A leading role working at the frontier of applied AI globally, within NAB's growing AI Centre of Excellence. 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.

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's AI Centre of Excellence 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.

Join NAB

If you think this role is the right fit for you, we would love to hear from you. Please note candidate screening and interviews may be conducted prior to the closing date of the job advert. Unsolicited CVs from agencies will not be accepted.