Principal AI & Security Automation Engineer

At Thales, we know technology has the ability to make our world more secure, sustainable, and inclusive – driving this technology are our people.

It takes talented people to build and power the systems and solutions that communities depend on every day. So, we stay curious and make space for diverse points of view.

From manufacturing and engineering to cybersecurity and space, we’re driving progress in some of the world’s most important industries – and working together to build a future we can all trust.

Our Benefits

• Competitive remuneration + Super + Bonus + Free Medical Insurance
• Annualised Performance Review Process
• ThalesFlex – Hybrid work environment
• Fitness Passport Discount – Access to a network of Gyms across AUS from $15 P/W
• Employee discounts with a number of affiliates (Travel, Car hire, Tech, Medical Insurance)
• Modernised Paid Parental Leave
• Veterans Leave
• Novated Lease options
• Personal & professional training development opportunities
• Sonder – Wellbeing & Support Partner
• We are proud to be endorsed as a Work180 Employer and recognised as a Family Friendly Employer 

Our Team

Thales delivers cybersecurity products and services that keep people and assets safe, giving organisations confidence in the security of their digital journeys. Our solutions are deployed in 148 countries, helping governments to maintain sovereignty, and organisations to preserve their strategic autonomy. Thales is a global leader in cybersecurity - no.1 in data security - with 6,000+ experts and developers. We bring trust and resilience to key industries including finance, health, retail and manufacturing, as well as vital sectors such as aerospace, critical infrastructure, defence and space.

Your Role

We're looking for a Principal AI & Security Automation Engineer to help shape the future of intelligent security operations. This is a highly technical, hands-on role sitting at the intersection of artificial intelligence, software engineering, cloud technologies, and cybersecurity. You'll design and deliver AI-powered automation solutions that eliminate operational complexity, improve service delivery, and enable security teams to operate at scale.

Working from our Melbourne Office in the World Trade Centre on Wurundjeri land, your role purpose will be:

• Design and build AI agents, intelligent automation workflows, and cloud-native platforms that streamline security operations and reduce manual effort
• Develop Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions, search architectures, and AI copilots using modern AWS AI services and enterprise data sources
• Engineer event-driven integrations and automation pipelines across security platforms, SIEMs, cloud services, and business systems.
• Create scalable tooling, ChatOps solutions, and self-service capabilities that empower analysts, consultants, and operational teams.
• Partner with technical, delivery, and sales teams to solve complex customer challenges and accelerate adoption of innovative security services
• Drive engineering excellence through modern software development practices, CI/CD, automation, and cloud-native security principles.

Your Experience

On day one in this role, we'll expect you to bring the following skills, experience and behaviours:

• Extensive experience in software engineering, security automation, cloud platforms, AI/ML engineering, or DevSecOps, with a proven track record delivering enterprise-scale solutions
• Strong proficiency in Python development, API integration, automation frameworks, and modern software engineering practices.
• Hands-on experience building generative AI applications, AI agents, semantic search solutions, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) capabilities
• Deep knowledge of AWS cloud services, including AI, serverless, security, integration, and data services, with the ability to design secure and scalable architectures
• Experience developing and optimising automation, search, and telemetry pipelines that support operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles, security operations, threat management, and secure-by-design engineering practices.
• The ability to translate complex technical challenges into practical, scalable solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to collaborate across engineering, operations, product, sales, and customer-facing teams
• A curious and innovative mindset, balanced by sound judgement, accountability, and a commitment to quality and operational excellence.
• A collaborative approach to problem solving, with a passion for mentoring others and helping teams embrace automation and AI-driven ways of working

Australian Defence Roles & Security

A Defence security clearance is required for this role, applicants must be Australian citizens and eligible to obtain and maintain an appropriate clearance.
Additional information with regards to clearances is available from the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency website http://www.defence.gov.au/AGSVA/. In some cases, individuals who hold a current clearance from a foreign government may be eligible to have this clearance recognised by the Australian Government and be eligible for this role.The Australian Defence Trade Controls Act (DTCA) is applicable and as such, your nationality may be a factor in determining your suitability for this role.

It’s easy to dismiss the perfect opportunity if you don’t see yourself as the perfect fit. If this role feels right – no matter your background or personal circumstances – please introduce yourself or join our community. We’re committed to supporting a diverse workplace, and that starts here.

We’re proud to be endorsed by WORK180 as an Employer for All Women, but we know there’s always more we can do. We’ll continue to foster industry partnerships, employee resource groups (ERGs) and development opportunities to make Thales a genuinely equitable employer, for everyone.

Read more about our WORK180 endorsement.