Crescent Recruitment – Christchurch, South Island A high-growth New Zealand technology company is building globally deployed systems that power real-world connectivity across satellite and distributed infrastructure.
They are now seeking a Senior AI Engineerto define and lead how AI is applied across the business.
The Role You will work closely with the CTO to design and deliver AI systems that operate in real-world environments—not proofs of concept.
Identify where AI can deliver meaningful business and customer value Design and implement production-quality AI and data systems Build models and pipelines to extract insight from real-time and historical data Develop intelligent systems that monitor, diagnose, and optimise operations Deliver customer-facing insights, diagnostics, and recommendations Integrate AI into existing platforms, services, and workflows Ensure systems are reliable, observable, and aligned to real-world constraints Define validation, testing, and evaluation approaches for AI systems Continuously improve models based on real-world performance This is a hands‐on role focused on building systems that are used, trusted, and relied on in production.
What We're Looking For5+ years' experience in AI, machine learning, or data engineering Proven experience delivering AI or data‐driven systems into production Strong ability to translate ambiguous problems into practical solutions Experience working with real‐time or streaming data Strong understanding of model validation, evaluation, and performance Experience integrating AI into existing systems and workflows Excellent communication skills Nice to Have Experience with time‐series data or anomaly detection Background in telecommunications, Io T, or distributed systems Experience with modern data infrastructure and pipelines Experience building customer‐facing AI or decision‐support systems Exposure to optimisation or control systems What Makes This Role Different True greenfield AI opportunity—define the strategy and approach Build production systems, not prototypes Work on real‐world data from globally deployed systems High level of ownership and autonomy Direct influence on product and system design Small, high‐performing team with real impact Location Christchurch‐based candidates strongly preferred Some flexibility for candidates in other NZ locations In‐office collaboration is an important part of how the team operates Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.
If you're a senior AI engineer who wants to build real systems, solve meaningful problems, and define how AI is applied from the ground up—this is a rare opportunity to do exactly that.
