Development Lead (AI)

• Melbourne or Brisbane | Remote-First Hybrid
• Reports to: Director of AI Execution & Operations
• Lead Client Strategy. Guide Delivery. Make AI Real.
• Salary: Up to $180,000 + Super

Build What Matters. Lead the Next Wave of AI Delivery.

We’re hiring on behalf of Pathfindr AI, one of Australia’s fastest-growing AI consultancies – and one of AFR’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024.

In just 12 months, Pathfindr has gone from idea to execution partner for some of Australia’s biggest organisations – from government to ASX-10 and ambitious startups. The secret? A sharp, delivery-first approach that’s rooted in software engineering, not slide decks.

Now, we’re looking for a technical leader who wants to stay hands-on, lead small teams, and evolve into a senior AI delivery specialist.

What You’ll Do

This is a role for a builder and a leader – someone who’s strong in software development, understands cloud environments, and knows how to ship real products. You’ll own the delivery engine: from helping shape solutions to making sure the dev team can execute at pace.

• Lead 2–3 engineers (onshore and offshore) across delivery and development of real-world AI and automation projects

• Own solution design and technical architecture for SaaS-style platforms and tools

• Shape, build and maintain cloud environments (mostly Azure) – including DevOps pipelines and internal tooling

• Support early prototypes and POCs that help clients validate and iterate quickly

• Drive sprint planning, unblock delivery, and ensure quality outcomes across multiple workstreams

• Collaborate with AI consultants, product leads, and client stakeholders to turn concepts into deployable systems

• Continuously improve frameworks, processes, and internal documentation as we scale

What You Bring

You’ve shipped software, built in the cloud, and led small teams. You’re confident with delivery – even if your past roles haven’t been client-facing, you know how to work with product leaders, stakeholders, and devs to get things built.

• 5–6+ years of experience in software development, DevOps, or cloud engineering

• Experience leading or mentoring a small team (Tech Lead or similar)

• Comfortable designing and delivering solutions from scratch, not just maintaining them

• Strong technical background (cloud infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, solution design) – Azure preferred

• Bonus: Experience building SaaS products, AI-integrated tools, or ML/LLM-adjacent features

• Able to bring structure and momentum in fast-moving, ambiguous environments

Why Pathfindr?

This is a unique opportunity to step into a role that blends delivery leadership, client impact, and AI innovation. 

At Pathfindr, we:
✅ Move fast and work with cutting-edge AI technology.
✅ Give you ownership over high-impact AI and automation projects.
✅ Ensure you work with top-tier clients across government, enterprise, and startups.
✅ Offer a hybrid work environment with access to Melbourne’s Stone & Chalk.

Ready to level up as a delivery leader and help shape what AI looks like in the real world?

Let’s build something big.