Head of AI Science

NAB; Canberra; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

NAB is seeking a Head of AI Science to lead the development of next-generation AI capabilities from NAB’s AI team in Australia. This hands-on leadership role focuses on building production-grade, safe and reliable AI systems, guiding a high-performing data science team to deliver customer and business value across NAB’s AI portfolio.

The role requires deep expertise in LLMs, agentic systems, and retrieval-augmented generation, with a strong ML background and proven production deployment

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in LLMs, agentic systems, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented generation.
• Proven experience designing and deploying AI systems in production environments.
• Strong hands-on background in ML with depth in optimisation or reinforcement learning.
• Solid foundations in statistics, probability and experimental design.
• Experience leading or mentoring high-performing data science teams.
• Ability to operate across AI research and engineering implementation.
• Strong communication skills to translate complex concepts into business impact.
• Relevant degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design agent-based AI systems powering NAB’s core AI products.
• Define prompting strategies, orchestration patterns, and context management approaches.
• Lead technical design decisions ensuring AI systems are safe, accurate, and reliable.
• Translate AI architecture into production systems in partnership with engineering teams.
• Drive delivery of advanced AI solutions through a high-performing data science team.
• Collaborate across product, engineering, and business to deliver measurable outcomes.
• Champion innovation through experimentation and continuous improvement.

Skills

LLMs

Agentic systems

Prompt engineering

Retrieval-augmented generation

Machine learning

Optimization

Reinforcement learning

Statistics

Experiment design

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or equivalent in Computer Science/Mathematics/Statistics

Job description

• A leading role working at the frontier of applied AI globally, within NAB’s growing AI team
• Shape the architecture, evaluation methods, and technical direction of advanced AI systems across the enterprise
• Partner with AI engineers, product leaders, and domain experts to solve complex problems across the AI portfolio
• Melbourne or Sydney Based

This is a hands-on leadership role for practitioners who operate at the cutting edge of LLMs and agentic systems—designing and delivering production-grade AI solutions that are safe, reliable, and scalable. You will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership, guiding a high-performing data science team to deliver meaningful outcomes for customers and the business.

Our people are customer obsessed. They prioritise the needs and satisfaction of the customer above all else. Our mindset fosters innovation and creates strong, lasting customer relationships as we strive to be the most customer centric company in Australia and New Zealand.

In the role of Head of AI Science, you will join NAB AI and lead the development of next-generation AI capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and design agent-based AI systems powering NAB’s core AI products
• Define prompting strategies, orchestration patterns, and context management approaches
• Lead technical design decisions ensuring AI systems are safe, accurate, and reliable
• Translate AI architecture into production systems in partnership with engineering teams
• Drive delivery of advanced AI solutions through a high-performing data science team
• Collaborate across product, engineering, and business to deliver measurable outcomes
• Champion innovation through experimentation and continuous improvement

What You Bring

• Deep expertise in LLMs, agentic systems, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented generation
• Proven experience designing and deploying AI systems in production environments
• Strong hands-on background in machine learning, with depth in areas such as optimisation or reinforcement learning
• Solid foundations in statistics, probability, and experimental design
• Experience leading or mentoring high-performing data science teams
• Ability to operate across AI research and engineering implementation
• Strong communication skills to translate complex concepts into business impact
• Relevant degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or related field

Why This Role Matters

• Shape how advanced AI systems are designed, trusted, and scaled across NAB
• Deliver real-world AI solutions that impact customers and core business outcomes
• Define the technical standards and architecture for next-generation AI capabilities

A diverse and inclusive workplace works better for everyone

We know that our people make us who we are. That's why we have built a culture of equity and respect – where everyone feels valued and appreciated for being their authentic selves. In partnership with our multiple Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) we continue to foster an inclusive environment, where all NAB colleagues’ unique backgrounds and identities are understood, respected and celebrated.