Specialist recruitment for AI and data centre engineering.
We recruit the engineers who build and run AI infrastructure in Australia — Forward Deployed, AI/ML, data and security engineers, alongside the electrical, mechanical, cooling and facilities seats that keep mission-critical plant running. Sydney-based since 2012.
The Data Centre Engineering desk applies the same search method to development, plant engineering and operations seats.
Data Centre Engineering
We recruit the people who develop, power, cool and run AI factories and data centres: project and commissioning engineers, electrical and controls engineers, mechanical and cooling engineers, and data centre operations teams. Australia, Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Forward Deployed Engineers
The fastest-growing job family in applied AI — popularised by Palantir, now hired by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Salesforce, and Databricks. An FDE embeds with your business, decides where AI belongs, and builds it so it actually works. Sonitec is building ANZ's first dedicated FDE talent pool.
1. Understand the Business Reality
FDEs sit with the people doing the work — often on site — and map the real workflows, not the documented ones, including the exceptions living in people's heads.
2. Apply Deployment Judgment
They decide where intelligence belongs and where it doesn't: which steps need an LLM, which stay deterministic software, and where a human must remain in the loop.
3. Build, Evaluate, Deploy
They ship production-grade agents with eval suites, guardrails, and audit trails — integrated into your existing ERP and CRM systems, not replacing them.
Beyond FDE — Six Specialist Domains Across the AI Lifecycle
A Forward Deployed Engineer is rarely hired alone. We staff the entire AI lifecycle around them — from the data layer through to production, security, and leadership.
Data Foundation
Data Engineers, Data Architects, and Analytics Engineers who build the pipelines, platforms, and models that make AI possible. Spark, Kafka, Airflow, Snowflake, dbt, Databricks.
Model Development
ML Engineers, Data Scientists, Research Scientists, and Algorithm Engineers who design, train, and optimise the models. PyTorch, TensorFlow, NLP, computer vision, recommender systems.
Embedded & Edge AI
Embedded AI Engineers, Computer Vision Engineers, and Robotics Engineers who deploy intelligence on-device. TinyML, ONNX, real-time inference, autonomous systems.
MLOps & AI Infrastructure
MLOps Engineers, ML Platform Engineers, and Cloud Engineers who ship models to production and keep them running. Kubeflow, SageMaker, Vertex AI, Kubernetes, Terraform.
AI Security & Cyber
AI Security Engineers, Cyber Security Engineers, and Governance Specialists who protect AI systems and the data behind them. Adversarial robustness, AppSec, cloud security, compliance.
AI Leadership
Heads of AI, VPs of Engineering, CTOs, and AI Product Managers who set strategy and build high-performing teams. Executive search across Australia and APAC.
From Role Brief to Placement
Map Your AI Stack
We assess your AI maturity, tech stack, and team gaps across the full lifecycle — data, models, ops, and security.
Source Specialists
We activate our AI-specialist network and use deep technical screening to surface candidates who can deliver, not just interview well.
Validate & Match
Every candidate is assessed on technical depth, production experience, and team fit — tailored to your specific AI stack and stage.
Place & Scale
We don't just fill one seat. We help you build and scale entire AI functions — from your first ML hire to a fully built-out team.
Trusted by Leading Organisations
We've worked with Sonitec on different senior & mid level searches. Each time, they were successful in assisting us to explore the market and secure the right person. The team were knowledgeable and did a thoughtful job gathering information about the role before beginning the search.
We had a need to fill multiple positions in a fast-paced tech department. The service, prompt attention, consistent follow up and quality of candidates speaks well of their recruiting, screening process and tech expertise.
Sonitec is capable in identifying qualified individuals across APAC for our staffing needs. The recruiters are dedicated to providing a high degree of professionalism and understand Technology Consulting requirements well.
Engagement Models Built for AI Hiring
Whether you're hiring your first ML engineer or scaling a 30-person AI division, we have a delivery model that fits.
20+ Specialist Roles Across the AI Lifecycle
Data & Model Development
- Data Engineers
- Data Architects
- Analytics Engineers
- AI / ML Engineers
- Data Scientists
- Research / Applied Scientists
- Algorithm Engineers
Ops, Embedded & Security
- Forward Deployed Engineers (FDE)
- MLOps Engineers
- ML Platform Engineers
- Cloud & DevOps Engineers
- Embedded AI Engineers
- Computer Vision Engineers
- AI Security Engineers
- Cyber Security Engineers
AI Leadership & Executive
- Head of AI / VP of AI
- CTO / CIO / CDO / CISO
- Engineering Managers (ML/Data)
- AI Product Managers
- AI Governance Specialists
- Technical Program Managers
2026 AI & Data Centre Engineering Salary Benchmarks
All figures AUD base salary, excluding superannuation. Sydney market rates, 2026, compiled from published Australian salary guides and public market data.
| Role | Senior | Lead / Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) | $180k–240k | $230k–280k |
| AI / ML Engineer | $180k–220k | $200k–250k |
| Data Engineer | $160k–190k | $190k–250k |
| Data Scientist | $110k–190k (avg $150k) | — |
| Software Engineer | $160k–190k | $190k–220k |
| Cyber Security Engineer | $170k–200k | $200k–230k |
| Cloud / Platform Engineer | $170k–210k | $190k–230k |
Data Centre Engineering
AUD base salary, excluding superannuation and shift or on-call allowances. Australia-wide 2026 figures from published data centre and commissioning salary guides; Sydney typically sits above the national figure.
| Role | Range (lower–upper) | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical engineer | $110k–182k | $154k |
| Mechanical engineer | $105k–176k | $149k |
| Facility engineer | $116k–187k | $165k |
| Data centre manager | $127k–209k | $182k |
Roles without a published 2026 band are benchmarked per search — see the full FDE benchmarks or the salary guide, including all Data Centre Engineering bands.
Latest from Sonitec
What Is a Forward Deployed Engineer? The Role Your AI Rollout Is Missing
August 2026
Read More →Meet the Founder
Tuncay Goenuel
With executive and consulting experience from Accenture, A.T. Kearney, and NBNCo, Tuncay founded Sonitec in 2012 with a clear thesis: companies don't just need individual AI hires — they need the complete team to take AI from concept to production. His consulting background means Sonitec maps your AI maturity, identifies gaps across the full stack, and delivers the engineers, scientists, and leaders who build production AI systems that actually work.
What We Stand For
Reliable
If we say we are getting it done, we are getting it done. No shortcuts, no empty promises.
Fast
We move with urgency because our clients can't wait. Tight shortlists, fast turnarounds, no dead air between updates.
Honest
We tell you how it is. If KPIs or expectations need adjusting, we'll tell you — so you always know where you stand.