Senior Data Scientist

About Us

WorkSafe New Zealand is the primary authority for workplace health and safety regulation, committed to ensuring everyone returns home healthy and safe. We operate guided by core values of unity, meaningful engagement, and duty of care.

Team Overview

The Enterprise Planning and Implementation group supports organisational coordination and prioritisation. The Data, Analytics and AI team drives data-based decision-making, collaborating with diverse roles to build foundational data assets that facilitate reporting and enhance organisational performance.

Role Summary

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will develop and implement advanced analytical and AI solutions tackling complex regulatory and organisational challenges. Your contributions will include creating risk-targeting projects and AI tools to aid regulatory and frontline operations, working closely with engineers, analysts, and stakeholders to deliver impactful models and products supporting workplace safety outcomes in New Zealand.

Responsibilities

• Create, develop, and validate sophisticated analytical models and artificial intelligence solutions.
• Utilize statistical methods, machine learning, and AI, including advanced techniques like large language model (LLM) based retrieval-augmented generation, agents, and structured extraction to address complex datasets and issues.
• Devise evaluation strategies for AI/model outputs involving test sets, human assessments, and performance metrics.
• Facilitate deployment and operational transition of AI models, including monitoring their ongoing performance.
• Collaborate with data engineers, analysts, and specialists to build complete end-to-end technological solutions.
• Drive technical best practices such as code reviews, documentation, reproducibility, and MLOps adherence.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to raising team expertise.
• Effectively communicate analytical results, clarifying the capabilities and limitations of models for decision-makers.

Requirements

• Proven track record managing full lifecycle data science projects, from defining problems, preparing data, modeling, validation to deployment and monitoring in production environments.
• Advanced proficiency in Python or R programming, plus SQL, and strong experience with key machine learning and data science libraries.
• Knowledge and experience with LLM-based AI solutions (e.g., RAG, agents, structured extraction) or strong classical machine learning expertise with a passion for expanding these skills.
• Sound understanding of validating models correctly selecting performance metrics and identifying risks like data leakage, overfitting, or class imbalance.
• Experience working within cloud platforms (preferably Azure) and familiarity with machine learning operations (MLOps) standards.
• Competence handling large, complex, or incomplete datasets effectively.
• Excellent ability to articulate technical concepts and uncertainties to non-technical stakeholders clearly.
• Experience mentoring colleagues or enhancing technical practices within teams.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or an equivalent field, or comparable practical experience.

Additional Information

The salary range for this permanent full-time role is NZD 120,551 to NZD 158,328, with initial appointments expected between NZD 120,551 and NZD 133,143, exclusive of employer KiwiSaver/SSRSS contributions. From April 2026, KiwiSaver contributions will increase to 3.5%.

Employee benefits include 5 weeks of annual leave, 15 days of sick leave, flexible work options, a rewards and recognition program, career development opportunities, and employee-led networks supporting diverse communities.

Applicants must have legal permission to reside and work in New Zealand.

Applications close at 11:59 pm on 14th September 2026; early submissions are encouraged as shortlisting occurs on a rolling basis. Priority consideration is given to existing employees displaced by recent organisational structural changes.