DevOps Engineer in Canberra

The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) is Australia’s leading research data infrastructure, funded by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). We partner with the research community and industry to build leading-edge digital research infrastructure, providing Australian researchers with competitive advantage through data. At the ARDC, we’re accelerating Australian research and innovation by driving excellence in the creation, analysis and retention of high-quality data assets. We’re committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, fostering an organisational culture that values individual differences and treats all people with respect, dignity and equity. Our organisational values guide everything we do: Ambition, Focus, Collaboration, Flexibility, Transparency.

As our DevOps Engineer (Artificial Intelligence), you will design, build, evaluate and operate the AI-enabled features and services that sit inside ARDC’s national research data products. You will join our DevOps team and help establish ARDC’s engineering practice for running AI safely and responsibly. In this role, you will:

• Build and maintain large language model (LLM) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) search, conversational and agent-based tools, and AI and ML tools for research.
• Select, integrate and evaluate models and AI services, and test them for quality, reliability, bias and safety.
• Deploy and operate AI and ML workloads, including model serving, vector and search stores and CI/CD pipelines, and monitor their performance, usage and cost.
• Apply secure and privacy-preserving practice, and follow ARDC’s AI governance requirements.

We want to speak with individuals who have:

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience working with geographically distributed teams in a matrix environment.
• Experience working with or in the Australian higher education or research sector, with demonstrated understanding of research infrastructure and the role it plays in enabling research activity.
• Suitable experience and qualifications to meet the requirements outlined in the position description.

This position will be offered on a fixed term appointment through to 30 June 2028. In return, we offer:

• A competitive remuneration package.
• Flexible working arrangements across our distributed team model.
• Professional development opportunities.
• The chance to work with talented individuals on exciting Australian research infrastructure projects.

Applications should address the key selection criteria outlined in the position description and demonstrate your capacity to fulfil the requirements of the role you are applying for. Applications should include a cover letter, CV and response to the Key Selection Criteria (max 2 pages) as a separate document. Applications close on Friday 13th November 2026. All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which will include reference checks, verification of qualifications, and confirmation of the right to work in Australia. This role will require a National Police Check and/or Working with Children Check.