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AI Tech Lead

AI Tech Lead job description

The AI Tech Lead drives the design, implementation, and delivery of AI solutions that support business transformation and innovation across the business. The role provides technical leadership across model development, system architecture, data governance, and deployment, ensuring AI initiatives meet security, compliance, and operational standards aligned with the NZ Privacy Act.

Typical AI Tech Lead duties

Key responsibilities of an AI Tech Lead include:Leading the end-to-end design and implementation of AI systems that align with organisational objectivesOverseeing architecture decisions across machine learning, automation, and data engineering componentsGuiding development teams to apply best practices in model development, testing, version control, and deploymentEnsuring AI solutions comply with NZ Privacy Act requirements and internal data governance frameworksReviewing model performance, conducting audits, and ensuring ongoing accuracy and operational stabilityCollaborating with data engineers, ML engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable AI productsProviding technical mentorship and oversight across AI and data projectsImplementing MLOps practices to streamline deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle managementPresenting technical recommendations and AI roadmaps to senior leadership and New Zealand-based stakeholdersAI Tech Lead job qualifications and requirementsA degree in computer science, data science, engineering, or a related NZQA-recognised field is preferred. Candidates should have strong hands-on experience leading AI or machine learning initiatives in an enterprise environment.Requirements include:Expertise in Python, machine learning frameworks, and cloud-native AI servicesExperience designing AI architectures on AWS, Azure, or GCPStrong understanding of NZ Privacy Act requirements and data governance principlesProven experience deploying and managing machine learning models in productionAbility to lead technical teams and coordinate delivery across multidisciplinary stakeholdersStrong capability in MLOps tooling, CI/CD workflows, and model monitoringExperience translating complex AI concepts into actionable recommendationsExcellent communication skills for working with New Zealand-based technical and non-technical teams

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Salary for AI Tech Lead

180000 - 220000

25th percentile
180000
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
50th percentile
200000
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
75th percentile
220000
The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialised certifications.
Salary range based on three percentiles The starting salaries represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits or KiwiSaver.
Projected salaries for related positions Job title 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile Manual Test Analyst 70000 85000 100000 Senior Manual Test Analyst 110000 120000 130000 Automation Test Analyst 80000 95000 110000 Senior Automation Test Analyst 120000 135000 145000 Test Manager 130000 145000 160000 Junior Software Engineer 70000 80000 90000 Intermediate Software Engineer 100000 110000 125000 Senior Software Engineer 125000 140000 150000 Technical Lead - Software Engineering 150000 165000 180000 Software Developer 100000 110000 125000 Senior Software Developer 125000 140000 150000 Product Owner 100000 110000 120000 Product Manager 110000 120000 130000 Senior Product Manager 140000 150000 160000 Product Designer 80000 95000 110000 Senior Product Designer 120000 130000 140000 Principal Developer 150000 165000 180000 Staff Engineer 150000 165000 180000 AI Engineer 120000 140000 160000 ML Engineer 130000 150000 170000

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Our starting salary projections come from a detailed, multistep process that ensures our numbers accurately reflect the marketplace. They’re based on real compensation data for job candidates our recruiters have matched with companies across the country. The Salary Guide from Robert Half is the original. We’ve been publishing salary forecasts since 1950, and our guide has served as a trusted source for employers, job seekers, industry associations, government and educational institutions, and national and local media.