Job Overview & Organization Mission

Lead national data science initiatives, responsible AI governance frameworks, and applied foundation models at CSIRO Data61 Eveleigh, Sydney.

CSIRO’s Data61 and the National AI Centre are seeking an accomplished Principal Data Scientist to lead our Applied Machine Learning team in Eveleigh, Sydney. You will spearhead AI research and deployment across national priority areas including healthcare diagnostics, bushfire prediction, and clean energy grid optimization, developing transparent, ethical, and explainable AI solutions.

As a key member of the team at CSIRO in Sydney, NSW, you will play a central role in driving excellence, upholding top-tier Australian industry standards, and contributing directly to the strategic milestones of one of the nation’s premier employers.

Key Duties & Core Responsibilities

In this critical role, your operational duties and key performance responsibilities will encompass:

• Lead end-to-end: Lead end-to-end data science and machine learning research initiatives across high-impact national missions.
• Design and: Design and fine-tune large foundation models, transformer architectures, and multimodal computer vision pipelines.
• Implement Australia’s: Implement Australia’s Responsible AI frameworks (fairness, transparency, explainability, privacy-preserving machine learning).
• Collaborate with: Collaborate with industry consortia and government agencies to translate research algorithms into production software.
• Publish in: Publish in premier AI venues and represent CSIRO as a thought leader at national and international AI summits.

Required Qualifications, Licenses & Experience

To be successful in this position at CSIRO, candidates are expected to satisfy the following essential selection criteria:

• Mandatory Qualification: PhD or Master’s in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or Machine Learning.
• Relevant Experience: Minimum 7+ Years of verified industry experience in Australia or recognized overseas equivalence.
• 7+ years of machine learning and data science experience with a track record of deploying models in production.
• PhD or Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or quantitative STEM field.
• Mastery of modern deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers) and cloud MLOps.
• Proven leadership capability in mentoring data scientists and driving strategic research projects.

Core Competencies & Key Technical Proficiencies

The successful applicant will possess demonstrated capabilities across the following domain skill sets:

Salary, Compensation & Employee Benefits

At CSIRO, we understand that our people drive our achievements. An outstanding remuneration and wellbeing package is provided in line with Australian benchmarks:

• Competitive Remuneration: AU$160,000 – AU$190,000 per year + standard Australian Superannuation (11.5%).
• Remuneration $160,000 – $190,000 + 15.4% CSIRO superannuation.
• South Eveleigh tech precinct office with modern collaborative spaces and hybrid working options.
• Work on mission-driven challenges that make a profound difference to Australian society.
• Leave Entitlements: 4 weeks annual leave (with 17.5% annual leave loading where applicable) plus 10 days paid personal/carer’s leave.
• Flexible Work: Progressive work-life balance options with supportive corporate culture and leadership development pathways.

About the Employer: CSIRO

CSIRO Data61 is Australia’s digital and data sciences innovation powerhouse, housing the National AI Centre.

CSIRO is deeply committed to building diverse, equitable, and culturally inclusive work environments. We proudly celebrate diversity and welcome applications from all qualified individuals including First Nations Australians, people with disabilities, and candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Application Process & Next Steps

Applications for this position are currently open and being reviewed on a rolling basis. Suitable candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible before the published closing date.

Please prepare an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a tailored Cover Letter highlighting your relevant experience against the key selection criteria outlined above.

To proceed with your application, click the Apply on Employer Site button to access the official CSIRO careers gateway.