Data Engineer - 1 year fixed term contract

We are seeking a Data Engineer to join a collaborative and purpose-driven team, designing and maintaining data solutions within the Microsoft Azure ecosystem. You'll develop ETL/ELT pipelines, optimise data platforms, and ensure high standards of data quality, governance, security, and privacy. This role offers flexible working, professional development opportunities, and the chance to work alongside knowledgeable colleagues delivering meaningful outcomes through data.

What you'll do:

As a Data Engineer you will play a pivotal role in designing pipelines that move critical information from source systems into analytics platforms. Your day-to-day activities will involve developing well-modelled data products trusted by analysts and business users alike. You will support continuous improvement of the platform by proactively identifying architectural enhancements while maintaining clear documentation for workflows and infrastructure. Security, privacy, and governance are central to your work; you will consistently apply relevant legislation and frameworks to protect sensitive information. Collaboration is key—you will engage with stakeholders across teams to deliver reliable solutions tailored to their needs. By contributing technical advice and informal mentoring within communities of practice, you help foster a culture of shared learning. Your efforts underpin a public sector environment where information handling meets high standards for quality assurance and ethical responsibility.

What you bring:

Your proven experience as a Data Engineer equips you with deep technical knowledge across cloud-based platforms like Microsoft Azure. You bring strong interpersonal skills that allow you to collaborate effectively with analysts and business stakeholders while translating complex requirements into actionable solutions. Your commitment to responsible information handling ensures compliance with privacy laws and security standards. You demonstrate empathy when supporting colleagues through coaching or informal mentoring—helping others upskill within the analytical environment. Your attention to detail shines through in your documentation practices which make it easy for users to understand how their data is processed. With a tertiary qualification in computer science or related discipline—or equivalent practical experience—you are well-prepared for this role’s demands. Familiarity with agile delivery practices or exposure to New Zealand public sector environments further enhances your suitability.

• Three or more years of practical experience as a Data Engineer or in a closely related role demonstrating your dependability in delivering complex projects.
• Proven expertise designing and operating data pipelines within Microsoft Azure environments including Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions for CI/CD workflows.
• Strong proficiency in ELT/ETL processes incorporating data from diverse sources such as operational systems, APIs, files, third-party providers.
• Excellent skills in data modelling and architecture enabling creation of business intelligence-ready datasets for research analysis.
• Advanced SQL capabilities alongside familiarity with other analytical tools used for transforming large datasets efficiently.
• Experience with Microsoft Fabric components (Lakehouse, Warehouse, Data Pipelines, Notebooks) including orchestration of workflows or willingness to upskill quickly if required.
• Ability to connect and support visualisations in Power BI ensuring end-users have access to meaningful insights.
• Hands-on use of Git for version control supporting collaborative development practices within teams.
• Sound understanding of data governance principles including privacy legislation (Privacy Act 2020), security frameworks (NZISM & PSR), Māori data sovereignty considerations (Ngā Tikanga Paihere).
• Clear written and verbal communication skills enabling you to explain technical concepts plainly for non-technical audiences.

Robert Walters endeavours to review all applications in a maximum of five working days. If you have not received correspondence in this timeframe please do not hesitate to contact Sean Caulfield on +64 4 471 9732.