Head of Data

Virgin Australia; Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 260,000 - 340,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted flights

Flexible hybrid work style

Travel insurance discounts

Lounge membership discounts

Onsite gym and wellness benefits

Job summary

Virgin Australia in Brisbane is seeking a Head of Data to lead the evolution of our data capabilities, enabling better decision-making and value from analytics and AI. Reporting to the CTO, Platforms, you will shape data strategy, governance and the Databricks platform, partnering with technology and business leaders to drive investment and data ownership.

You will lead internal teams and offshore partners, build trusted data foundations, and champion data literacy across the business to unlock

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading data strategy and governance at scale.
• Experience with Databricks data platform and enterprise analytics.
• Strong collaboration with technology and business leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and offshore partners.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver an enterprise data strategy and roadmap aligned with business priorities.
• Lead architecture, evolution and operation of the Databricks platform.
• Establish governance, metadata, lineage and data quality standards.
• Partner with Cyber Security, Privacy, Risk and Legal to embed requirements.
• Build and lead a high-performing data engineering, platforms and governance team.

Skills

Data leadership

Databricks

Data governance

AI & analytics

Stakeholder management

Cloud platforms

Tools

Databricks

Job description

We're the airline that dares to do things a little differently. Bold, down-to-earth and built around giving our guests real choice.

Safety is our backbone, service is our heartbeat, and our people are our superpower. We blend heart and smarts to deliver experiences that feel good, work brilliantly and bring a spark of fun back to flying.

We're vibrant, authentic and unapologetically human. Here, you can bring your whole self, your Virgin Flair and your ambition to a team that champions individuality, innovation and a whole lot of heart. If you're excited by meaningful work, real opportunities to grow, and a culture where you can genuinely make a difference, you'll feel right at home with us.

In our IT team, we’re the engine room that keeps Virgin Australia running smoothly, blending technical excellence with that signature Virgin spirit. We’re curious problem solvers who move fast, think smart and own our impact. Whether we’re delivering seamless digital experiences or strengthening the systems that keep our operation flying, we do it with discipline, heart and a healthy dose of innovation.

What you'll be doing…

As Head of Data, you will lead the evolution of Virgin Australia’s data capabilities, helping our people make better decisions, improve operations and deliver value through analytics and AI.

Reporting to the CTO, Platforms, you will lead our data strategy, platforms, engineering and governance capabilities. You will partner with technology and business leaders to prioritise investment, strengthen data ownership and quality, and build trusted data foundations that support reporting, advanced analytics and AI at scale.

You will lead the evolution and operation of our Databricks data platform, making trusted data easier to discover, understand and use. You will also guide how AI improves the way we engineer, manage and consume data.

This role combines strategic leadership, business partnership and operational accountability. You will lead internal teams and delivery partners, including an offshore service provider, and build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Your responsibilities

Set direction and deliver business value

• Define and deliver an enterprise data strategy and investment roadmap aligned with Virgin Australia’s business priorities and technology strategy.
• Partner with business leaders to identify and prioritise opportunities across operational performance, customer experience, revenue, efficiency and risk.
• Translate priorities into executable plans, with clear ownership, dependencies, investment decisions and measurable outcomes.
• Track business adoption and value alongside data quality, delivery performance, platform reliability and cost.

Build trusted data foundations for analytics and AI

• Lead the architecture, evolution and operation of our Databricks data platform, ensuring it supports enterprise reporting, analytics and AI and integrates effectively with our broader technology environment.
• Develop reusable data products with clear owners, consistent business definitions, quality expectations and service standards.
• Make structured and unstructured data fit for its intended use, including reporting, analytics, generative AI and AI-enabled workflows.
• Strengthen data discovery, metadata, lineage and access controls so people and AI systems can use appropriate data with confidence.
• Enable self-service through trusted data, accessible tools and effective controls that protect sensitive information.

Strengthen governance and responsible use

• Establish practical data governance with business leaders, including clear accountability for data ownership, stewardship, quality and lifecycle management.
• Partner with Cyber Security, Privacy, Risk and Legal to embed security, privacy, retention and regulatory requirements into data services.
• Work with AI and business leaders to ensure AI solutions use appropriate data, have clear accountability and include evaluation, monitoring and human oversight proportionate to their risk.
• Drive remediation of material data issues, prioritising their operational and business impact.

Modernise delivery and operations

• Build effective engineering practices across automated testing, deployment, monitoring and recovery.
• Apply AI to improve data engineering, documentation, quality management and self-service, with appropriate validation and controls.
• Partner with technology, business and AI leaders to move prioritised use cases into reliable, governed operation, with clear ownership and measurable outcomes.
• Manage platform availability, performance, resilience and incident response in line with business criticality.
• Optimise data and AI service costs through transparent consumption, capacity planning and commercial management.
• Evaluate emerging capabilities against business value, integration needs, operating cost and vendor dependency.

Lead people, partners and adoption

• Build and develop a high-performing team across data engineering, platforms, architecture and governance.
• Manage delivery partners and offshore services against clear expectations for quality, outcomes, cost and capability.
• Work closely with Digital Engineering, Cloud Operations, Integrations, Domain IT functions, analytics and AI teams to deliver coherent solutions.
• Help business teams build data literacy and the confidence to use data and AI effectively within their work.
• Provide clear direction, resolve prioritisation conflicts and communicate decisions and trade-offs to senior stakeholders.

The ideal candidate

You are an experienced data leader who connects technology investment with business outcomes. You can set a clear direction, build capable teams and deliver change in a complex operating environment.

You combine sound technical judgement with commercial discipline. You understand that successful analytics and AI depend on trusted data, clear ownership and adoption within business processes. You can influence senior stakeholders, challenge assumptions constructively and make practical decisions when priorities compete.

What you'll get from us:

• Discounted flights for you and your loved ones, including $1,000 worth of travel credits per year.
• A flexible, hybrid work style. Work from home or the
• Discounts on travel insurance, lounge membership, car hire, accommodation and experiences worldwide.
• One of Brisbane’s most admired head office locations, with South Bank train station, a supermarket, pharmacy, and lunch options downstairs plus a 5-minute walk to the Busway, a rooftop restaurant and onsite gym (with a low membership fee) and South Bank Parklands just across the road
• Cheaper hospitality, retail, technology, beauty and wellness services.
• Free counselling and access to a wellbeing app to support your physical, mental, social and financial health.
• 'Dress for Your Day' – enjoy the freedom to wear whatever makes you feel great for the type of work you do and the day you have ahead of you.

When everyone is included, everyone wins

We're all individuals. And we love that. That's why we encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, those from diverse cultural backgrounds, our friends in the LGBTQIA+ community, and anyone else who wants to join our family.

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