Senior Data Scientist

Location: Murarrie, QLD (Home of the Turrbal and Yuggera Peoples)

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-time

Make a measurable impact using data that drives real outcomes for children, families, and centres.

As a Senior Data Scientist within Goodstart's Data Science team, you will be the team's subject matter expert in predictive machine learning and applied AI, while contributing strong Generative AI technical capability across the broader Data Analytics and Insights (DA&I) function. Reporting to the Data Science Manager, you will partner with Data Scientists, Data Analysts and Data Engineering to apply knowledge of existing and emerging data science principles and techniques to inform business decisions.

Your Impact:

In this role, you will lead the delivery of data science solutions across high-impact areas including child safety and safeguarding, quality and compliance, forecasting and retention. This is an opportunity to apply your technical expertise, collaborative approach and innovative thinking to help improve outcomes for children and families across Australia.

You will:

Lead the end-to-end delivery of predictive models, applied AI and targeted Generative AI solutions that solve high-priority business challenges and deliver measurable value for Goodstart.

Work closely with business stakeholders to understand their needs, identify valuable use cases and translate complex analytical findings into clear recommendations, decisions and measurable outcomes.

Take accountability for model quality and accuracy, applying pragmatic judgement to deliver trusted, maintainable solutions with technical rigour proportionate to the business need.

Partner with Data Scientists, Data Analysts, Data Engineering and operational teams across all aspects of solution delivery, ensuring solutions are practical, adopted and embedded into business workflows.

Strengthen team capability through technical direction, coaching, code reviews and the continued improvement of modelling, MLOps and documentation practices.

What Goodstart can offer you:

• Flexible work arrangements giving you choice about when and how work will be done in order to bettermanage your work and non-work needs (As approved by management)
• Salary Packaging benefits which reduce your taxable income to increase take home pay
• Access to discounted childcare (up to 15%)
• Fitness Passport - access to gyms and pools for you and your family at a heavily discounted price
• Discounted health care and access to employee wellbeing program with BUPA
• Exclusive discounts on travel, gym memberships, Apple and Dell products, and more.
• Free annual flu shot (optional)
• Option to purchase extra leave for even greater work life balance
• First Nations Support and Cultural Leave
• Work for a company that has an aspiration to be globally recognised for early years practice and learning outcomes
• Gain significant investment in your growth and development with support, tools, training and experiences that will truly enhance the progress and outcomes for children in their earliest years.

You'll bring to the table:

Required:

5+ years of experience in data science, applied machine learning, or advanced analytics roles within a large or complex organisation, with demonstrated progression in technical responsibility and delivery.

Bachelor's degree or higher in Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a closely related quantitative field.

Demonstrated advanced capability in predictive modelling, including gradient boosted machines (e.g. XGBoost, LightGBM) and/or ensemble methods, applied to real-world business problems with evidenced impact and production deployments.

Hands-on experience applying Generative AI to practical business use cases, including LLMs and prompt engineering, with exposure to RAG or agentic workflows.

Extensive hands-on experience with Python and SQL to production-level code standards.

Proven experience presenting complex analytical and model outputs to senior non-technical audiences and influencing business decisions.

Demonstrated experience deploying and managing models in cloud production environments using tools such as Azure Machine Learning, MLflow or equivalent, including model monitoring, versioning and lifecycle management

Strong understanding of data privacy, governance, ethics, and the safe use of sensitive data, particularly in human services, families, or children's data contexts.

• Current QLD Working with Children Check

Experience in early learning, education or human services, or a demonstrated interest in applying data science within a social-impact organisation.

Familiarity with causal inference techniques beyond standard A/B testing, and experience designing analytical approaches that rigorously account for confounding in observational data.

Experience with personalisation, recommendation, or retention modelling use cases, or exposure to child/family outcomes data, social determinants, or safeguarding analytics.

At Goodstart we are deeply committed to Reconciliation and encourage Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to apply.

We're an equal opportunity employer that is proud of our inclusive and diverse work environment. We know that Goodstarters from diverse cultures, backgrounds and experiences strengthen our teams and help us grow. We're also deeply committed to Reconciliation and creating an environment where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People feel a strong sense of belonging and connection.

Safety is our priority and we will take any action necessary to ensure that all children can feel safe and be safe, and are safeguarded from abuse, neglect and harm. As a Child Safe Organisation, all of our candidates must have or obtain a valid working with children check.