Manager, Platform Development, Operations and AI

NSW Department of Customer Service; Sydney; On-site; AUD 154,000 - 178,000; Full time

Job summary

NSW Department of Customer Service in Sydney is seeking a high‑impact Manager, Platform Development, Operations and AI within the Data Analytics Centre. You will lead engineers across cloud, data and AI platforms, shaping technical direction, architecture and secure, scalable solutions that serve multiple agencies.

You will drive engineering practices, manage risk, and partner with stakeholders to translate complex needs into prioritised roadmaps.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading platform, cloud, software or data engineering teams in a complex delivery environment.
• Strong hands-on technical foundation in Microsoft Azure and modern engineering practices, including APIs, DevOps, CI/CD and infrastructure as code.
• Experience delivering secure, scalable digital platforms or data and AI solutions, with a sound understanding of reliability, observability and operational support.
• Ability to provide pragmatic architecture and engineering leadership while balancing delivery speed, technical debt, security, cost and long-term sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing platform engineering team, setting clear priorities, standards and accountabilities.
• Own the technical delivery of platform and customer solutions from design through build, release and transition to operations.
• Define and uplift engineering practices across solution architecture, secure coding, APIs, automated testing, source control, CI/CD and infrastructure as code.
• Guide the design and implementation of Azure-based cloud, data, application and AI services using reusable, supportable patterns.
• Ensure platforms remain secure, reliable and cost-effective through capacity planning, observability, performance management, vulnerability remediation and incident response.
• Embed appropriate security, privacy, data protection and AI assurance controls into engineering delivery.
• Manage technical risk, dependencies and trade-offs, escalating issues early and providing clear, practical recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Partner with customers and internal teams to translate complex requirements into prioritised roadmaps and achievable delivery plans.
• Assess and onboard new technologies where they provide clear value and align with enterprise standards.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, capability development and knowledge sharing across the broader DAC engineering community.
• Customise and refine LLM models and various ML models to solve business problems.

Skills

Azure

CI/CD

APIs

DevOps

Security

Leadership

Governance & risk

AI/ML basics

Tools

Terraform

Bicep

GitHub

Azure DevOps

Kubernetes

Python

TypeScript/Node.js

NEST.JS

REACT

Job description

Manager, Platform Development, Operations and AI

NSW Department of Customer Service – Sydney CBD NSW

Manager, Platform Development, Operations and AI
Data Analytics Centre (DAC)

Annual Salary Range: $154,231 - $178,369 + superannuation

Employment Type: Ongoing, Full-time

Location: Sydney

• Lead a multidisciplinary team delivering secure, scalable cloud, data and AI platforms.
• Shape engineering standards across Azure, APIs, DevOps, infrastructure as code and modern application delivery.
• Turn complex customer needs into reliable platforms and reusable whole-of-government capabilities.

About the Data Analytics Centre

The Data Analytics Centre helps NSW Government agencies use data, analytics and artificial intelligence to address complex policy and service-delivery challenges. We bring together trusted platforms, specialist expertise and practical innovation to help agencies deliver better outcomes for the people of NSW.

The opportunity

The Manager, Platform & AI Engineering is a senior technical and people leadership role responsible for the engineering capability that underpins DAC platforms and customer solutions. You will lead engineers, set technical direction and remain close enough to delivery to guide architecture, resolve complex issues and ensure solutions are secure, reliable, scalable and supportable.

You will work across cloud platforms, data services, software engineering and AI-enabled solutions, partnering with delivery teams, architects, security specialists, customers and vendors. The role balances strategic platform evolution with disciplined execution, operational resilience and measurable customer outcomes.

What you will do

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing platform engineering team, setting clear priorities, standards and accountabilities.
• Own the technical delivery of platform and customer solutions from design through build, release and transition to operations.
• Define and uplift engineering practices across solution architecture, secure coding, APIs, automated testing, source control, CI/CD and infrastructure as code.
• Guide the design and implementation of Azure-based cloud, data, application and AI services using reusable, supportable patterns.
• Ensure platforms remain secure, reliable and cost-effective through capacity planning, observability, performance management, vulnerability remediation and incident response.
• Embed appropriate security, privacy, data protection and AI assurance controls into engineering delivery.
• Manage technical risk, dependencies and trade-offs, escalating issues early and providing clear, practical recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Partner with customers and internal teams to translate complex requirements into prioritised roadmaps and achievable delivery plans.
• Assess and onboard new technologies where they provide clear value and align with enterprise standards.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, capability development and knowledge sharing across the broader DAC engineering community.
• Customise and refine LLM models and various ML models to solve business problems.

What we are looking for

• Demonstrated experience leading platform, cloud, software or data engineering teams in a complex delivery environment.
• Strong hands‑on technical foundation in Microsoft Azure and modern engineering practices, including APIs, DevOps, CI/CD and infrastructure as code.
• Experience delivering secure, scalable digital platforms or data and AI solutions, with a sound understanding of reliability, observability and operational support.
• Ability to provide pragmatic architecture and engineering leadership while balancing delivery speed, technical debt, security, cost and long‑term sustainability.
• Proven people leadership, including coaching engineers, building capability, managing performance and creating an inclusive, accountable team culture.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to explain complex technical matters clearly to executives, customers and non‑technical audiences.
• Experience working within governance, risk, security and compliance frameworks. Government or other highly regulated delivery experience will be well regarded.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, reuse and automation, with the judgement to evaluate emerging technologies and apply them responsibly.

Capabilities that will be highly regarded

• Azure application and integration services, API management, networking and identity.
• Terraform, Bicep or comparable infrastructure-as-code tooling.
• GitHub or Azure DevOps, automated quality gates and secure software supply-chain practices.
• Python, TypeScript/Node.js, NEST.JS, REACT, and the Azure Agentic Framework or comparable modern development stacks.
• Data platforms, analytics engineering, containerisation and orchestration.
• Azure AI Foundry, responsible AI controls, agentic solutions or enterprise AI delivery.
• ISO 27001‑aligned controls, privacy by design, data loss prevention and cloud security.

This is an opportunity to lead at the intersection of data, platforms and AI, where your decisions will directly shape how government teams build, govern and operate digital capabilities. You will work with a talented multidisciplinary team, solve meaningful problems and help establish engineering patterns that can be reused across NSW Government.

Salary Grade 11/12, with the base salary for this role starting at $154,231 base plus superannuation

Closing Date: Monday 9 November 2026 at 11:59pm

Careers at Department of Customer Service

A career at the Department of Customer Service (DCS) gives you the opportunity to help improve government services and be part of reform that benefits people across NSW. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service, digital transformation, and regulatory reform. Come join us and influence the future of our great state.

Belong in our diverse and inclusive workplace

The strength of our workforce lies in its diversity and embracing difference, while the key to our success is leveraging the contributions of employees with different backgrounds and perspectives.

You can view our full diversity and inclusion statement here.

We provide adjustments to the recruitment process for candidates, including individuals with disability. If you require an adjustment during the recruitment process, including alternate formats or have questions about the support available, please contact Talent Operations on 02 8276 8*** or *************@customerservice.nsw.gov.au.

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Information on some of the different types of disabilities

Information on adjustments available for the recruitment process