Head of Digital Engineering

Barwon Water; Geelong; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Barwon Water is seeking a senior digital engineering leader to shape the enterprise-wide capability across software, data, analytics, automation and AI, delivering secure, reliable digital services with visible impact on customers and region.

Reporting to the GM Digital and joining the Senior Leadership Team, you will set the technical direction for Barwon Water’s transition to a human-agentic operating model, lead engineering, DevSecOps and automated quality, and manage governance and vendor

Job description

Shape the future of digital engineering at Barwon Water. This is a rare opportunity to lead enterprise-wide capability across software, data, analytics, automation and AI, delivering secure, reliable digital services with a visible impact on our customers, organisation and region.

About the role

Reporting to the General Manager Digital and joining the Senior Leadership Team, you’ll set the technical direction for Barwon Water’s transition to a human-agentic operating model. You’ll lead digital engineering across software, integration, data and analytics, automation and AI, establishing the architecture, standards and controls that enable people and AI agents to work safely and effectively.

Partnering across the business to turn complex opportunities into secure, reliable and accessible digital services, while retaining accountability for architecture, engineering quality and technical judgement across internal teams, business led developers and delivery partners.

Responsible for setting engineering, DevSecOps and automated quality standards, you’ll own applications, data and analytics architecture; guide build, buy and configure decisions. You’ll establish assurance and lifecycle controls for AI agents and business-built automation, while overseeing technical debt, vendor performance and cloud and AI consumption costs.

With a strong focus on capability, collaboration and continuous improvement, you’ll shape Barwon Water’s engineering future and build an enduring digital capability that supports operational performance and regional prosperity.

With your ability to build trusted relationships, you’re able to translate complex technical expertise into clear, accessible language and practical direction for non-technical stakeholders and decision makers.

An experienced leader, you build engaged, resilient teams and create technical career pathways that lift practical AI literacy. Comfortable leading through ambiguity, you balance employees, contractors and managed services, transfer capability from delivery partners and ensure AI strengthens, not replaces, engineering judgement.

You bring deep experience across the software development lifecycle, data management, analytics and integration, with accountability for architecture, DevSecOps, technical governance and secure software delivery. You understand how to design or govern AI agents, intelligent automation and low-code solutions in business processes.

With strong commercial and governance acumen, including vendor performance, FinOps, technology investment cases and build-versus-buy decisions, you exercise sound judgement when automation could affect customers, the environment, regulatory obligations or organisational trust, and provide clear, evidence-based advice to stakeholders.

A relevant tertiary qualification is required, and experience with Microsoft Azure, Fabric, Power Platform and Azure Integration Services will be highly regarded.

About us

Barwon Water is Victoria's largest regional urban water corporation, with more than 110 years’ experience in delivering world-class water, sewerage and recycled water services to our customers and community. More than just taps and toilets, we’re a pivotal player in the region’s ongoing social, economic and environmental prosperity.

We care about where we live and work, and we’re always looking for like-minded people to join our team.

We’re flexible and know the importance of work/life balance. If you’re a parent or caregiver, studying or have other needs, we can support you with flexible work hours and leave options.

We have set ourselves inspirational goals towards achieving regional prosperity and we are delivering on them.

Our work requires more than just engineering and scientific solutions. We’re learning from the tens of thousands of years of knowledge and insight from Traditional Custodians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply for this position.

Hirer responsiveness Salary match Number of applicants

Our area of responsibility stretches from Little River and the Bellarine Peninsula in the east, to Colac in the west, and from Meredith and Cressy in the north, to Apollo Bay on Victoria's south-west coast.

Our service area is approximately 8,100 square kilometres.

We have customer service offices in South Geelong, Colac, and Lorne.

Source: this is an extract from the company's own website

Our area of responsibility stretches from Little River and the Bellarine Peninsula in the east, to Colac in the west, and from Meredith and Cressy in the north, to Apollo Bay on Victoria's south-west coast.

Our service area is approximately 8,100 square kilometres.

We have customer service offices in South Geelong, Colac, and Lorne.

Source: this is an extract from the company's own website