Data Engineer

Whizdom; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Whizdom is seeking a skilled Data Engineer to support sensitive internal investigations for a federal government department. This full-time role involves onboarding data to an Enterprise Data Platform while ensuring security and compliance. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in data engineering, ETL management, and automation of data pipelines, particularly in the Defence industry. The position is initially a 3-month contract with potential extensions, based in Canberra. Australian citizenship and current NV1 clearance are mandatory.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience in data engineering with large datasets.
• Proven capability in ETL management for data processes.
• Practical expertise in automation of data pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Lead onboarding of new data sources onto the Enterprise Data Platform.
• Develop and maintain automation frameworks for data workflows.
• Proactively troubleshoot data integration issues for clients.

Skills

Data engineering

ETL management

Data pipelines

Automation of data pipelines

Communication skills

Job description

Step into a role where your analytical mindset, investigative curiosity and commitment to national security truly matter. This full‑time position places you at the centre of sensitive, high‑impact work supporting complex internal investigations. You’ll operate within a specialised, secure environment in Canberra, working onsite at designated locations and contributing directly to the protection of Australia’s most critical assets.

This role is responsible for onboarding data to the enterprise data platform for one of the federal government departments they work with.

The crucial responsibilities will include supporting automation, process improvement and proactively support the client to troubleshoot technical issues, offer solutions and take the lead in implementing proposed solutions.

Defence industry experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end‑to‑end onboarding of new data sources onto the Enterprise Data Platform (EDP) for a major federal government department, ensuring accuracy, security, and compliance with governance standards.
• Develop, enhance, and maintain automation frameworks to streamline data ingestion, validation, and processing workflows across the platform.
• Identify opportunities for continuous process improvement within data onboarding and platform operations, driving efficiencies and reducing manual effort.
• Serve as a technical point of contact for the client, proactively troubleshooting data integration and platform‑related issues to ensure smooth and timely resolution.
• Analyse technical problems, present solution options, and take ownership of implementing approved fixes or enhancements.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams—including data engineers, architects, and government stakeholders to ensure data onboarding requirements are clearly understood and delivered effectively.
• Ensure all data handling aligns with federal government security, privacy, and compliance obligations.
• Prepare and maintain documentation covering data pipelines, onboarding procedures, and technical solutions deployed on the platform.
• Contribute to platform stability and performance by monitoring data flows and responding to anomalies or incidents.

The Successful Candidate

• Strong hands‑on experience in data engineering, including working with large and complex datasets, data pipelines, and enterprise‑scale data environments.
• Proven capability in ETL management, covering the design, development, optimisation, and maintenance of Extract‑Transform‑Load processes.
• Demonstrated experience in data load management, ensuring data is ingested accurately, efficiently, and according to platform and client requirements.
• Practical expertise in the automation of data pipelines, using modern tooling to reduce manual interventions, improve reliability, and enhance operational performance.
• A proactive approach to identifying technical issues and implementing robust solutions within data platforms or integration environments.
• The ability to work effectively with Defence industry stakeholders, understanding the security, operational, and compliance considerations unique to Defence industry environments.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non‑technical stakeholders and influence decision‑making.

What is on offer

• This contract is being offered as a 3‑month initial contract with potential extensions.

Security Requirements

• Australian citizenship is mandatory.
• Current NV1 clearance but NV2 is preferred.

Candidates will need to be willing to undergo pre‑employment screening checks which may include ID and work rights, security clearance verification, and any other client‑requested checks.