Model & AI Risk Data Scientist | Associate Director

Macquarie Bank Limited; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing leave

Parental leave

Volunteer leave

Learning & development benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Equipment reimbursement

Job summary

Macquarie Bank Limited is seeking an Associate Director to lead independent validation of complex AI use cases across the firm’s operations. You will form independent risk opinions, coach junior staff, and oversee AI validation engagements from planning through execution, ensuring risk controls are effective and aligned with Macquarie’s risk appetite.

You will contribute to scalable validation methodologies, stay ahead of evolving AI technologies, and collaborate with senior stakeholders to

Qualifications

• Experience leading AI validation engagements and mentoring junior team members.
• Strong ability to assess AI/ML systems against governance and risk controls.
• Hands-on design and evaluation of AI solutions including RAG and multi-agent systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead independent validation of complex AI use cases across business units.
• Coordinate stakeholders and ensure timely delivery of validation outputs.
• Develop and improve AI validation methodologies and standards.

Skills

Team leadership

AI risk validation

Python programming

GitHub CI/CD

SQL

R language

TypeScript

Claude Code

Codex

AI governance

Risk assessment

Explainability

Monitoring

Resilience

Tools

Python tooling

GitHub

Job description

Sydney

Job ID

23557

07-Aug-2026

Permanent - Full time, Senior

Technology - Data Scientist, Technology - Engineering

Our Model Risk Management team provides independent oversight and challenge of model and AI risks are well managed across Macquarie globally. We assess whether models and AI systems are fit for purpose, appropriately controlled, and aligned to the firm’s risk appetite and to regulatory expectations. Our team plays a critical role in enabling safe adoption of models and AI by providing robust validation, clear challenge and sound risk-based decisions.

We are a global financial services group operating in 30 markets with 57 years of unbroken profitability. At Macquarie, you’re empowered to shape a career that is fulfilling and creates value. You will bring your insights and expertise to the task at hand and feel supported as you make your own kind of impact for a better future.

What role will you play?

As an Associate Director, you will lead independent validation of complex AI use cases used across a wide range of business operations, forming independent risk opinions and providing credible challenge to senior business, engineering and governance stakeholders. Your work will assess whether AI systems are fit for purpose, operate as intended and ensure that the risks introduced are understood, appropriately controlled, and remain within the Macquarie’s risk appetite. Throughout your role, you will provide coaching and mentorship to junior team members, helping to build technical capability in AI risk and validation. You will also lead and manage AI validation engagements from planning through execution, coordinating stakeholders and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality validation outcomes. You will independently assess AI systems, evaluation methodologies, monitoring frameworks and control environments, forming evidence-based opinions on the effectiveness of risk management and controls.

In addition, you will contribute to the establishment and continuous improvement of AI validation methodologies, standards, tools and practices, helping to build a scalable and effective validation function that keeps pace with evolving AI technologies and risks. You will help shape Macquarie's approach to independent AI assurance, including validation methodologies for generative AI, agentic AI systems, foundation models, AI observability and emerging AI technologies.

What you offer

• Ability to lead a team, including guidance, training and direction on performing appropriate risk-based model and AI validation
• Demonstrated track record of self-directed learning and rapidly acquiring new technical capabilities in a fast-evolving AI landscape.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex validation engagements, exercise sound judgement and provide independent challenge on novel and high-impact AI use cases.
• Hands‑on experience designing, developing, and evaluating AI and Generative AI solutions, including Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG), multi-agent systems, guardrail design, synthetic data generation, and LLM‑as‑a‑Judge evaluation frameworks.
• Experience designing or executing AI evaluation, red‑teaming, robustness testing, benchmarking or model assurance activities is highly regarded.
• Advanced Python programming skills, along with strong experience using GitHub, version control best practices, and CI/CD pipelines. Knowledge of additional languages such as SQL, R, and TypeScript is highly regarded.
• Practical experience with AI coding agents, including tools such as Claude Code and Codex, and the ability to develop and maintain skills, sub‑agents, hooks, plugins for workflow automations.
• Ability to critically assess the risks, limitations, monitoring requirements and control effectiveness of agentic AI systems.
• Working knowledge of traditional machine learning models, including various regression models, random forests, Xgboost, and related model evaluation approaches.
• Strong understanding of model limitations, performance degradation, validation techniques, monitoring approaches and sources of model risk.
• Experience assessing AI systems against governance, risk management and control requirements, including human oversight, explainability, monitoring, security, resilience, data management and model lifecycle controls.
  

What we offer

At Macquarie, you’re empowered to shape a career that’s rewarding in all the ways that matter most to you. Macquarie employees can access a wide range of benefits which, depending on employment type, include:

• 1 wellbeing leave day per year
• Up to 5 additional service bonus leave days per year
• Up to 20 weeks’ paid parental leave for primary caregivers along with 12 days of transition leave upon return to work, and 6 weeks’ paid leave for non‑primary caregivers
• 2 days of paid volunteer leave and donation matching
• Up to 12 months’ gender affirmation leave, including 6 weeks’ paid leave
• Access to Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing benefits including skin and health checks, and flu vaccinations
• Access to a wide range of salary packaging options
• Access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities, including reimbursement for professional membership or subscription
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, dependent on role
• Reimbursement for work from home equipment

About the Risk Management Group

Our Risk Management Group works as an independent, and centralised function, responsible for independent and objective review and challenge, oversight, monitoring and reporting in relation to Macquarie’s material risks. We are a global team that aims to manage the risks of today and anticipate the risks of tomorrow. Our divisions include compliance, credit, financial crime risk, market risk, operational risk, aggregate risk and prudential, and central.

Inclusion at Macquarie

We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for all, where different experiences, skills and perspectives are valued and respected. Macquarie provides access to opportunities for all individuals regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, marital status, gender identity or any other characteristic or circumstance.

We provide reasonable adjustments to individuals who may need support during the recruitment process and employment. If you require an adjustment, please let us know during the application process.