Principal Engineer - AI

Are you ready to be part of an organisation that values expertise, passion and diversity? At CFS we know that the foundation of our success lies in our exceptional people. We believe in celebrating individuality, have a passion for high performance and creating an environment where you can unleash your full potential. Our people enable us to make a difference and deliver exceptional experiences to help our customers achieve financial freedom.
 

Your Team

• The FirstChoice Technology team is part of CFS’s Chief Operating Office which is accountable for the operational management, governance, risk oversight, technology enablement, and service delivery functions that support our business. As a Principal Engineer – AI you will provide hands-on technical leadership for AI-enabled products and services across FirstChoice Technology, promoting innovation, curiosity, collaboration and disciplined engineering delivery.

Your Responsibilities

• Mentor team members and provide thought leadership across Delivery, Engineering, DevOps, Quality Assurance and Production Support Providing plain English, accurate, timely, advice through effective communication.

• Contribute to the definition and refinement of engineering standards to improve the maturity of CFS engineering practice, keeping pace with technology advances and industry trends.

• Translate business needs for change into detailed designs for complex or critical projects and review detailed designs for other projects.

• Implement designs for critical or complex components, including components that introduce new AI patterns or technical capabilities, in compliance with relevant engineering standards and support testing and defect resolution.

• Partner with Product, Digital, Contact Centre, Data, Risk and Security teams to deliver AI features that support regulated servicing needs for superannuation, retirement income and investments.

• Embed responsible AI controls including human-in-the-loop escalation, safety guardrails, monitoring, audit evidence, explainability considerations and incident management processes.

• Own or support relevant AI service health indicators, including availability, latency, answer quality, cost, monitoring, alerting and operational readiness.

  
  

Your Capability and Experience

• Expert-level software engineering capability with evidence of maintaining contemporary core skills, domain knowledge and awareness of AI and engineering industry trends.

• Proven experience designing, developing, and deploying end-user-facing AI agents, copilots, and agentic applications using frameworks such as LangChain, Microsoft Semantic Kernel, Microsoft Agent Framework, or similar AI orchestration frameworks.

• Experience with enterprise AI platforms such as Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Power Platform, AWS AI Services, or equivalent cloud-based AI solutions.

• Strong understanding of emerging open standards, protocols, and interoperability frameworks for AI agents, including Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent-to-Agent (A2A), AG-UI, A2UI, OpenAI APIs and specifications, and related agent communication and integration standards.

• Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Python, C#, or TypeScript, with experience building, integrating, and operating scalable AI-powered applications and services. 

• Experience integrating AI agents with enterprise systems, APIs, knowledge sources, RAG architectures, and business workflows while applying security, governance, and responsible AI practices. 

What to Expect
At CFS, you'll be working among the very best in the wealth management industry. It's an inspiring environment that encourages development and celebrates success. Other things to look forward to:

• Access to CFS Employer Super, which offers an expansive investment menu and flexible insurance solutions
• Support with financial services, including discounts on home loans and daily bank accounts through our partnership with a leading financial institution
• Access to 24/7 confidential support covering safety, medical and mental health services
• Additional leave day to celebrate your birthday · Life Leave - 3 days per annum to focus on your wellbeing or celebrate a special event
• Exclusive discounts on retail, travel and entertainment

CFS Culture
At CFS we are committed to creating a thriving environment where individuals can flourish. We believe that success is built upon strong teams, and we are dedicated to celebrating uniqueness, championing individuality and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. We believe that when you can truly be yourself, you can unlock your full potential.
Apply today and join us in helping Australians to achieve their financial freedom.
Please note, CFS requires all candidates to have full work rights in Australia.
Where we have preferred candidates, background checks (including Police, Employment, Bankruptcy checks, ASIC banned and disqualified persons) will be completed prior to the final preferred candidate's employment being confirmed. The outcomes of the background checks do not preclude the preferred candidate, however, they will be assessed against the inherent requirements of the role.
This role is based on Gadigal Land (Sydney).