Principal AI Engineer

Remarkable people, trusted by clients to design and advance the world.

Wood is recruiting for a Principal Generative AI Engineer to join its Data Management and AI team in Australia. 

#LI-hybrid

About the role:
We are looking for a high calibre individual with exceptional knowledge, skill and attitude (KSA) and a proven background in computer science / software engineering and generative AI for a position of Principal Generative AI Engineer to lead us through the Gen AI revolution. Generative AI is rapidly changing how we create and interact with technology, from generating realistic images to producing human-like text, and businesses are increasingly looking to harness its potential.

This role requires a trusted advisor who will partner at all levels across our global and regional project teams to understand quantifiable value and rapidly develop impactful AI solutions. You will be crucial in defining the long-term strategic vision, technical direction, and development priorities for LLM-based and Generative AI technologies, including rethinking strategies to meet future needs. You will be passionate about solving complex problems and driving innovation at scale. As an AI visionary, you will help revolutionize project delivery, governance, and assurance at a global scale.

What you will do:

• Advising on Generative AI matters: Act as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor, to clients (external and internal) to understand their pain points and opportunities. This involves translating product objectives and customer needs into actionable engineering deliverables. A key aspect of this is the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, accessible language for various stakeholders, including non-technical audiences
• Technical direction: Assist establish the technical direction and development priorities for LLM-based and Generative AI technology, including rethinking strategies to meet future needs. This aligns with the responsibilities of the Head of AI factory and Director of AI Strategy and Partnership, who sets the overall AI strategy aligned with delivery and organizational execution goals
• Drive innovation and efficiency: Accelerate the adoption of AI capabilities to enhance the full cycle DevSecOps engineering experience. Proactively apply AI-assisted engineering tools to improve engineering efficiency and contribute directly to code delivery, lead code reviews, and champion documentation
• Collaborating with partners: Work closely with partners and with external institutions, to explore and implement groundbreaking AI research initiatives
• Building, and mentoring high-performance global teams: Lead the recruitment and development of diverse, high-performing engineering teams, providing mentorship to junior team members, fostering a culture of innovation, and upskilling engineers. You will effectively lead, grow, and scale technical teams
• Building solutions for both internal and external clients: Oversee the entire lifecycle of AI solution delivery, from technical design to production operations at scale. You will be comfortable delivering all aspects of AI solutions, including documentation, coding, testing, and engaging with end users. This includes designing and defining AI-powered engineering solutions and applying AI technologies to enhance end-to-end product development lifecycles

Our Clients and Projects:

Designing the future. Transforming the world.

Our global specialist consultancy business encompasses 3,700+ professionals with industry-leading expertise in areas including decarbonisation, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, renewables advisory, asset optimisation, and digital solutions.

A multi-sector business unit, we are focused on providing technical consulting during the planning, design, building, operation and optimisation of assets, facilities, and infrastructure across a range of end markets including energy, industrial, power, mining, and life sciences.

What we can offer:

• Meaningful and interesting projects delivered to leaders of industry across renewables and emerging energy sectors 
• Flexible working arrangements that balance client, team and individual needs offering hybrid and remote working where relevant 
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion; we are an organisation actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business with employee networks committed to giving all employees a voice
• Competitive salary with regular salary reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market
• Flexible benefits package; including generous types of Leave (Family, Cultural and Purchased Leave)
• Commitment to continued professional development; development plans that are tailored to your individual needs and interests
• Global connections: join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
• Wide range of Financial Health benefits with Salary Continuance Insurance, Salary Packaging via Smart Salary Portal, Discounts at over 400 retailers via RAW Benefits Portal and access to Discounted Hotels

What makes you remarkable? 

At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges. 

Additional Key Skills and Attributes:

• Proven track record in leading and delivering large-scale, complex engineering initiatives, ideally with a focus on generative AI
• Deep applied experience in one or more relevant domains/technologies
• Proficiency in programming languages like Python (including Pandas), and deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, LangChain, LlamaIndex)
• Experience with data wrangling and ingestion from diverse sources like SAP, SharePoint, Snowflake, and unstructured documents
• Familiarity with AI-augmented development tools (e.g., Cursor, Windsurf, Github Copilot, Lovable, Bolt) and AI-augmented test, QA, security, and code quality tooling. This aligns with the need for continuous monitoring, iterative testing, and robust security measures throughout the AI lifecycle
• Experience with Microsoft Power Platforms, MS CoPilot Studio, and MS Power BI
• Knowledge of UI frameworks such as Streamlit, Gradio or Javascript-based frameworks (ReactJS, NextJS)
• Strong problem-solving and technical troubleshooting skills
• Highly motivated, taking ownership to consistently deliver on commitments
• Curiosity to understand customer business processes, pain points, and needs to demonstrate understanding and deliver solutions
• Outstanding communication skills tailored to both technical and non-technical audiences

Location - Australia (operating on global across Wood locations) 

You must hold the right to work in Australia to be considered for this position.

 

Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering, helping to unlock solutions to critical challenges in energy and materials markets. We provide consulting, projects and operations solutions in 60 countries, employing around 35,000 people. www.woodplc.com
Diversity Statement  We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.