Head of AI Science

National Australia Bank Ltd.; Sydney, Melbourne; Remote; AUD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

National Australia Bank Ltd. invites a hands-on leader to join NAB AI as Head of AI Science, guiding a high-performing data science team in Sydney or Melbourne. You will design and deliver production-grade AI capabilities, focusing on safe, scalable, and reliable systems.

The role blends deep technical expertise with strategic leadership, partnering with engineers, product leaders, and domain experts to translate cutting-edge AI into tangible business outcomes for customers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing and deploying AI systems in production environments.
• Deep expertise in LLMs, agentic systems, and retrieval-augmented generation.
• Strong background in machine learning, with depth in optimization or reinforcement learning.
• Solid foundations in statistics, probability, and experimental design.
• Experience leading or mentoring data science teams.
• Excellent communication to translate complex concepts into business impact.
• Relevant degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics or related field.

Responsibilities

• Architect 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 & agents

Prompt engineering

Production AI systems

Data science leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree in CS/Math

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.