Head of Innovation and Ai

At VicRoads the work you do has real impact. Our work connects people and communities. We keep Victorians moving safely and smoothly today and help them be ready for tomorrow.

VicRoads empowers our people to learn and grow focusing on impact and innovation. We reflect the diversity of Victoria and foster clever thinking to keep you and the community moving.

VicRoads is progressing August 2022 we started on a new chapter when the Victorian State Government partnered with Aware Super Australian Retirement Trust and Macquarie Asset Management to operate registration and licensing services on its behalf.

We work collaboratively with the Victorian State Government to ensure we fulfill regulatory requirements deliver State projects and safeguard customer data. The Victorian State Government retains sole responsibility for road access infrastructure and safety.

• Annual Salary Range:Up to $260000 Super
• Employment Type: Ongoing - Full-Time
• Usual Work Location: QV 180 Lonsdale Street CBD/ Work from home

Are you passionate about shaping the future of our products to deliver real impact for customers and the broader community through technology innovation Do you thrive on driving strategic initiatives that balance customer needs commercial value and technology feasibility while aligning with organisational vision If so we have an exciting opportunity for you!

We are seeking a forward-thinking and influential individual to join our Strategy and Architecture this pivotal role you will partner with business and technology stakeholders to identify evaluate and accelerate transformative opportunities across VicRoads. You will champion a culture of experimentation foster collaboration and guide the strategic adoption of emerging technologies - particularly AI - to create meaningful value for our customers and the organisation.

Your team is part of the Technology division a team that are truly collaborative and passionate and work closely together to deliver outcomes that positively transform the way our customers use our services.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Group Head of Strategy and Architecture the Head of Innovation and AI will spearhead the development and execution of a forward-thinking technology-led innovation strategy. This pivotal role is designed to harness emerging technologiesparticularly AIto unlock commercial value elevate customer experiences and drive operational efficiency.

As a strategic leader youll collaborate closely with business and technology stakeholders to foster a culture of experimentation and continuous learning. Youll champion innovation while ensuring alignment with governance regulatory and delivery frameworks. From leading proof-of-concepts to embedding an innovation mindset across the organisation your work will shape how VicRoads prototypes evaluates and scales transformative technologies. Driving innovative ideas through qualification in a corporate environment and defining the metrics for measuring success is pivotal to demonstrating value.

This is a hands-on commercially focused role within the Strategy and Architecture function working alongside cross-functional teams in product engineering delivery and commercial. If youre passionate about driving digital transformation and making a tangible impact through innovation and AI we invite you to lead the charge.

• Innovation Strategy & Leadership: Responsible for leading developing and maintaining an innovation strategy that aligns with business objectives customer needs and emerging technology trends supporting both the overarching Technology Strategy and Product Roadmaps. It champions a culture of innovation by fostering curiosity experimentation and continuous improvement across the organisation. Additionally the role plays a key part in enabling VicRoads digital transformation through the strategic application of innovation and artificial intelligence.
• Technology-led Innovation and Emerging Technology: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology trends to identify innovation opportunities and drives the exploration and adoption of emerging technologies - such as generative AI machine learning AI vision AR and automation - to enhance customer experience operational efficiency and delivery capability.
• Governance and Corporate Alignment: Contribute to the development of VicRoads AI framework support the Architecture function in shaping the Technology Strategy and roadmaps and establish innovation guardrails that balance agility with compliance. Ensure initiatives align with governance risk and regulatory standards and are measurable through clear KPIs outcomes and defined success criteria
• Stakeholder Engagement and Influence: Build trusted relationships across technology and business areas to understand and influence strategic priorities partners with stakeholders to embed innovation into core processes and ensure initiatives are commercially focused. Strong focus on communicating effectively across diverse audiences from technical teams to business leaders

About you

Youre a strategic and technically skilled professional with a strong foundation in business computer science AI or innovationsupported by relevant qualifications or equivalent industry experience. You bring hands-on expertise in programming languages liek Python Java or Rust and are familiar with AI tools and frameworks like TensorFlow PyTorch LangChain and AWS AI/ML services. Ideally you also hold certifications in digital delivery practices (e.g. SAFe SCRUM) and architecture frameworks.

Your experience spans multiple disciplines including digital product development engineering architecture and data. Youve led cross-functional teams through prototyping and incubation and have a proven track record of driving ideas from concept to execution. Youre confident working with emerging technologies such as GenAI ML AI Vision and AR and have deep experience in strategic planning and business analysis within complex environments.

Youre comfortable engaging with stakeholders from C-suite to engineering and excel at articulating business value setting measurable success criteria and working within agile delivery environments. Your understanding of modern digital design customer experience and cloud engineering enables you to contribute meaningfully to innovation and transformation initiatives.

Our culture

Innovation powers progress but it doesnt come without support. To attract retain and develop talented people we reward initiative and ingenuity foster collaboration and offer dynamic career development. At VicRoads we embrace diversity and inclusion and were proud our workforce reflects the community we work for.

What we offer

• Salary packaging Fitness Passport & discounts to hundreds of retailers
• Opportunities for professional and personal development
• Flexible working arrangements and family-friendly practices including 16 weeks paid parental leave

How to apply

We encourage applications from people of all genders backgrounds and communities.

If you need any adjustments to our recruitment process or the role itself please let us know when applying.

Please submit your application via the Apply button.

For a copy of the Position Description please email

Unfortunately applications cannot be accepted via this email.

VicRoads is required to evidence your right to work in Australia and may ask for your consent to check records maintained by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection as well as records maintained by Victoria Police and VicRoads as part of the selection process. Information provided to VicRoads will be treated in the strictest confidence. Please note that due to legal requirements you must be predominantly located in Australia and for certain roles predominantly located in Melbourne or Victoria.