Level 31 · 52 Martin Place · Sydney
Tech recruitment for senior engineers, data and AI
Permanent and contract hires at senior, staff and principal level, up to CTO. From Sydney, across Australia.
Live roles
Senior engineering, data and AI roles we're filling now, most with the pay up front. Each one has a recruiter you can talk to.
Live roles · 10Pay · recruiter
Gen AI - Senior Manager, New. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Canberra$180k–$300k packageRecruiter: BasilTechnical Director - Software Engineering, New. SydneyUp to $320k baseRecruiter: SamPrincipal Architect - Director of Tech, New. Sydneyc. $250k baseRecruiter: BasilSnowflake Architect. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or CanberraUp to ~$220k packageRecruiter: BasilForward Deployed Engineer - Databricks. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Canberra$130k–$200k packageRecruiter: Basil.Net Technical Lead, New. Sydney$140k–$145k + superRecruiter: SamAI Engineer. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or CanberraMatched to levelRecruiter: BasilData Engineer (AWS Kinesis & Databricks), New. Melbourne or CanberraUp to $140k packageRecruiter: BasilAll 10 roles, with filtersAs listed 23 October 2026
A short list, not a pile of CVs.
Three hiring managers, in their own words on SEEK, after working with us. One of them came to us when other agencies had gone quiet.
5.0on Google from 122 reviews4.91on SEEK from 46 reviews
Out of 5, as shown on 23 October 2026. Newest Google review: about July 2026.
We get the brief right first
“Nick nailed the brief on our first meeting and was able to source good candidates.”
Gus, employer · SEEK, March 2022 We send a few good people
“…we were not bombarded with candidates whose skillsets ‘just’ touched what we were looking for, instead Nick would pre-screen the candidates while keeping us in the loop the whole time.”
Hendrik, employer · SEEK, October 2021 We find people fast
“After struggling to find a PM for a few months and other recruiters failing to find anyone suitable (or just going silent on us), we decided to try TekFinder. They managed to find us 3 quality candidates within 3 days of engaging them.”
Will, employer · SEEK, February 2022
Software engineering pay, by level
Six levels, base salary before super, from tekFinder's 2026 Salary Guide and Market Report. The full guide has 122 titles in eleven disciplines, open to everyone.
- Chief technology officer$230k–$325k base, Chief technology officer, in the guide
- Head of engineering$227k–$325k base, Head of engineering, in the guide
- Engineering manager$200k–$230k base, Engineering manager, in the guide
- Staff or principal engineer$185k–$256k base, Principal / staff engineer, in the guide
- Tech lead$181k–$240k base, Tech lead, in the guide
- Senior engineer$150k–$224k base, Senior software engineer, in the guide
A person, not a portal.
You deal with one consultant from the brief to the first check-in after they start. Each runs a desk, and knows its stacks.
Basil Benoiton
Consultant
Desk Analytics and BI, Data, AI, Infrastructure and Security
8 roles in these areas live now.
Nick Shepherd
Founder and Managing Director
Desk Product, QA, Project and Delivery
Who we've hired for
“From the first contact to the last, I always knew what was happening and I had confidence that I was not being put forward for a role that did not suit me.”
“…had thorough notes on the job and the people involved which he sent me so I could properly prepare, and I believe he represented me well and negotiated well on my behalf.”
6.4% of our placement fees go to tekFoundation, the charity we started in 2023.
tekFoundation matches skilled tech volunteers with small Australian charities, at no cost to them. Websites rebuilt, data sorted, STEM programs written. In September 2026 they were helping Dress for Success NSW & ACT.
- Charities matched since 2023
- 55+
- Volunteer hours given
- 2,000+
- Skilled volunteers
- 70+
- Value delivered
- $320k+
Figures from tekFoundation's own site, read 23 October 2026. The 6.4% is from State of Play, September 2026.
What we heard in the market in September.
Nick's monthly note: six things from real conversations, in plain English.
- What we’re hearingFour things said in the boardroom.
- Market signalsOffshoring might not be as cheap as the spreadsheet says.
- The pay questionAre we paying for AI skills, or just expecting everyone to have them?
- What workedStop interviewing AI engineers like it’s 2022.
- AI in practiceAI makes experienced engineers more valuable. Not less.
- One opinionNow is a terrible time for great engineers to stop building.
Send a brief
Your role hereSend a briefLooking for work instead? See the 10 live roles or register with us.