AI Engineering Lead

Virgin Australia; City of Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted flights

Hybrid work model

Brisbane/Sydney offices

Travel discounts

Wellbeing support

Dress for Your Day

Job summary

Virgin Australia in Brisbane or Sydney is seeking a leadership-level AI Engineering Manager to join the AI CoE, leading a team of five Senior AI Engineers and AI Engineers in a production-grade full-stack role.

The role blends hands-on AI software engineering with people leadership, delivering high-impact initiatives from concept to production while fostering growth and collaboration across data science and governance teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Data Science or equivalent experience.
• Experience designing, building and operating production-grade AI systems (Typescript & Python).
• Experience with MCP UI, Strands, FastMCP (or equivalents).
• Production-grade experience with AI observability (metrics, logs, traces) and security/privacy fundamentals (IAM, secrets, network isolation, PII handling).
• Thrive in Agile environments owning roadmaps, estimation and stakeholder communication across technical and executive audiences.
• Experience leading and mentoring others.

Responsibilities

• Lead the AI Engineering team across Brisbane and Sydney offices.
• Design and scale AI solutions to transform the business.
• Coaching, developing and enabling the engineering team to deliver at its best.
• Collaborate with AI Data Science, AI Transformation and AI Governance teams.
• Hands-on full-stack engineering with production-grade delivery.

Skills

Leadership

AI Engineering

Agile delivery

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Software Eng/Data Science

Tools

React

Strands

FastMCP

Docker

AWS

AgentCore

Job description

Permanent, hybrid position based out of our Brisbane or Sydney office, as part of our AI CoE

We’re the airline that dares to be different, bold, down-to-earth and built around giving our guests real choice. Safety is our backbone, service is our heartbeat, and our people are our superpower.

At Virgin Australia, we’re on a mission to be Australia’s most loved airline, for our people, our guests and our owners and we’re looking for passionate talent to help take us even higher.

We’re vibrant, authentic and unapologetically human. Here, you can bring your whole self, your Virgin Flair and your ambition to a team that champions individuality, innovation and a whole lot of heart. If you’re excited by meaningful work, real opportunities to grow, and a culture where you can genuinely make a difference, you’ll feel right at home with us.

What you’ll be doing

This is a highly visible leadership position, within our AI CoE. Leading the AI Engineering team, you’ll be at the forefront of designing and scaling AI solutions that transform our business. This is a full stack engineering role focussed on production-grade engineering (React, Strands, FastMCP, Docker, AWS AgentCore). Reporting to the Head of AI, you will lead a growing team of five Senior AI Engineers and AI Engineers, supported by contractors as required. The team is split between our Brisbane and Sydney head offices. You will work closely with our AI Data Science team, AI Transformation team, and AI Governance team.

This role combines hands‑on AI software engineering with people leadership. You will help take high‑impact initiatives from concept through to production, while coaching, developing and enabling the engineering team to deliver at its best.

You’ll be great in this role if you…

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Data Science or have equivalent applied experience
• Bring extensive experience designing, building and operating production‑grade AI systems (Typescript & Python).
• Have experience with MCP UI, Strands, FastMCP (or equivalents).
• Production‑grade experience with AI observability (metrics, logs, traces) and security/privacy fundamentals (IAM, secrets, network isolation, PII handling).
• Thrive in Agile delivery environments owning roadmaps, estimation and stakeholder communication across technical and executive audiences
• Experience leading and mentoring others
• Strong communication skills and stakeholder management experience

What you’ll get from us

We’re committed to looking after you, with some of the best benefits and conditions in the industry – including (but not limited to):

• Discounted flights for you and your loved ones (including $1000 worth of travel credits per year) after your first three months.
• A flexible, hybrid work style. Work from home or the office, adapt your location to suit your style and needs.
• One of Brisbane’s most admired head office locations, with South Bank train station, a supermarket, pharmacy, and lunch options downstairs plus a 5-minute walk to the Busway, a rooftop restaurant and onsite gym (with a low membership fee) and South Bank Parklands just across the road. This role can also be based out of our beautiful Sydney CBD office.
• Discounts on travel insurance, lounge membership, car hire, accommodation, and experiences worldwide .
• Cheaper hospitality, retail, technology, beauty and wellness services.
• Free counselling and access to a wellbeing app to support your physical, mental, social and financial health.
• ‘Dress for Your Day’ – enjoy the freedom to wear whatever makes you feel great for the type of work you do and the day you have ahead of you.

When everyone is included, everyone wins

We’re all individuals. And we love that. That’s why we encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, those from diverse cultural backgrounds, our friends in the LGBTQI+ community, and anyone else who wants to join our family.