SAM Technical Operations Lead
Desart, Alice Springs, Remote
Applications close May 22, 2026
Desart are seeking a Technical Operations Lead to serve as the technical quality guard and project lead for the SAM (Stories, Art and Money database) platform’s evolution and infrastructure.
SAM is an online artwork management and archival system that Desart developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait art centres nationwide.
〉 Role: Full Time – 12 month contract (Further terms subject to funding)
〉 Salary: $100,000 – $120,000 per annum + super
〉 Location: Remote or based in Desart Office in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.
ABOUT SAM
SAM is an online artwork management and archival system that Desart developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait art centres nationwide. This is the administrative tool that art centres use on a daily basis to manage their collection and perform important functions such as cataloguing works, documenting provenance, tracking sales and consignments, managing artist accounts and stocks and more. This platform reaches beyond Desart’s membership to support 120+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres nationally.
Desart is at a critical juncture. We have rebuilt SAM, from the ground up. We are now transitioning from a challenging Phase 1 rollout into Phase 2, where we must stabilise the technology stack, optimise user workflows, and deliver a roadmap that empowers remote art centres.
Key technologies used in the new SAM ecosystem include:
- Platform Technology Stack
- Backend: NestJS (TypeScript), Node.js
- Frontend: React
- Database: PostgreSQL (primary), experience with MySQL/Microsoft SQL advantageous
- APIs: RESTful API architecture via SAM API v3 using JSON payloads
- Reporting: Jaspersoft, Power BI, Excel advanced analytics
- Hosting: AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, CloudWatch, VPC)
- Security & Networking: Cloudflare, IAM, DNS management
- Integrations: WooCommerce and Shopify via SAM Web Plugins
- Tools: Git, Jira, Confluence, TestRail, Postman, Power Query
More information:
SAM API v3 → https://help.sam.org.au/hc/en-au/articles/55133292313625-Connecting-your-Online-Store-to-SAM
SAM Rebuild Announcement → https://desart.com.au/news/sam-rebuild-announcement/
ABOUT THE ROLE
This role is the “Engine Room” for SAM. You will act as the technical quality guard and project lead, ensuring that our development partners deliver code that is not just “functional,” but 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. This role is responsible for the strategic transition between development cycles, specifically conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Phase 1 software rebuild to identify optimisations and requirements for Phase 2 planning. Beyond the product roadmap, you will manage the platform’s technical ecosystem and support the SAM Team – including software integrations, domain security, and platform access – to ensure a robust and scalable environment.
The SAM Technical Operations Lead acts as the senior technical coordinator and solution owner for the SAM Platform. This role combines elements of:
- Solution Architect
- Technical Lead / Technical Operations Manager
- Business Analyst (BA)
- Customer Experience (CX) Analyst
- Scrum/Project Manager
- Product Owner support
You will manage the SAM platform’s technical ecosystem, support the SAM team, coordinate development work, and ensure the platform remains stable, secure, and scalable. A major responsibility is the Phase 1 → Phase 2 transition, including technical audits, roadmap definition, stakeholder analysis, and preparation for future development cycles.
DUTIES
Overview:
Technical Strategy & Vendor Oversight
- Technical Liaison: Act as the primary technical point of contact for external development partners.
- Architectural Accountability: While you may not be the primary coder, you must have the depth to interrogate architectural decisions, manage API integrations, and ensure high standards for code documentation and system security.
- Phase 1 Technical Audit: Lead/Oversee a post-implementation review to identify technical debt, bugs, and performance bottlenecks left behind during the initial rebuild.
Product Management & UX Optimisation
- Efficiency Engineering: Tackle the “Interaction Cost” challenge. You will lead the redesign of high-frequency tasks (like cataloguing) to reduce navigation friction and “clicks” for time-poor users.
- Phase 2 Roadmap: Transform the “wishlist” items into a prioritised, executable development plan that balances technical stability with user-demanded features.
- Requirement Translation: Convert complex business needs from art centre staff into clear, technical user stories and functional requirements for developers.
Project Delivery & Operations
- Sprint Leadership: Manage the development lifecycle, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, and UAT (User Acceptance Testing) cycles.
- Ecosystem Management: Oversee the stability and security of the AWS hosting environment, Cloudflare, and DNS configurations.
- Reporting & Data: Develop advanced analytics and operational dashboards using SQL, Jaspersoft, and Power BI to provide insights to stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Software Development management & Project Delivery
- Conduct a Phase 1 Post‑Implementation Review, analysing:
- defects, UX issues, technical debt, performance feedback
- stakeholder input and user experience
- Lead Phase 2 planning, including:
- requirements gathering, user stories, sprint planning
- backlog refinement and prioritisation
- Act as the primary technical liaison with internal and external developers.
- Support solution design and architectural decision making.
- Prepare functional requirements, use cases, and process flows.
2. Technical Infrastructure & Ecosystem Management
Platform Health & Operations
- Oversee hosting, environments, and infrastructure (AWS EC2, RDS, S3, VPC).
- Monitor platform performance and coordinate troubleshooting.
Access, Security & Domain Management
- Manage licensing, software access, and identity control.
- Administer Cloudflare, DNS, domain renewals, and SSL.
- Coordinate IAM policies and least‑privilege security practices.
Systems Optimisation
- Identify improvements to platform stability, performance, and user experience.
- Develop recommendations to reduce technical debt and improve workflows.
3. API & Integration Management
- Strong understanding of RESTful APIs and JSON payloads.
- Use tools like Postman to test, troubleshoot, and validate integrations.
- Support art centres integrating SAM with their online stores.
- Provide guidance on API documentation (OpenAPI/Swagger).
4. Reporting & Data
- Develop structured reporting using Jaspersoft and Power BI.
- Write and review SQL queries (SELECT, JOIN, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).
- Support data modelling, schema reviews, and reporting optimisation.
- Deliver dashboards, operational insights, and metrics to stakeholders.
5. Test Management & Quality Assurance
- Create test plans, test cases, and manage defect workflows.
- Support functional, regression, integration, and UAT cycles.
- Use Jira and TestRail for issue tracking and documentation.
- Coordinate release readiness activities.
6. Strategic Business Support
- Translate high-level business goals into technical deliverables.
- Support product direction, sprint planning, and prioritisation with the Platform Manager.
- Provide insight into system usability, feature gaps, and operational improvement opportunities.
7. Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
- Work effectively with diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centre staff.
- Communicate clearly across technical and non‑technical audiences.
- Support remote art centres with low‑bandwidth or limited infrastructure.
- Build strong and respectful working relationships.
8. Administration
- Maintain accurate records of software access and system changes.
- Prepare monthly reports on completed work and platform status.
- Document standard operating procedures (SOPs) and workflows.
9. Additional Duties
- Support process improvement and innovation.
- Assist with rolling out new systems or operational tools.
- Perform other safe, logical duties aligned with skills and classification.
SELECTION CRITERIA
ESSENTIAL
1. Experience in technical support, software operations, or technical project coordination.
2. Demonstrated experience diagnosing issues, supporting remote users, and managing escalations.
3. Understanding of REST APIs, JSON, Postman, Swagger/OpenAPI.
4. Hands‑on familiarity with NestJS, Node.js, React, and modern JavaScript/TypeScript.
5. SQL experience (PostgreSQL preferred).
6. Platform and hosting management (AWS, Cloudflare, DNS).
7. Reporting capability (Jaspersoft, Excel advanced, Power BI).
8. Proven experience coordinating with developers using ticket‑based workflows.
9. Ability to translate user requirements into clear technical outputs.
10. Strong communication tailored to diverse cultural contexts.
DESIRABLE
- Bachelor’s degree in IT or related discipline
- 2+ 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)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.
ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Pre-employment checks:
- Proof of identity
- Criminal History/Police Check
Other:
1. Willingness to undertake the following training (paid for by Desart) and commit to refresher courses as needed:
- 4WD training
- First Aid Certificate
2. Work is generally conducted within the organisation’s regular business hours, however some occasional our of hours work may be required depending on the circumstances.
TO APPLY
Please provide a cover letter (no more than one page) and your responses to each of the selection criteria (see page 5 of the job position document below) and a current CV with at least two referees and address: Confidential SAM Technical Operations Lead to Desart Corporate Services Manager Paul Sweeney c/- csm@desart.com.au.
For further information about this role, please contact SAM Manager, Bronwyn Taylor – sam@desart.com.au