SAM is an online artwork management and archival system that Desart developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait art centres nationwide. It is the administrative tool used daily to manage collections, catalogue works, document provenance, track sales and consignments, manage artist accounts and stocks, and more. The platform supports over 120 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres.
ABOUT THE ROLE
This role is the "Engine Room" for SAM. As the technical quality guard and project lead, you will ensure that our development partners deliver code that is efficient, stable, and fit for the unique needs of our users.
The SAM Technical Project Lead serves as the technical lead for the SAM platform's evolution and infrastructure. The role is responsible for the strategic transition between development cycles, conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Phase 1 rebuild to identify optimisations and requirements for Phase 2 planning. It also manages the platform's technical ecosystem and supports the SAM Team – including software integrations, domain security, and platform access – to ensure a robust and scalable environment.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
* Technical Strategy & Vendor Oversight
o Act as the primary technical point of contact for external development partners.
o Interrogate architectural decisions, manage API integrations, and ensure high standards for code documentation and system security.
o Lead a post‐implementation review to identify technical debt, bugs, and performance bottlenecks.
* Product Management & UX Optimisation
o Redesign high‐frequency tasks to reduce navigation friction and clicks.
o Transform wishlist items into a prioritised development plan that balances technical stability with user demand.
o Translate business needs from art centre staff into clear, technical user stories and functional requirements.
* Project Delivery & Operations
o Manage the development lifecycle, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, and UAT cycles.
o Oversee stability and security of the AWS hosting environment, Cloudflare, and DNS configurations.
o Develop advanced analytics and operational dashboards using SQL, Jaspersoft, and Power BI.
* Software Development Management & Project Delivery
o Conduct a Phase 1 Post‐Implementation Review, analysing defects, UX issues, technical debt, and stakeholder feedback.
o Lead Phase 2 planning: requirements gathering, user stories, sprint planning, backlog refinement, and prioritisation.
o Serve as the primary technical liaison with internal and external developers.
o Prepare functional requirements, use cases, and process flows.
* Technical Infrastructure & Ecosystem Management
o Oversee hosting, environments, and infrastructure (AWS EC2, RDS, S3, VPC).
o Monitor platform performance and coordinate troubleshooting.
o Manage licensing, software access, identity control, Cloudflare, DNS, domain renewals, SSL, and IAM policies.
o Identify improvements to platform stability, performance, and user experience, and recommend reductions in technical debt.
* API & Integration Management
o Strong understanding of RESTful APIs and JSON payloads.
o Use Postman to test, troubleshoot, and validate integrations.
o Support art centres integrating SAM with their online stores.
o Guide API documentation (OpenAPI/Swagger).
* Reporting & Data
o Develop structured reporting with Jaspersoft and Power BI.
o Write and review SQL queries (SELECT, JOIN, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).
o Support data modelling, schema reviews, and reporting optimisation.
o Deliver dashboards, operational insights, and metrics to stakeholders.
* Test Management & Quality Assurance
o Create test plans, test cases, and manage defect workflows.
o Support functional, regression, integration, and UAT cycles.
o Use Jira and TestRail for issue tracking and documentation.
o Coordinate release readiness activities.
* Strategic Business Support
o Translate high‐level business goals into technical deliverables.
o Support product direction, sprint planning, and prioritisation with the Platform Manager.
o Provide insight into system usability, feature gaps, and operational improvement opportunities.
* Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
o Work effectively with diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centre staff.
o Communicate clearly across technical and non‐technical audiences.
o Support remote art centres with low‐bandwidth or limited infrastructure.
o Build strong and respectful working relationships.
* Administration
o Maintain accurate records of software access and system changes.
o Prepare monthly reports on completed work and platform status.
o Document standard operating procedures and workflows.
* Additional Duties
o Support process improvement and innovation.
o Assist with rolling out new systems or operational tools.
o Perform other logical duties aligned with skills and classification.
SELECTION CRITERIA
ESSENTIAL
* Experience in technical support, software operations, or technical project coordination.
* Demonstrated experience diagnosing issues, supporting remote users, and managing escalations.
* Understanding of REST APIs, JSON, Postman, Swagger / OpenAPI.
* Hands‐on familiarity with NestJS, Node.js, React, and modern JavaScript / TypeScript.
* SQL experience (PostgreSQL preferred).
* Platform and hosting management (AWS, Cloudflare, DNS).
* Reporting capability (Jaspersoft, Excel advanced, Power BI).
* Proven experience coordinating with developers using ticket‐based workflows.
* Ability to translate user requirements into clear technical outputs.
* Strong communication tailored to diverse cultural contexts.
DESIRABLE
* Bachelor's degree in IT or related discipline.
* At least two years in technical operations or software management.
* Experience working with remote Indigenous communities.
* Familiarity with the Indigenous art centre sector.
* ITIL Foundation certification.
* Project management training (CAPM, PMI‐ACP, PMP).
* BA certifications (ECBA, CCBA, CBAP).
EEO STATEMENT
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Pre‐employment checks: proof of identity, criminal history / police check.
Other training requirements: willingness to undertake paid training in 4WD and First Aid Certificate, and commit to refresher courses as needed.
Work is generally conducted within the organization's business hours; occasional out‐of‐hours work may be required.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Platform: NestJS, Node.js, React, TypeScript, PostgreSQL (primary), MySQL / Microsoft SQL optional. RESTful APIs via SAM API v3. Reporting with Jaspersoft, Power BI, and advanced Excel. Hosting on AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, CloudWatch, VPC). Security & networking with Cloudflare, IAM, DNS management. Integrated with WooCommerce and Shopify via SAM Web Plugins. Tooling: Git, Jira, Confluence, TestRail, Postman, Power Query.
Reference documentation: SAM API v3 – https://help.sam.org.au/hc/en-au/articles/55133292313625-Connecting-your-Online-Store-to-SAM
Announcement – https://desart.com.au/news/sam-rebuild-announcement/
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