Head of High‑Security AI Engineering

Head of High‑Security AI Engineering

Location: Canberra, Australia (We are looking for someone who lives in Canberra)
Employment type: Full‑time, senior leadership

About Trellis Data

Trellis Data is a fast‑growing Australian sovereign‑AI leader that powers high‑security organisations across defence, logistics and law‑enforcement. Our product Agentaus (Agentaus.com.au) is Australia’s AI capability leading the country and the region in AI Chat, Agents, and API connectivity. Our mission is to deliver world‑leading AI that is trusted and safe for our customers. We champion a culture of curiosity, collaboration and rapid impact, where every voice can shape the future of secure AI.

Why this role matters:

You will lead the High‑Security AI Engineering stream, responsible for creating hardened, edge‑ready AI deployments that meet strict Government and Defence requirements. The role is 70% technical – you’ll lead and assist the team deliver product and bespoke requirements that can achieve the success criteria of AI for our customers. Your ability to translate requirements to technical elements and to support your team in delivering AI benefits to our customers will be key to success.

This role also requires 30% managerial skills, guiding a highly talented and specialised team of AI engineers, dev-ops engineers, security and edge device specialists.

Key responsibilities

• Core engineering – Architect and implement on‑prem / offline AI stacks (model creation, quantisation, fine-tuning, secure enclaves, load balancing, zero trust systems) for latency‑critical, air‑gapped and private cloud solutions.

• Compliance & audit – Embed IRAP, ASD Essential 8 and export‑control requirements into the CI/CD pipeline.

• Performance optimisation – Drive optimisation through AI compute and AI software, infrastructure, and power consumption to meet bespoke customer requirements.

• Team leadership (≈ 30 %) – Build and mentor a cross‑functional team of 10-20 AI Deep Tech experts and other specialised engineers, champion career growth, conduct regular technical deep‑dives and retrospectives.

• Collaboration – Partner with the other leaders in Trellis Data in a continual learning culture, supporting functions like R&D, product, technology, customer success and corporate to ensure seamless integration of secure AI solutions into enterprise workflows, aligned to the company’s strategic objectives.
  
  

Who you are

• Technical depth: 10‑+ years architecting large‑scale cloud platforms and/or disconnected or air gapped systems. Ability to think laterally through technical issues to find new and innovative solutions to deliver customer requirements.

• Hands‑on leader: Comfortable rolling up sleeves to write code, help test, build automation outcomes, and troubleshoot complex latency issues.

• Security‑first mindset: Proven experience delivering IRAP‑ or ISO‑27001‑aligned infrastructures, preferably for AI/ML workloads.

• Security clearance: Australian Security Clearance is Highly Desirable (NV1 preferred, Baseline acceptable with willingness to gain a NV1)

• People champion: Demonstrated success building and scaling high‑performing engineering squads; excellent communicator and mentor.

• Strategic thinker: Ability to translate product vision into robust, cost‑effective platform designs.

• Cultural fit: Passion for Australian‑owned tech, thrives in a fast‑moving, collaborative environment and shares our commitment to ethical AI.

What we offer

• Positive, Collaborative Culture

• Great salary + performance‑based bonuses

• Access to cutting‑edge AI hardware and cloud resources

• The opportunity to join Canberra’s most innovative company and one of Australia’s upcoming success stories in AI.

How to apply

Please forward your CV and a concise cover letter highlighting a recent secure‑AI project (including outcomes) via Seekor email [email protected] with the subject line “Head of High‑Security AI Engineering – [Your Name]”.

Ready to lead the next generation of secure AI at Australia’s premier sovereign‑AI platform? We look forward to meeting you.