Delivery Lead

DFP Recruitment; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in Australia seeks an EL1 Delivery Lead for the Data Science Hub (DaSH) to coordinate delivery of data science, AI and analytics initiatives. You will work with Lead Data Scientists, engineers, business analysts and stakeholders to ensure delivery plans reflect business needs and technical realities.

The role partners with senior leaders to manage scoping, prioritisation, reporting and governance artefacts, ensuring initiatives are well framed and

Qualifications

• Experience facilitating the delivery of complex data, analytics, AI, or technology initiatives in large organisations or government contexts.
• Ability to collaborate with technical leads, data scientists, engineers, analysts and stakeholders to deliver multidisciplinary initiatives.
• Strong understanding of agile, hybrid and fit-for-purpose delivery methods, including sprint ceremonies and backlog refinement.
• Proven stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including executive reporting and governance documentation.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, risks, dependencies and stakeholder expectations across multiple initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Delivery facilitation across DaSH squads and multiple initiatives.
• Coordinate delivery activities across multidisciplinary squads with clear priorities and plans.
• Work with EL1 Lead Data Scientists and AI/Engineering leads to ensure technically sound, business-aligned AI and data science solutions.
• Support transition from discovery through to proof of concept, pilot, implementation planning and handover.
• Maintain visibility of progress, risks and decisions using appropriate delivery tools.

Skills

Delivery facilitation

Stakeholder engagement

Agile delivery

Cross-functional collaboration

Governance & reporting

Job description

The EL1 Delivery Lead, Data Science Hub (DaSH) is accountable under broad direction for facilitating and coordinating the delivery of data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics initiatives across the Data Science Hub.

The role works in close partnership with EL1 Lead Data Scientists, the Data Science & AI Engineering Lead, Business Analysts, Data Scientists, AI Engineers and business stakeholders to support the successful delivery of complex initiatives. The Delivery Lead does not replace or override the technical leadership of Lead Data Scientists. Rather, the role enables delivery by helping teams define the work, organise the delivery approach, manage dependencies, facilitate ceremonies, coordinate governance and keep stakeholders aligned.

The EL1 Delivery Lead supports the Portfolio Director, Data Science to manage the DaSH delivery portfolio, including scoping, prioritisation, proof of concept planning, delivery reporting, governance artefacts, business papers and senior executive submissions. The role helps ensure that DaSH initiatives are clearly framed, appropriately governed, and supported by the right delivery practices to move from business problem to practical solution.

The role requires strong collaboration across multiple squads and business areas. It is expected to work closely with peer EL1 Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering delivery leads to ensure delivery plans reflect both the business problem being solved and the technical realities of AI and data science delivery.

The Delivery Lead facilitates and coordinates delivery in partnership with Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering leads; technical leadership for analytical methods, model design and solution quality remains with the relevant Lead Data Scientists and technical leads.

The EL1 Delivery Lead

The EL1 Delivery Lead

The EL1 Delivery Lead, Data Science Hub (DaSH) is accountable under broad direction for facilitating and coordinating the delivery of data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics initiatives across the Data Science Hub.

The role works in close partnership with EL1 Lead Data Scientists, the Data Science & AI Engineering Lead, Business Analysts, Data Scientists, AI Engineers and business stakeholders to support the successful delivery of complex initiatives. The Delivery Lead does not replace or override the technical leadership of Lead Data Scientists. Rather, the role enables delivery by helping teams define the work, organise the delivery approach, manage dependencies, facilitate ceremonies, coordinate governance and keep stakeholders aligned.

The EL1 Delivery Lead supports the Portfolio Director, Data Science to manage the DaSH delivery portfolio, including scoping, prioritisation, proof of concept planning, delivery reporting, governance artefacts, business papers and senior executive submissions. The role helps ensure that DaSH initiatives are clearly framed, appropriately governed, and supported by the right delivery practices to move from business problem to practical solution.

The role requires strong collaboration across multiple squads and business areas. It is expected to work closely with peer EL1 Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering delivery leads to ensure delivery plans reflect both the business problem being solved and the technical realities of AI and data science delivery.

The Delivery Lead facilitates and coordinates delivery in partnership with Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering leads; technical leadership for analytical methods, model design and solution quality remains with the relevant Lead Data Scientists and technical leads.

Rate:

The proposed rate should reflect candidate's skills and experience against the Evaluation Criteria. Candidates that do not demonstrate these criteria will not be assessed. Candidates should be aware that rates may be negotiated further as part of the selection process.

Citizenship:

As part of the eligibility and suitability requirement, NDIA seeks Labour Hire Workers who are Australian citizens only. Successful candidates will be required to furnish valid evidence of citizenship during the Pre-engagement Check.

Labour Hire Licence:

Applicable for ACT, VIC and QLD: Labour hire licences are required in the state that specified personnel are being contracted.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Delivery facilitation across DaSH squads
• Facilitate the delivery of multiple data science, AI, machine learning and advanced analytics initiatives across DaSH, supporting several teams or squads at any one time.
• Coordinate delivery activities across multidisciplinary squads, ensuring teams have clear priorities, delivery plans, dependencies, risks and decision points.
• Work collaboratively with EL1 Lead Data Scientists and the Data Science & AI Engineering Lead to support delivery of technically sound and business-aligned AI and data science solutions.
• Support teams to move from discovery and scoping through to proof of concept, pilot, implementation planning and operational handover, where appropriate.
• Maintain visibility of delivery progress, risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and decisions using fit-for-purpose delivery tools and reporting mechanisms.
• Help build a productive delivery environment where team members understand their role, remain accountable for their contribution, and work together to deliver practical outcomes.
• Partnership with Lead Data Scientists and technical leads
• Work in conjunction with EL1 Lead Data Scientists to ensure delivery planning reflects technical feasibility, analytical complexity, data availability, model development cycles and evaluation requirements.
• Recognise and support the central role of Lead Data Scientists in leading the analytical approach, model design, technical quality and scientific rigour of DaSH solutions.
• Coordinate delivery activities so that Lead Data Scientists and technical specialists can focus on solution design, modelling, experimentation, evaluation and technical leadership.
• Facilitate alignment between delivery priorities, business expectations and the technical direction set by Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering leads.
• Support cross-squad collaboration by helping identify common delivery issues, shared dependencies, resourcing constraints and opportunities for reuse.
• Business problem discovery and scoping
• Lead and guide Business Analysts, data scientists and stakeholders to identify the “why” and “what” of complex business problems that DaSH is asked to solve.
• Support Business Analysts to clarify business needs, user problems, desired outcomes, success measures, constraints and decision points.
• Work with Business Analysts, Lead Data Scientists and business stakeholders to determine whether a proposed problem is suitable for a data science, AI, machine learning or analytics-based response.
• Facilitate workshops and discovery sessions to help business areas articulate the problem, understand solution options, and identify the value proposition for DaSH involvement.
• Ensure problem statements, scope documents and proof of concept proposals are sufficiently clear to support technical assessment, prioritisation and executive decision-making.
• Agile and fit-for-purpose delivery practices
• Facilitate sprint ceremonies, planning sessions, showcases, retrospectives, backlog refinement and delivery check-ins as appropriate to the nature of each initiative.
• Tailor delivery practices to suit AI and data science work, recognising that research, experimentation, data access, model evaluation and stakeholder validation may not always follow standard ICT delivery patterns.
• Support Lead Data Scientists, Business Analysts and AI & Engineering leads to maintain prioritised backlogs that reflect business value, feasibility, technical dependencies and delivery constraints.
• Coordinate sprint and release planning where useful, while allowing flexibility for exploratory analysis, model iteration and proof of concept development.
• Promote continuous improvement in DaSH ways of working, including better delivery cadence, clearer prioritisation, improved documentation and more consistent stakeholder communication.
• Governance, assurance and executive support
• Assist the Portfolio Director, Data Science to prepare scoping documents, proof of concept proposals, delivery plans, business cases, governance artefacts and business papers for senior executive review and approval.
• Coordinate input from Lead Data Scientists, AI & Engineering leads, Business Analysts, governance teams and business stakeholders into executive-level documentation.
• Support alignment with Agency governance, privacy, cyber security, data access, responsible AI, risk and assurance requirements.
• Track governance checkpoints, stage gates, approvals, risks and issues across the DaSH portfolio.
• Prepare concise status updates, sprint summaries, risk summaries and delivery reports for the Portfolio Director and relevant governance forums.
• Stakeholder engagement and communication
• Build and maintain productive relationships with business stakeholders, technical teams, governance areas and senior executive offices.
• Act as a key delivery interface between DaSH squads and business areas, ensuring expectations are clear, decisions are documented and issues are escalated appropriately.
• Communicate delivery progress, risks, blockers and decisions in a clear and practical way for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support business areas to understand the iterative nature of AI and data science delivery, including the need for experimentation, evaluation and staged decision-making.
• Facilitate shared ownership of outcomes between business stakeholders, Lead Data Scientists, AI & Engineering leads and delivery teams.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Delivery facilitation across DaSH squads
• Facilitate the delivery of multiple data science, AI, machine learning and advanced analytics initiatives across DaSH, supporting several teams or squads at any one time.
• Coordinate delivery activities across multidisciplinary squads, ensuring teams have clear priorities, delivery plans, dependencies, risks and decision points.
• Work collaboratively with EL1 Lead Data Scientists and the Data Science & AI Engineering Lead to support delivery of technically sound and business-aligned AI and data science solutions.
• Support teams to move from discovery and scoping through to proof of concept, pilot, implementation planning and operational handover, where appropriate.
• Maintain visibility of delivery progress, risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and decisions using fit-for-purpose delivery tools and reporting mechanisms.
• Help build a productive delivery environment where team members understand their role, remain accountable for their contribution, and work together to deliver practical outcomes.
• Partnership with Lead Data Scientists and technical leads
• Work in conjunction with EL1 Lead Data Scientists to ensure delivery planning reflects technical feasibility, analytical complexity, data availability, model development cycles and evaluation requirements.
• Recognise and support the central role of Lead Data Scientists in leading the analytical approach, model design, technical quality and scientific rigour of DaSH solutions.
• Coordinate delivery activities so that Lead Data Scientists and technical specialists can focus on solution design, modelling, experimentation, evaluation and technical leadership.
• Facilitate alignment between delivery priorities, business expectations and the technical direction set by Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering leads.
• Support cross-squad collaboration by helping identify common delivery issues, shared dependencies, resourcing constraints and opportunities for reuse.
• Business problem discovery and scoping
• Lead and guide Business Analysts, data scientists and stakeholders to identify the “why” and “what” of complex business problems that DaSH is asked to solve.
• Support Business Analysts to clarify business needs, user problems, desired outcomes, success measures, constraints and decision points.
• Work with Business Analysts, Lead Data Scientists and business stakeholders to determine whether a proposed problem is suitable for a data science, AI, machine learning or analytics-based response.
• Facilitate workshops and discovery sessions to help business areas articulate the problem, understand solution options, and identify the value proposition for DaSH involvement.
• Ensure problem statements, scope documents and proof of concept proposals are sufficiently clear to support technical assessment, prioritisation and executive decision-making.
• Agile and fit-for-purpose delivery practices
• Facilitate sprint ceremonies, planning sessions, showcases, retrospectives, backlog refinement and delivery check-ins as appropriate to the nature of each initiative.
• Tailor delivery practices to suit AI and data science work, recognising that research, experimentation, data access, model evaluation and stakeholder validation may not always follow standard ICT delivery patterns.
• Support Lead Data Scientists, Business Analysts and AI & Engineering leads to maintain prioritised backlogs that reflect business value, feasibility, technical dependencies and delivery constraints.
• Coordinate sprint and release planning where useful, while allowing flexibility for exploratory analysis, model iteration and proof of concept development.
• Promote continuous improvement in DaSH ways of working, including better delivery cadence, clearer prioritisation, improved documentation and more consistent stakeholder communication.
• Governance, assurance and executive support
• Assist the Portfolio Director, Data Science to prepare scoping documents, proof of concept proposals, delivery plans, business cases, governance artefacts and business papers for senior executive review and approval.
• Coordinate input from Lead Data Scientists, AI & Engineering leads, Business Analysts, governance teams and business stakeholders into executive-level documentation.
• Support alignment with Agency governance, privacy, cyber security, data access, responsible AI, risk and assurance requirements.
• Track governance checkpoints, stage gates, approvals, risks and issues across the DaSH portfolio.
• Prepare concise status updates, sprint summaries, risk summaries and delivery reports for the Portfolio Director and relevant governance forums.
• Stakeholder engagement and communication
• Build and maintain productive relationships with business stakeholders, technical teams, governance areas and senior executive offices.
• Act as a key delivery interface between DaSH squads and business areas, ensuring expectations are clear, decisions are documented and issues are escalated appropriately.
• Communicate delivery progress, risks, blockers and decisions in a clear and practical way for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support business areas to understand the iterative nature of AI and data science delivery, including the need for experimentation, evaluation and staged decision-making.
• Facilitate shared ownership of outcomes between business stakeholders, Lead Data Scientists, AI & Engineering leads and delivery teams.

NOTE: the key responsibilities of the role are based on current priorities and may change over time

About the organisation

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent statutory agency that is responsible for implementing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which will support a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers. The NDIA values a positive contemporary attitude to disability. As a Federal Agency, we work within a legislative and regulatory environment. We adhere to the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct as set out in section 13 of the Public Service Act 1999. Our work is driven by the Corporate Plan which provides strategic direction to achieve our purpose of making a difference so that people with disability can choose and achieve their goals.

The NDIA Values are:

- We value people – We put participants at the heart of everything we do.

- We grow together – We work together to deliver quality outcomes.

- We aim higher – We are resilient and always have the courage to do better.

- We take care – We own what we do and we do the right thing.

Our values reflect our passion and commitment to building a positive, participant-centred culture.

Criteria

The buyer has specified that each candidate must provide a one page pitch to address all criteria specified. This is equal to 5000 characters.

Essential criteria

1.Demonstrated experience facilitating the delivery of complex data, analytics, AI, machine learning, digital or technology initiatives in a large organisation or government context.

2.Demonstrated ability to work effectively with technical leads, data scientists, AI engineers, business analysts and business stakeholders to deliver complex multidisciplinary initiatives.

3.Strong understanding of agile, hybrid and fit-for-purpose delivery methods, including the ability to facilitate sprint ceremonies, planning sessions, showcases, retrospectives and backlog refinement.

4.Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including the ability to support senior executive reporting, governance papers, delivery updates and business case documentation.

5.Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, delivery risks, issues, dependencies and stakeholder expectations across multiple concurrent initiatives.

6.Ability to work collaboratively with peer EL1 Lead Data Scientists and AI & Engineering leads, recognising their technical leadership role in the delivery of data science and AI solutions.

Desirable criteria

1.Experience delivering data science, machine learning, AI, advanced analytics or automation initiatives.

2.Familiarity with model development lifecycles, MLOps, responsible AI, AI assurance, data governance or cloud-based AI delivery.

3.Experience supporting proof of concept, pilot or prototype delivery, including transition planning from experimental work to operational implementation.

4.Experience preparing executive-level reporting, business papers, governance artefacts, delivery roadmaps or senior decision-making material.