We encourage applications from people of all genders, ethnicities, ages, languages, sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. We are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process to ensure every candidate can fully participate. For any support through the recruitment process reach out to jobs@scu.edu.au.

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