Volunteer Full-Stack & PWA Developer

Rethink Australia Foundation Ltd is a youth-led environmental organisation empowering students and schools to drive sustainability through education, technology and community action.

As Rethink Australia develops Refugo and other technology-enabled sustainability initiatives, we are seeking a Full-Stack & Progressive Web App Developer to help design and build accessible, reliable digital products for students, schools and program stakeholders.

The volunteer will contribute across front-end development, back-end services, data integration and Progressive Web App functionality. This is a hands-on development role working with product, hardware, design and program volunteers to turn defined requirements into secure, testable software.

Key responsibilities

• Translate approved product requirements and user journeys into practical technical solutions

• Develop responsive, accessible and intuitive web interfaces for desktop and mobile devices

• Build Progressive Web App features such as installation, offline support, caching and reliable performance in low-connectivity environments

• Develop and integrate back-end services, databases and APIs where required

• Connect the application with approved sensors, IoT devices or data sources in collaboration with the Embedded Hardware & IoT Developer

• Implement appropriate authentication, permissions and user account functionality where required

• Write maintainable, documented and testable code using an agreed technology stack

• Support architecture decisions, code reviews, testing, debugging and performance improvement

• Apply privacy, security and data-minimisation principles throughout development

• Collaborate with designers to implement clear and consistent user experiences

• Use source control, issue tracking and documented development workflows

• Prepare deployment, configuration, maintenance and handover documentation

• Identify technical risks, dependencies and limitations early

• Support controlled prototype testing and iterative improvement

• Follow approved processes for production access, third-party services, expenditure and external deployment

About you

We are seeking a capable volunteer with professional, academic or practical experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Full-stack web development

• Progressive Web App development

• Front-end frameworks and responsive interfaces

• Back-end development, databases and API design

• Cloud deployment or application operations

• IoT dashboards or data visualisation interfaces

Experience with technologies such as JavaScript or TypeScript, React, Vue, Angular, Node.js, Python, REST or GraphQL APIs, SQL or NoSQL databases, Git and modern deployment platforms will be highly regarded. Experience with service workers, web app manifests, offline-first design, accessibility, authentication, security or sensor data integration is particularly relevant.

You may be an experienced developer, emerging practitioner, recent graduate or university student with a strong project portfolio. You should be able to solve practical technical problems, communicate clearly, collaborate remotely and produce organised documentation.

Applicants should provide a GitHub profile, portfolio or examples of relevant applications where available. Formal qualifications are welcome but not essential where strong practical capability can be demonstrated.

This role does not provide unrestricted access to live systems or personal information. Production access, data collection, external integrations and deployment decisions will remain subject to review and approval.

Why volunteer with Rethink Australia?

This is an opportunity to help develop Refugo and build digital tools that support environmental education, student participation and measurable sustainability action.

Your work will contribute directly to a real-world product and may involve collaboration across software, hardware, product design and school programs. The role offers meaningful technical ownership within an agreed scope, portfolio-quality development experience and the opportunity to establish software foundations with lasting organisational value.

The role is fully remote and flexible around professional or study commitments. An initial project period of up to six months is anticipated, requiring approximately three to five hours per week.

How to apply

Please apply through SEEK Volunteer and include a CV, LinkedIn profile, GitHub profile, portfolio or examples of relevant work. Briefly describe your experience developing full-stack web applications or PWAs, the technology stacks you have used, and your contribution to one relevant project.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an introductory online conversation with representatives from Rethink Australia.