{"id":2436851,"url":"https://alion.io/job/suncorp-principal-data-scientist","title":"Principal Data Scientist","company":{"id":3624686,"name":"Suncorp","domain":"suncorp.co.nz","url":"https://alion.io/company/suncorp-co-nz","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Oracle","truth_index":null},"role":"Data Science","role_family":"Data Science","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Australia"],"countries":["AU"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":92000,"max_usd":213000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":614},"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Agentic Workflows","optional":false},{"name":"AI Agents","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Embeddings","optional":false},{"name":"Function Calling","optional":false},{"name":"Hallucination","optional":false},{"name":"Human-in-the-Loop","optional":false},{"name":"Hybrid Search","optional":false},{"name":"LLM","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Multi-Agent Systems","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"RAG","optional":false},{"name":"Reranking","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-12T04:49:22Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-12","last_verified_at":"2026-10-14T08:02:35Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"Principal Data Scientist | GenAI, LLMs & AI Engineering\nPermanent opportunity\n\nLocation Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane\n\nGo beyond the proof of concept. Build production AI that delivers real-world impact.\nWe’re looking for an exceptional Principal Data Scientist to help shape and build the next generation of AI solutions at Suncorp.\nThis is a deeply technical, hands-on role at the intersection of Data Science, Generative AI and AI Engineering. You’ll move comfortably between experimentation, AI solution architecture and production software engineering, taking complex ideas from first principles through to secure, reliable and scalable production services.\nThis role is for a builder. You’ll prototype rapidly, write production-quality Python, evaluate and optimise AI applications, and help engineer services that are observable, testable, maintainable, secure and cost-effective. You’ll also influence the technical patterns and engineering practices that enable AI to move beyond experimentation and operate successfully in an enterprise environment.\nThe technical landscape\nYou’ll have the opportunity to work across LLMs, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), embeddings, vector and hybrid search, reranking, grounding, tool/function calling, agentic workflows, and human-in-the-loop patterns. Multi-agent architectures are also in scope where they are the right technical choice.\nBut we’re not interested in technology for technology’s sake. We’re looking for someone with the technical judgement to determine when AI creates genuine value, when a simpler approach is better, and how to balance capability with reliability, security, risk, latency and cost.\nWhat you’ll do\nLead the design and delivery of complex Data Science, AI and Generative AI solutions, from experimentation through to production.\nRemain hands-on across solution design, Python development, evaluation, testing, deployment, monitoring and optimisation.\nBuild practical applications using LLMs, RAG, agentic AI and AI-enabled automation.\nEstablish rigorous approaches to AI evaluation, testing, observability and continuous improvement.\nMake pragmatic architectural decisions across deterministic workflows, single-agent and multi-agent solutions.\nPartner with engineering, technology, architecture, risk and business teams to embed AI into real business processes and customer experiences.\nHelp establish reusable patterns and engineering practices that strengthen Data Science and AI capability.\nProvide technical leadership, design and code review, mentoring and thought leadership while continuing to build.\nWhat you’ll bring\nYou’re an accomplished Data Scientist, ML Engineer or AI practitioner with significant technical depth and a track record of turning sophisticated ideas into working systems.\nYou’ll bring:\n8+ years’ experience across Data Science, Machine Learning, AI, Software Engineering or closely related disciplines.\nRecent hands-on experience building and deploying production AI/ML solutions.\nStrong Python and software engineering capability, including APIs/services, automated testing, CI/CD, deployment, monitoring and observability.\nPractical experience developing Generative AI and LLM applications.\nStrong knowledge of RAG, retrieval, embeddings, vector or hybrid search, reranking and grounding.\nExperience evaluating LLM applications across quality, groundedness, safety, reliability, latency and cost.\nAn understanding of LLM risks including hallucination, prompt injection, data leakage and inappropriate model or tool behaviour.\nExperience with agentic systems including tool/function calling, workflow orchestration, state management and human-in-the-loop patterns.\nStrong architectural judgement and the ability to make pragmatic engineering trade-offs.\nThe ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical audiences and senior business stakeholders. \nA relevant Bachelor’s degree is required. Postgraduate qualifications are highly regarded, although equivalent technical depth and significant industry experience are also valued. \nWhy this opportunity?\nYou’ll have the opportunity to influence how advanced AI is designed, evaluated, engineered and industrialised, while remaining close to the technology yourself.\nYou’ll help establish technical standards and reusable approaches, mentor other practitioners, contribute to the evolution of AI engineering practices, and build solutions focused on measurable customer, operational and business outcomes.\nWe’re looking for someone who is curious but pragmatic, experimental but engineering-minded, and excited by emerging technology without being distracted by hype. Someone who enjoys solving difficult problems and wants to help turn the possibilities of modern AI into reliable systems that work in the real world. Those qualities closely reflect the mindset described in the role specification.\nIf you’re looking for a Principal role where technical leadership still means building things, we’d like to hear from you.\nWhat You’ll Enjoy\nAccess our award-winning Shine platform - your central hub for exclusive perks, wellbeing support, career development, and recognition. Shine has been recognised for excellence in employee experience, making it easier than ever to access what matters most to you.\nOpportunity to receive performance-based Incentives and Suncorp shares for eligible employees\nHybrid working, flexible leave, 20 weeks paid parental leave, and up to 5 days paid flexible leave annually\nPaid study support, career breaks, on-the-job learning, and a $1,000 referral bonus for eligible employees\nFree wellbeing coaching, a dedicated Employee Council, and confidential EAP access\nDiscounts at 900+ retailers, Fitness Passport, and reduced super fees\nPaid volunteer leave, donation matching, and unlimited emergency response leave\nDiversity is celebrated through employee resource groups and inclusive policies for all families\nExplore our full benefits","description_format":"text","description_chars":5963,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Hybrid work","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-13T10:57:05Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":2,"expected_fill_days":32,"reasons":["conf:3","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-14T06:34:16Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/suncorp-principal-data-scientist","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/suncorp-principal-data-scientist.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-14T11:18:41Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":13479,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3624686},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3624686"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fsuncorp-principal-data-scientist"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fsuncorp-principal-data-scientist"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fsuncorp-principal-data-scientist"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/suncorp-principal-data-scientist\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fsuncorp-principal-data-scientist"}]}