AI Engineer (Wellington or Christchurch)

Company Description

At Meridian, we’re on a mission to make energy cleaner and cheaper for Aotearoa New Zealand.

100% of the energy we generate comes from renewable sources - wind, water and sun - because we believe that’s the best way forward for our planet and our communities. We’re doing what we can to help Aotearoa reduce its carbon emissions and supporting others in our communities to do the same.  

We serve over 380,000 customers and have big aspirations to deliver value to even more homes and businesses across Aotearoa through our two brands, Meridian and Powershop.

It’s a challenge we take seriously, which is why we’ve recently redesigned our Retail operating model, building a network of empowered teams equipped to understand customer needs and quickly turn ideas and concepts into products and experiences that customers love.

Mō te tūranga | What you’ll be doing    

As an AI Engineer in our newly formed Data and Architecture practice, you’ll design, build, and maintain AI systems that drive business and customer value.

This role involves engineering resilient and performant AI solutions, including agentic AI, RAG-based systems, recommendation engines, and predictive algorithms.

You will also be responsible for ongoing automated evaluation and understanding the data context to ensure the AI systems are effective and reliable.

This position collaborates with various teams to create data and AI products and experiences, contributing to the overall goal of making energy cleaner and cheaper for Aotearoa/NZ.

Ngā pukenga kei a koe mō tenei tūranga | What you’ll bring 

• Proven experience in designing and maintaining scalable AI systems, including both RAG-based systems and traditional ML algorithms.
• Strong knowledge of relevant technologies, including Azure services and Databricks.
• Proficient in programming languages such as Python, PySpark, SQL, and AI frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, Langchain), and ideally Terraform experience.
• Solid experience in developing and managing AI or ML pipelines, with a focus on automated evaluation and continuous improvement.
• Strong problem-solving and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across teams to drive AI-enabled business outcomes
• Curiosity, communication and collaboration are key, as well as leading with a growth mindset as you navigate ambiguity and chase opportunity

He aha koe i hono mai ai ki a mātou? | Why join us?     

At Meridian, we value all people. We embrace different ways of thinking, living and working, because we believe diversity benefits us all. It makes our capabilities even stronger. We encourage all our people to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work and we’re proud to have a diverse and inclusive workplace. So, no matter who you are, you’ll find it a great place to work. 

We value and live by three ‘How to Be’s’: ‘be gutsy’, working together by ‘being in the waka’ and doing the right thing by ‘being a good human’. We work hard and value the importance of connection and fun, whether this be through daily quizzes, morning teas, birthday and cultural celebrations both in person and virtually! 

Sustainability sits firmly in our DNA both socially and environmentally. We proudly support KidsCan and the Kākāpō Recovery and work side-by-side with our generation communities to empower and support projects where needed. There are many opportunities to volunteer to any of our partnerships throughout the year. 

Ngā painga ki a mātou | What we can offer    

We value work/life balance so our WFH and flexible work options (where possible) make things easier for you and your whānau. We also offer: 

• an attractive and competitive salary package that’s reviewed annually, performance-incentive plus discounts from a number of partnerships 
• Southern Cross Healthcare - Wellbeing one insurance, funded scheme for eligible employees to give you that extra peace of mind   
• enhanced leave provisions: three company paid days (over the holiday period), enhanced parental leave and options to buy up to 12 days additional leave 
• life, trauma and income protection insurance (which we hope you won’t need!) 
• enhanced KiwiSaver contributions 
• access to the Meridian employee share scheme 
• excellent learning and development opportunities, we want you to be the best version of yourself and will help you get there!  
• award winning wellbeing programme that provides support whenever and wherever you need it 
• employee discounts off your power with Meridian, every bit counts 
• a one-off $400 payment to support your work from home set-up (if needed) 

Tono mai ināianei tonu | Apply now   

All in all, we’re an awesome place to work. If this sounds like you and you want to bring your energy and use your power to make a difference (pun intended), then apply today and tell us why!  

To view the full Position Description please click here. 

We’re not necessarily looking for someone who ticks all the boxes (an elusive unicorn).  Research shows that women are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet 100% of the qualifications, whereas men apply when they meet only about 60%. If you think you have what it takes but don't meet every requirement in the job description, we strongly encourage you to apply! 

If you have any general enquiries, please email careers@meridianenergy.co.nz and one of our team will get back to you. We're committed to becoming more accessible and providing support if needed, please get in touch via email or phone if there are any parts of our process you would like assistance with (process found here meridianenergy.co.nz/careers), we’re more than happy to help.  

If you would like to be at the forefront of New Zealand’s energy transformation, and work in an innovative, collaborative environment that values fresh thinking, then we’d love to hear from you.

This role is based in Wellington or Christchurch. 

Advertising closes at 11:59pm on 16 June 2025, however we’ll be reviewing applications as they come through, so this may change.