Chief Data & IT Engineering Leader

Northern Territory Airports; Cairns Regional; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing program

Salary packaging

Additional leave entitlements

Job summary

Airport Development Group in Australia is seeking an experienced Head of Data & IT Engineering to lead the design, development and delivery of our data, AI, digital and application ecosystem. This high‑impact leadership role combines strategic direction with hands‑on execution to deliver scalable, secure technology solutions.

You will drive Agile, DevOps and CI/CD practices, mentor senior teams, manage vendors, and partner with Cyber Security to ensure compliant architectures.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience across application development, data, AI or digital, with 3+ years in leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success delivering AI-enabled solutions.
• Proven experience leading Agile delivery teams and DevOps transformations.
• Strong knowledge of modern architecture (microservices, event‑driven design).
• Experience with data platforms, APIs, and AI/ML integration.
• Deep understanding of data governance, security, and compliance frameworks.
• Expertise in modern data and engineering tools.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as the technical authority across AI, data, integrations, and application development.
• Co‑lead the development and execution of IT strategy, including AI, IoT, and data platforms.
• Oversee in‑house developed systems (L2+) and the ITIL release management function.
• Champion Agile, DevOps, and CI/CD practices to enable rapid and reliable delivery.
• Manage vendors and outsourced partners, ensuring quality and alignment with standards.
• Collaborate with Cyber Security teams to ensure secure and compliant solutions.
• Lead testing functions, including SIT, UAT, and test design/execution.
• Establish and drive a data governance framework, ensuring high data quality and stewardship.

Skills

Leadership

AI/ML

Data governance

Agile

DevOps

CI/CD

Stakeholder mgmt

Tools

Azure

CI/CD tools

Security tooling

Job description

Airport Development Group in Australia is seeking an experienced Head of Data & IT Engineering to lead the design, development and delivery of our data, AI, digital and application ecosystem. This high‑impact leadership role combines strategic direction with hands‑on execution to deliver scalable, secure technology solutions.

You will drive Agile, DevOps and CI/CD practices, mentor senior teams, manage vendors, and partner with Cyber Security to ensure compliant architectures.