AI Science Lead - Everyday Banking & Consumer Finance

Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane Based Hybrid Working How will I help? Westpac is seeking a Lead AI Scientist to shape and deliver the AI portfolio across Everyday Banking (EDB) and Consumer Finance (CF). Reporting to the Head of AI, you will translate business priorities into an agreed AI strategy, roadmap and measurable outcomes aligned to divisional and enterprise AI direction. This is a hands-on leadership role. You will remain close to modelling, experimentation, validation and production delivery while leading and developing a team of AI scientists across both product lines. Your work will help create relevant, timely and fair customer experiences while improving financial, risk and operational outcomes. You will be the senior technical adviser for AI to EDB and CF business leaders and Product Owners, shaping trusted AI from strategy through production delivery within Group AI risk policies and guidelines. Importantly, you will turn high-value EDB and CF priorities into trusted, reusable AI solutions across pricing, credit decisioning, acquisition, retention, engagement, servicing and automation. What will I be responsible for? Own the EDB and CF AI strategy and roadmap with business leaders and Product Owners, aligned to divisional and enterprise AI strategies and approved capability direction. Frame and prioritise use cases with clear problems, benefits, success measures, data needs, ownership and risk classification. Lead technical direction across predictive modelling, optimisation, generative AI and agentic workflows for pricing, credit decisioning, acquisition, retention, engagement and automation. Ensure end-to-end solution quality across design, experimentation, validation, deployment, monitoring and retirement, with rigorous technical review before release. Ensure every solution meets Group AI risk policies, embedding privacy, security, model risk, Responsible AI, explainability, fairness, human oversight and operational resilience. Coordinate AI Science, data engineering, Technology, Product and Risk teams around agreed interfaces, plans and accountable owners. Monitor delivery, adoption, model performance and realised value, intervening or escalating where outcomes, controls or timelines are at risk. Build a high-performing, inclusive AI Science team through clear goals, coaching, performance management, development planning and succession for key technical capabilities. Build reusable models, components and agent patterns across both product lines to reduce duplication and speed up delivery. Essential Skills & Experience 8+ years in data science and applied AI, including senior leadership, with recent hands-on practice in banking, financial services or another complex, highly regulated environment with comparable control expectations. A track record of taking predictive, optimisation, generative AI or agentic solutions beyond proof of concept into controlled production use. Deep practical expertise in predictive modelling, optimisation and experimentation, with working knowledge of generative AI and agentic workflows. Sound understanding of model validation, fairness, explainability, human oversight, lifecycle governance and operational resilience, including MLOps and LLMOps. Proven people leadership, including building capability, coaching technical talent, setting direction, performance management and succession planning. Commercial judgement and the ability to connect AI delivery to customer outcomes and business value. Credibility with senior business, Product, Technology and Risk stakeholders, with the ability to explain complex trade-offs clearly and offer constructive technical review. Exposure to everyday banking or consumer finance decision science, such as pricing, credit decisioning, acquisition, retention or engagement. Experience contributing reusable models, agent patterns or evaluation approaches across a wider practice or community. Does this sound like you? To get started, simply click on the APPLY or APPLY NOW button. Please note that application closing dates are subject to change so don’t delay putting your best foot forward! We’re all about creating a supportive and inclusive community. We welcome everyone – no matter your age, gender, background, or abilities. We also provide added support to welcome our veterans, Indigenous Australians, and neurodiverse community. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, you can find out more information and additional contact details by visiting the "People with Disability and/or needing Accessibility Requirements" page on our website .