Senior Engineer - AI (2 year fixed term) at Land Information New Zealand, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

 

For the right candidate we will also consider remote working in other locations. 

 

Kōrero mō te tūranga - About the role

The AI engineer designs, builds, and operates secure, scalable AI solutions that deliver measurable value for LINZ. This is a new role in the new AI Accelerator that will build prototypes for proof of concept/value with the aim of them becoming production ready. It works closely with the product owner, data specialist, digital platform teams, and business stakeholders to prove working AI products, tools, and automations.

• Produces architecture & design documentation​
• Leads technical solution design and cloud architecture​
• Builds secure IaC‑based environments for AI experimentation​
• Integrates AWS MCP / Bedrock services​
• Engages with other squads/architects on data access, integrations, and design patterns​
• Plans pathway for POC‑to‑Production transition​
• Provides thought leadership across AI solutions

 

He pūkenga tou - Skills & Experience

• 5+ years in software engineering, including delivery of AI or automation solutions
• Experience working in SAFE agile or iterative delivery environments
• Proven experience deploying AI systems to production, infrastructure as code, and secure coding standards
  • Hands‑on knowledge of LLMs, retrieval‑augmented generation, databases, and agent patterns
  • Experience with observability, automated testing, and performance optimisation for AI workloads
  • Strong skills in at least one programming language used at LINZ, and familiarity with cloud platforms
  • Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions and explain complex topics in plain language
  • Collaborative mindset and ability to work across product, data, and platform teams
  
  

Desirable

• Experience with government or regulated environments
  • Knowledge of data engineering, warehousing, and SQL
  • Familiarity with AI governance frameworks and assurance practices
  • Experience building reusable components and accelerators
  
  

Key responsibilities

 Solution engineering and delivery

• Design and build AI solutions using modern cloud services, data platforms, and software engineering practices
  • Develop high quality code, APIs, and integration patterns to connect AI services to LINZ systems
  • Create rapid prototypes to test ideas, then harden successful concepts in readiness for production
  • Maintain operational documentation, and handover materials for support teams
  
  

LLM Ops, testing, and observability

• Set up automated evaluations, tracing, and test suites for AI applications
  • Manage prompt and configuration versioning, cost and latency optimisation, and performance profiling
  • Embed safety controls, privacy protections, and responsible AI guardrails
  • Monitor live systems and respond to incidents, root cause analysis, and possible improvements
  
  

Data, models, and platforms

• Work with data scientist and stewards to ensure high quality, well‑governed data pipelines
  • Use AI/ML platforms and cloud services to train, deploy, and operate solutions in a secure manner
  • Support migration paths as platforms evolve, keeping technical debt low
  
  

Collaboration and ways of working

• Collaborate with product owner to shape backlog items, acceptance criteria, and delivery priorities
  • Contribute to reusable components, reference architectures, and accelerators to speed future work
  • Share knowledge and coach teammates to lift AI engineering capability across LINZ
  • Communicate solution trade‑offs and risks in plain language for technical and non‑technical audiences
  
  

Assurance and responsible AI

• Work with security, privacy, and governance teams to meet LINZ standards and legislation
  • Apply ethical AI practices, including bias testing, transparency, and appropriate human oversight
  • Ensure appropriate access controls, auditability, and compliance are built into solutions
  
  

Continuous improvement

• Track usage, performance, and user feedback to guide enhancements
  • Stay current with AI engineering practices and tools, and propose practical improvements
  • Contribute to the AI Accelerator's operating model and ways of working
  
  

Key working relationships

Internal
• AI Accelerator team
• Digital Delivery teams
• Business units across LINZ
• Security, privacy, and governance specialists

External
• Vendors and delivery partners
• Other Government agencies collaborating on AI capability

 

The annual full-time salary range for this role is between $130,000 -$150,000 depending on skills and experience.

 

  Ngā mea e tukuna ana e tātau – What we offer our employees 

• Interesting work which impacts Aotearoa as we care for whenua, moana and arawai.
• Wellbeing allowance reimbursement
• Ability to purchase additional leave
• Annual Flu Vaccinations
• Reduced Health Insurance Premiums
• Diverse groups and networks
• If eligible for paid parental leave, you will be entitled to a top up payment for the first 18 weeks of the 26 weeks.
• A minimum of four weeks and three days annual leave

 

Te Tākinatanga - Our Story

Toitū Te Whenua plays a vital role in understanding, developing, and caring for New Zealand's whenua, moana and arawai (land, sea and waterways). Whether you're developing our products and services to support our customers, managing the Crown estate, engaging with our iwi partners, or helping us be an effective regulator, your contribution can make a difference. Our mahi helps New Zealanders have confidence that the development of our land, communities and country is being planned from an informed and expert position that balances environmental, social, cultural, and economic considerations, now and for future generations.

 

Our Kia Toipoto Intentions - Public Service Gender, Māori, Pacific and Ethnic Pay Gap Action Plan

Toitū Te Whenua is a diverse team of individuals with different experience and perspectives. This drives our culture and high performance.  We know that people from underrepresented groups and women in particular don't apply for roles if they're not a 100% match, but we're not looking for perfection, we're looking for potential.  As an inclusive and supportive employer, we value difference and want to encourage anyone interested to apply, regardless of whether you tick all the boxes or not. As an organisation we embrace diversity, encourage work life balance and have a flexible approach to the way we work which means you will quickly feel connected and valued.

 

Tono mai - How to Apply

If you're eyeing up this role and believe you've got what it takes, please apply, or get in touch with the team. 

To apply, please click “Apply Online.” You'll be taken through to our Toitū Te Whenua Careers Centre where you'll be able to review further information about the responsibilities and accountabilities of this role in the Position Description. You'll be able to complete your online application form and upload a copy of your CV/Cover Letter. 

Please note, while 10^th March 2026 is the closing date, we will be reviewing applications as they are received and may progress with suitable applicants prior to the application closing date. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible if you are interested in this position. We also reserve the right to extend the advertising date if no suitable candidates have been identified.

 

For tracking and evaluation purposes, all applications must be submitted via our on-line process. You must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to be eligible for this position. 

 

You may notice that the Position Description title for this role (Digital Specialist Level Wha/4) doesn't match the advertised title.  At Toitū Te Whenua we design our roles around shared capabilities (rather than focusing on tasks). This means our position descriptions are broad, one position description can cover many roles, this is known as Broad Based Role (BBR). Using BBR allows us to be responsive to our customers and to strengthen the connections across our organisation. It also gives us the flexibility to provide wider opportunities to our people, to further their careers.

 

If you have any questions about this role or working at Toitū Te Whenua, please email opportunities@linz.govt.nz  and our People Services Team will be in touch with you.