Machine Learning Engineer – AI Team (Global Digital)
About the Role
We are seeking a talented Machine Learning Engineer to join our Brisbane-based AI Team. This role is ideal for an engineer who is passionate about the potential of AI to transform the way we design, plan, and experience the built environment.
The successful candidate will play a key role in developing and deploying machine learning models that support our designers and architects globally, shaping intelligent tools that connect technology, data, and creativity. You’ll collaborate across disciplines to experiment, train, and integrate AI capabilities into scalable, cloud-based systems that drive innovation in design and decision-making.
About Us at Populous
At Populous, our teams design the places where people love to be together. We are a unique global company built on the philosophy and power of drawing large groups of people together to have incredible experiences.
From our Brisbane head office to projects around the world, our portfolio spans stadiums, convention and exhibition centres, airports, high-performance training facilities, e-ports and entertainment precincts, and mixed-use venues.
At our core, we are urban designers with a true focus on user experience, creating civic infrastructure that brings communities together for amazing experiences. Our sustainable design ethos is central to every project we undertake. You may recognise one of our iconic local projects here in Brisbane — Suncorp Stadium, which has welcomed over 24 million spectators through its gates. This legacy of world-class design in Queensland continues to inspire our future work.
Why Populous Stands Out from the Rest
We don’t consider ourselves just another architecture and design company. At Populous, we believe our strength lies in our diversity. Our APAC team represents over 35 different nationalities from all walks of life, and we actively celebrate and support this.
We are proud to be endorsed by Work180 for our commitment to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for women — and to have appeared in their Top 100 Employers for Women in 2024.
Populous provides our people with:
- Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance
- Enhanced paid leave entitlements, including fertility, parental, study, and blood donation leave
- Global career opportunities across our international offices
- An entertainment allowance to enjoy venues we’ve helped bring to life
- Career development opportunities, including leadership development, mentorship, CPD, and technical workshops
- A vibrant social culture, with a variety of activities and events organised by our POP Social Team
What You’ll Do
Model Development & Integration
- Develop and fine-tune machine learning models in NLP, computer vision, and generative AI.
- Adapt and integrate foundation models (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI, Cohere) for targeted use cases.
- Implement APIs for inference, batch jobs, and model access within production systems.
- Collaborate with developers to embed ML capabilities into user-facing applications.
Data Pipelines & Experimentation
- Build end-to-end pipelines for data collection, preprocessing, and training.
- Work with structured, unstructured, and spatial data across varied sources.
- Manage model evaluations, experiment tracking, and dataset versioning for reproducibility.
- Monitor model performance and address drift or degradation over time.
Tooling & Infrastructure
- Use ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Hugging Face Transformers.
- Operate within cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) for training and deployment.
- Leverage MLflow, Weights & Biases, or LangChain for model tracking and orchestration.
- Contribute to the design and evolution of internal AI/ML-powered tools.
Collaboration & Innovation
- Work in agile, cross-functional teams alongside developers, designers, and domain experts.
- Stay current with research, tooling, and trends in AI/ML — bringing new ideas into practice.
- Contribute to AI architecture decisions and share your perspective in technical planning.
What We’re Looking For
You’re a creative problem solver who thrives on applying AI to real-world challenges. You’ll fit right in if you’re curious, hands-on, and passionate about building tools that bridge data, design, and human experience.
Core Technical Skills
- 3+ years of experience in machine learning engineering or applied ML roles.
- Strong Python skills and familiarity with ML libraries (scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow).
- Experience integrating ML models into applications and workflows.
- Understanding of vector search and embedding-based systems (e.g., FAISS, Pinecone, Weaviate).
- Comfortable deploying models via REST APIs (e.g., FastAPI, Flask).
- Skilled in handling structured and unstructured data (text, images, spatial data).
- Experience with cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
Development & Collaboration
- Experienced in building and maintaining ML pipelines from prototype to production.
- Familiar with experiment tracking and version control (MLflow, Git, Weights & Biases).
- Strong communication skills — able to translate complex ideas for non-technical audiences.
- Collaborative and proactive within interdisciplinary teams.
Mindset & Domain Interest
- Research-oriented and motivated to apply AI in tangible, impactful ways.
- Interest in the built environment — from urban design and spatial data to civic infrastructure.
- Background in architecture, engineering, or design technology is a plus, not a requirement.
Preferred (but Not Required)
- Experience with LLM orchestration (LangChain, Haystack).
- Familiarity with RAG, prompt tuning, or hybrid search.
- Exposure to MLOps workflows (Airflow, Argo) or model governance.
- Understanding of AI ethics, data privacy, and explainability.
- Experience building internal tooling or AI interfaces for non-technical users.
At Populous
We’re not only looking for technical expertise but for people who share our passion for creating places where communities come together. We design the places that bring people together and we know that happens best when our own team reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
We encourage people of all identities, abilities, and lived experiences to apply and join us in shaping the future of design.
Why Join Populous
- Work at the forefront of AI innovation within design and architecture.
- Collaborate with a global network of creative and forward-thinking professionals.
- Access the latest cloud and AI tools to build meaningful, real-world products.
- Be part of a supportive, flexible, and future-focused culture.
- Shape how technology transforms the way people experience the world around them.