Junior Database Engineer

Everything moves through MachShip, and all of it runs on data.
MachShip is the freight platform that helps shippers, 3PLs and carriers move millions of consignments across Australia and beyond. Behind every quote, booking, label and invoice is a database doing some very heavy lifting. We're looking for a junior database engineer who wants to learn how to keep that data layer fast, reliable and ready to scale, working alongside people who've done it before.
If you get a small thrill from watching a slow query drop from 12 seconds to 40 milliseconds, keep reading.

What you'll be doing
You'll join our data team and learn directly from our Lead Database Reliability Engineer. You won't be thrown in the deep end on day one, but you will be doing real work on a real production platform from early on.

• Performance and reliability. Help tune queries across SQL Server and PostgreSQL, learning to find the root cause of a slow query instead of just patching the symptom. You'll also help look after maintenance plans and monitoring, including automated and AI-assisted tools that catch problems before our customers notice them.

• Scaling. Contribute to our tenancy sharding project as we split large databases into smaller, more manageable ones. This is a rare chance to see a major scaling migration up close, from design through to the rollback plan.

• Data pipelines and warehouse. Help keep our data pipelines running smoothly and grow our data warehouse by adding new fields and data sets for the business. You'll also help check the numbers are correct, because someone downstream is making decisions with them.

• Working with developers. Take part in reviewing pull requests that touch the database, learning what good data-layer code looks like and helping get good changes into production quickly.

What we're looking for
We care more about how you think than how many years you've been doing it. You'll probably have:

• Solid SQL skills, and a good grasp of the basics: indexing, joins and reading an execution plan (or a strong desire to get very good at it).

• Some hands-on experience with a relational database like SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL, through a first role, internship, uni project or serious side project.

• Some coding in C#, Python, JavaScript or Go.

• Exposure to AWS, Parquet, DuckDB, ClickHouse or any datalake platform.

• The ability to read and reason about application code. You're an engineer first, not just a query writer, and this one matters to us.

• Curiosity about how databases perform and scale, and why.

• Comfortable using AI coding and analysis tools to work faster and catch more.

• A willingness to ask questions, take feedback and sweat the small stuff.

Bonus points (but don't let these stop you applying)

• Experience with data pipelines, data warehouses or analytics.

• Any background in logistics, ERP or invoicing systems, where the database is the heart of the product.

Why MachShip

• Hands-on mentoring from an experienced database reliability engineer, and a clear path to growing into a database engineer role.

• Real impact: your work keeps a platform that a big chunk of Australian freight relies on running smoothly.

• A team that challenges with curiosity, works as one team and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Sound like you?
Hit apply and send us your CV. A short note about a database problem you've enjoyed untangling (at work, uni or just for fun) will get our attention.
MachShip is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and if you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, just let us