What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of IT & AI position at Emesent?
Our Mission: To Be Bold and Impactful
At Emesent, we build autonomous robotics, LiDAR mapping, and spatial data technologies that are transforming the way industries understand and interact with the physical world. Founded in 2018 with deep roots in Australia’s globally recognised CSIRO, Emesent has become a global leader in drone autonomy and mobile mapping solutions.
With a rapidly growing international customer base and expanding product portfolio across hardware, desktop software, and cloud platforms we are entering an exciting new phase of growth and we’re looking for leaders who want to help shape what comes next.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Director of IT and AI to lead Emesent’s business-enabling technology function end-to-end. Reporting to the EVP Product & Engineering, this role owns IT strategy, operations, infrastructure, team leadership, and the make-vs-buy decisions, including both traditional IT and supporting as we transition to AI-first work.
This is a highly visible leadership role that combines strategic thinking with hands-on technical credibility. You’ll work across a broad technology landscape including corporate IT, on-site infrastructure, identity management, SaaS ecosystems, AI enablement, and operational security.
You’ll lead a growing team while partnering closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, HR, Finance, and Executive Leadership to ensure Emesent’s IT environment is secure, scalable, reliable, and future-ready.
\nIT Strategy & Leadership
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Develop and execute Emesent’s multi-year IT strategy aligned to business growth and operational priorities.
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Lead and grow the IT function, building a high-performing and service-oriented team.
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Make strategic decisions around insourcing vs outsourcing, balancing scalability, sovereignty, and security considerations.
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Partner with senior leaders across Engineering, Manufacturing, HR, Finance, and Executive teams.
Infrastructure & Operations
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Oversee corporate IT infrastructure including networks, WiFi, corporate systems, SaaS platforms, internal engineering VM compute clusters, and Microsoft/Linux environments.
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Improve reliability, recoverability, and governance across the IT ecosystem.
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Lead disaster recovery and business continuity initiatives, including offsite backups and infrastructure resilience.
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Drive identity and access management improvements, including Microsoft IdP integrations with SaaS platforms and AWS environments.
AI Enablement & Governance
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Responsibility for Emesent’s AI Governance Framework, including the AI policy and principles.
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Support the operational rollout of AI tools and capabilities across the business.
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Enable teams to safely adopt AI technologies and workflows, including internal AI and AI-created tools for business operations.
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Administer and govern AI platforms such as Claude Code and other emerging AI technologies.
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Execute the operational requirements of Emesent’s AI Governance Framework, including AI registers, audit support, and tool governance.
Cybersecurity & Risk
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Partner closely with the future Cybersecurity Director to manage and uplift the technology and governance elements of our security posture.
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Support cybersecurity framework compliance assessments and audits.
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Contribute to Defence-readiness and supply chain assurance considerations across technology decisions.
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This role does not have responsibility for Emesent’s products’ cybersecurity posture.
Stabilise the Essentials
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Improve reliability across wired and wireless networks.
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Perform a BIA and review/uplift the BC/DR capability across IT systems.
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Establish scalable identity and access management practices.
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Review, implement and maintain the new AI governance framework.
Build the Team & Operating Model
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Assess capability gaps and set up the IT function appropriately.
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Finalise key hires and define the right balance between internal capability and external partnerships.
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Build an operating model that supports Emesent’s scale and customer expectations.
Define the Future
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Develop a board-ready IT strategy informed by business growth, AI adoption, and security priorities.
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Establish strong practices and enable adoption of AI governance.
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Collaborate with the Director of Cybersecurity to define and execute the Cybersecurity Program
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10 years’ experience in IT, including senior leadership experience.
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Proven experience leading corporate IT functions in complex or high-growth technology environments.
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Strong understanding of infrastructure, identity management, networking, SaaS ecosystems, and operational security.
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Experience managing both Microsoft and Linux-based environments.
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Demonstrated ability to build teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
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Experience supporting AI enablement, governance, or technology transformation initiatives.
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Defence industry exposure or understanding of sovereignty and security-driven decision making is highly regarded.
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9-day fortnight - every second Friday off
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Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) - share in Emesent’s success
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Work alongside a passionate and collaborative team building world-leading technology
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Genuine learning and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning access
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Employee Assistance Program
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One additional day of leave each year for your work anniversary
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Novated lease options
Why Emesent?
At Emesent, you’ll work on technology that is genuinely shaping the future of how industries capture and understand the physical world. We offer a dynamic, collaborative environment, competitive compensation, and real opportunities for professional growth. Join us in pushing the boundaries of robotics and spatial intelligence.