Have you ever jumped into a Minecraft world, battled in ARK, or built in Rust? Chances are, you’ve already played on a Shockbyte server. With 60+ games supported and hundreds of thousands of players worldwide, we’re one of the largest game server hosting companies on the planet.
We’re not just building servers — we’re building the future of multiplayer. At Shockbyte, you’ll join a high-performing global team that’s passionate about making game server hosting seamless for players and studios everywhere.
About the RoleWe’re looking for a Senior Software Developer to serve as our technical anchor in Melbourne. This isn't just a role for a "ticket-crusher"—we want a product-led, self-managed Full Stack Product Builder who functions as a strategic all-rounder.
You will transform our Melbourne office from a satellite hub into a self-sustaining product engine. By owning the Australian time zone, you’ll eliminate "dead time," unblock local initiatives, and act as a high-velocity technical resource for the CEO and Marketing teams. You will be a pioneer in AI, using tools like Claude Code and the latest LLM models to automate workflows and rapidly prototype new applications.
Important: Because our core engineering team is based in Europe, this role requires a flexible schedule. You will be expected to attend meetings and syncs outside of regular Australian business hours to ensure seamless collaboration and knowledge transfer.
Responsibilities- Drive Executive Velocity: Act as the primary dev resource for the CEO and Marketing to execute high-priority, rapid-turnaround tasks.
- Lead AI Innovation: Push our AI usage forward by building full-scale applications and automation suites using Claude Code and latest AI trends.
- Full-Stack Ownership: Contribute to core squads (Panel or Platform) while handling high-impact tasks like billing module rewrites (PayPal/WHMCS) and site improvements in Storyblok.
- Establish Local Knowledge: Improve technical documentation and act as the "go-to" lead for the Melbourne team.
- On-Call & Reliability: Provide dedicated coverage during Australian business hours and maintain syncs with the European dev team.
Requirements
- 5+ Years of Senior Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- Familiarity with the gaming industry, including events such as GDC or Gamescom.
- AI-Native Workflow: Highly experienced with Claude Code, LLM prompt engineering, and the latest AI development best practices.
- Product-Led Mindset: Ability to function as a hybrid between a Product Owner and Developer, identifying problems independently and building foundations.
- Independent & Proactive: A self-managed "A-player" capable of planning work and setting priorities without constant follow-up.
- Timezone Flexibility: Comfortable working late or adjusting hours for crossover syncs with the European engineering team.
- Melbourne-Based: Ability to work from our Melbourne office 3 days per week to sync with local leadership.
- Gamer & Hosting Enthusiast: You don’t just play games; you understand the server-side mechanics. Whether you’ve managed a Minecraft community, climbed the ranks in Rust, or built a home lab, you’re genuinely passionate about game server hosting and performance.
- Deep Architectural Expertise: You aren't just a coder; you are a system designer. You possess a profound understanding of how to build software that is secure, scalable, and performant. In an AI-driven "Vibe Coding" workflow, you act as the human anchor who ensures the "blueprint" is flawless. You understand the trade-offs of different patterns and can architect distributed systems that handle high-concurrency and massive data loads without breaking a sweat.
- Background in cloud infrastructure or game server orchestration.
- Experience scaling a technical team or acting as a Team Lead.
- Passion for automation and "Vibe Coding" to replace manual dev cycles
- Experience in IT or sysadmin roles. You are comfortable in a Linux terminal and understand networking, bare-metal orchestration, and what happens "under the hood" of a server.
Benefits
- 🌏 Hybrid Work – Flexibility to work from home or the office.
- ⏰ Flexible Working Hours – Work around your peak productivity times.
- 🚀 Career Growth – Clear progression pathways and long-term opportunities.
- 📚 Professional Development Budget – Courses, certifications, and conferences.
- 💻 Home Office / Coworking Stipend – Create your perfect workspace.
- 🎮 Virtual Team Events – Trivia, escape rooms, and epic game nights.
- 👕 Company Merch Packs – Hoodies, mugs, and stickers designed for our team.
- ✈️ Travel Opportunities – Represent Shockbyte at global industry events.
- 🖥️ Free Game Server Hosting – Spin up your own servers and play on us.
- 🏆 Esports & Gaming Events – Free tickets to tournaments and expos.
