Senior AI Engineer/ AI Engineer

Air New Zealand; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Air New Zealand is seeking a Senior AI Engineer to design, build, and scale Generative AI services in Python, from proof‑of‑concept to production, in our Christchurch Digital team.

You’ll implement robust AI solutions, secure integrations, governance, and monitoring, mentor others, and partner with business units to turn ideas into value.

Join a culture of innovation to transform travel experiences, operations, and employee tools with responsible AI practices.

Qualifications

• Experience designing Generative AI services and production-ready systems.
• Strong Python and asynchronous API development skills.
• Hands-on with LLMs, agents, embeddings, vector databases, and RAG pipelines.
• Cloud platforms (AWS preferred) and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Commitment to responsible AI, governance, privacy and security.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain Generative AI services in Python.
• Integrate enterprise data securely to deliver scalable outcomes.
• Implement safeguards, monitoring, and governance for AI usage.
• Collaborate with business teams to identify opportunities where GenAI adds value.
• Stay ahead of GenAI technologies and bring innovative approaches into practice.

Skills

Generative AI

Python

Async/FastAPI

Testing & mocks

CI/CD

MLOps

SQL/NoSQL

Feature stores

Model registry

RAG pipelines

LLMs/Agents

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Security & privacy

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

FastAPI

Terraform

CloudFormation

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Kia ora!

Job Description

At Air New Zealand, we’re constantly evolving, embracing innovation and pushing boundaries to create extraordinary experiences for our customers and employees. As we continue to grow and transform, we’re seeking individuals who are passionate about making a difference and playing a key role in our journey. This is why we are excited to offer the opportunity to join our Digital team and help design, ship and scale business‑changing Generative AI solutions.

This is a hands‑on role where you’ll balance coding and cutting‑edge AI. You’ll help drive the engineering of reliable, secure, and high‑performing AI services, while mentoring others and influencing Air New Zealand’s AI strategy. Your work will directly support innovations such as personalised digital experiences, smarter operations, and AI‑assisted employee tools that make travel simpler, smarter and more sustainable.

The Role You’ll Play

• Design, build, and maintain Generative AI services and applications in Python, from proof‑of‑concept to production.
• Design and implement robust AI solutions, integrating enterprise data, tools, and platforms securely to deliver reliable, scalable business outcomes.
• Implement safeguards, guardrails, monitoring, and governance for responsible AI usage.
• Collaborate with business teams to identify opportunities where Generative AI can deliver value.
• Stay ahead of emerging GenAI technologies and bring innovative approaches into practice.

What You’ll Bring

You’re a Senior Engineer or an Engineer who solves real‑world problems with AI and data, and has experience developing and deploying safe, scalable GenAI applications from proof‑of‑concept to production. You’re equally comfortable architecting agentic systems, writing clean production code, and guiding others to deliver high‑quality AI‑centric solutions.

• Proven expertise in Generative AI: LLMs, agents, embeddings/rerankers, vector databases, and prompt design/evaluation.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals including developing in Python and experience with asynchronous frameworks (FastAPI), testing & mocking, and CI/CD.
• Strong data engineering & MLOps fundamentals including designing and querying relational (SQL) and NoSQL databases, feature stores, model/registry versioning, offline/online evaluation, and golden datasets.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS - preferred, Azure, or GCP) and containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes). Experience with IaC (Terraform/CloudFormation) advantageous.
• Security, privacy, and compliance in enterprise settings; comfort working with sensitive data and regulated environments.
• A growth mindset: curiosity, experimentation, and the drive to turn ideas into robust, maintainable systems.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience designing, building and scaling Generative AI services and applications
• Advanced Python engineering skills, with experience developing secure, production‑ready systems
• Hands‑on experience with LLMs, agents, embeddings, rerankers, vector databases, RAG pipelines, and prompt design or evaluation
• Experience taking AI solutions from proof‑of‑concept through to reliable, scalable, production‑ready services
• Strong software engineering practices, including testing, mocking, CI/CD, APIs, and ideally asynchronous frameworks such as FastAPI
• Experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS, and containerisation tools such as Docker or Kubernetes
• Understanding of responsible AI practices, including safeguards, guardrails, monitoring, governance, privacy, security, and working with sensitive enterprise data
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a curious, experimental mindset and the drive to turn emerging AI opportunities into robust, maintainable solutions.

Ready for take‑off?

We’re excited to hear how you can bring your expertise to our team and help shape how Generative AI is used across Air New Zealand. If you’re ready to build ambitious systems that empower an organisation and its customers, we want to talk.

Applications close 30 August 2026.

Additional Information

At Air New Zealand, we are proudly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and believe in creating a truly inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. Our people are our greatest asset – because while everything else we do in our operation can be replicated by our competitors, it is our people that truly set us apart. We are firm believers in celebrating the differences and diversity of thought our people bring to their roles. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, including those with a disability, additional health and mental health needs, and/or are neurodiverse to apply for our roles.

If you have encountered any accessibility barriers and require further information or reasonable accommodations to our recruitment process, please reach out to the recruiter listed on this job advert so they are able to support you to freely participate equitably in our recruitment and selection process.

Whāia te pae tawhiti kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua, kia tina.

Seek to bring distant horizons closer. Once near, seize them and make them your reality.