Senior Data Scientist, Regulatory Systems

About Us

The Department of Government Services (DGS) was established on 1 January 2023 to improve everyone’s experience of doing business and interacting with the Victorian government.  We bring important day-to-day services together in one department to make things easy and seamless for Victorians and businesses.  We are doing this by connecting and digitising our systems and platforms across state and local government as well as streamlining our corporate and procurement services.  

You can find out more about our Ministers, leadership and entities here: Department of Government Services. 

About the Group

The purpose of this group is to make it easier for customers and businesses to engage with government. It is accountable for strategy and policy development, regulatory design, sector support and program design and the delivery of regulatory services to – and in the best interests of – Victorians. It aims to provide consistently great customer experiences in the delivery of scalable, efficient and effective services. Managing the delivery of services with a balance of expertise and speed, while driving the digital transformation of those services.  

About the Role

The Lead Data Scientist is a key member of the Regulatory Insights and Systems team, responsible for the Data Analytics and AI stream, transforming regulatory data into high‑value insights that support evidence‑based decision‑making across CAV and the wider department.

Reporting to the Technical Lead, Regulatory Insights and Systems, the role leads two senior data analysts in undertaking complex analytical, AI, and research projects that draw on CAV’s diverse regulatory, compliance, and operational datasets.

The position plays a central role in strengthening CAV’s understanding of regulatory system performance by sourcing, integrating, and analysing data from multiple internal and external systems. The Lead Data Scientist leads development of high‑quality insights, dashboards, and research outputs that inform policy development, regulatory strategy, compliance intelligence, operational improvement, and public reporting.

The Lead Data Scientist provides expert analytical advice, ensures methodological rigour, and contributes to the development of data standards, quality assurance processes, and documentation that underpin the integrity of the Regulatory Systems Data Insights function.

Working closely with the Technical Lead and broader regulatory teams, the role contributes to enterprise data capability uplift by championing best‑practice analytics, reproducibility, and innovative data approaches to enhance the department’s regulatory intelligence and strategic insight capabilities.

Key Accountabilities

1. Work across complex, multi‑stream analytical programs, ensuring work directly supports CAV’s regulatory strategy and departmental priorities.
2. Set and maintain analytical standards, including methodological frameworks, peer review processes, reproducible workflows, and quality assurance practices across the Regulatory Systems Data Insights function.
3. Act as the technical authority for advanced analytics, modelling approaches, and data interpretation, providing guidance to analysts.
4. Shape the development and governance of predictive models, AI solutions, and risk scoring methodologies, ensuring alignment with responsible AI and government assurance frameworks.
5. Translate complex analytical findings into clear, compelling insights through written reports, visualisations, dashboards, and presentations tailored to diverse audiences, including executives and non‑technical stakeholders. Engage with senior internal and external stakeholders, influencing policy, operational, and regulatory decision-making through authoritative insights and evidence.

Mandatory requirements

• A tertiary qualification in data science, computer science, statistics, mathematics, engineering, or a closely related quantitative discipline is required.

For more information, please see the Position Description.

This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia.

How to apply 

Apply before the advertised closing date 11:59pm on Monday 27 July 2026. All applications should include:  

·       a resume; and  

·       a cover letter which addresses the key selection criteria (within three pages).

Other relevant information

To be eligible for appointment to this role, applicants will possess corresponding work rights for the advertised employment period. Appointment to an ongoing role is only available to an Australian/New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.  Preferred applicants will be required to undertake pre-employment screening. DGS actively promotes diversity, inclusion and an equal opportunity workplace. We welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds, including people with disabilities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. All roles at DGS can be worked flexibly, however it may differ from role to role.