Principal Data Engineer

Qantas; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 230,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff Travel Benefits from Day One

Job summary

Qantas is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to lead the design and evolution of enterprise data platforms. You will drive scalable, secure data solutions across the organisation, using Snowflake, AWS, dbt, Python and Airflow.

You will mentor engineers, perform architecture reviews and set governance standards. You will partner with Architects, Delivery Leads and senior stakeholders to translate requirements into cloud-based data solutions and establish a roadmap for data engineering while

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading enterprise-scale data initiatives and influencing technical strategy.
• Expert knowledge of Snowflake architecture, modelling, security and performance optimization.
• Advanced experience with AWS and cloud-native data architectures.
• Deep expertise in dbt, SQL and Python, with strong DevOps practices.
• Experience with Airflow and modern orchestration tools.
• Knowledge of IaC and platform engineering using Terraform.
• Proven FinOps leadership including cost attribution and forecasting for cloud/data platforms.
• Experience integrating complex enterprise ecosystems (SaaS, APIs, networking).
• Experience delivering data platforms with data quality, observability and data contracts.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Track record mentoring engineers and driving continuous engineering excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, delivery and evolution of scalable, secure data solutions across the organisation.
• Establish engineering standards for reliable, observable data platforms and cost-effectiveness.
• Mentor engineers and conduct architecture reviews to foster technical excellence.
• Collaborate with Architects, Delivery Leads and Product Owners to define technical direction.
• Shape the strategic roadmap for data engineering and guide adoption of new tools.

Skills

Data engineering leadership

Snowflake architecture

AWS cloud

dbt core

SQL

Python

Airflow

Terraform

FinOps leadership

Data quality & observability

Stakeholder engagement

Mentoring engineers

Tools

Snowflake Openflow

Kafka

Datadog

Alation

Cloudability

Job description

• Exciting opportunity within our Data & Analytics team
• Permanent, full-time roles working at our Mascot Campus (hybrid working options available)
• Staff Travel Benefits from Day One!

The Principal Data Engineer plays a critical leadership role in shaping the future of Qantas' enterprise data platforms and engineering capabilities. Leveraging deep technical expertise and extensive experience in modern data architectures, you will drive the design, delivery and evolution of scalable, secure and cost-effective data solutions that enable trusted insights and business outcomes across the organisation. Working across the full lifecycle of our data platforms and products, you will influence strategic technology decisions, establish engineering standards that keep our data platforms reliable, observable and cost-effective

You will partner closely with Architects, Delivery Leads, Product Owners and senior business stakeholders to define technical direction, translate complex business requirements into scalable cloud-based solutions and drive enterprise-wide data initiatives. As a recognised technical leader, you will mentor engineers, conduct architecture and design reviews, and foster a culture of engineering excellence, continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across the Data & Analytics community.

Drawing on your experience with enterprise data platforms, cloud technologies and modern engineering practices, you will help shape the strategic roadmap for data engineering at Qantas while remaining close to the technology and guiding the adoption of emerging tools, platforms and capabilities that enhance our data, analytics and AI ecosystem.

What You'll Bring

• Extensive experience in data engineering, data platforms or related technology disciplines within large and complex enterprise environments.
• Proven experience leading enterprise-scale data engineering initiatives and influencing technical strategy.
• Expert-level knowledge of Snowflake, including architecture, data modelling, security, governance and performance optimisation.
• Advanced experience with AWS and cloud-native data architectures, including data, storage and integration services.
• Deep expertise in dbt (core), SQL and Python, supported by strong software engineering, testing and DevOps practices.
• Extensive experience working with modern orchestration and workflow management technologies such as Apache Airflow.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure-as-code, automation and platform engineering practices using Terraform or similar tools.
• Proven FinOps leadership, including establishing cost attribution, forecasting and optimisation practices for cloud and data platform consumption across multiple business domains.
• Demonstrated experience setting the integration approach for complex enterprise ecosystems, including SaaS platforms, APIs, networking, security and legacy source system
• Experience assuring engineering delivery across internal and partner teams, including setting acceptance criteria, reviewing designs and determining production readiness.
• Demonstrated experience establishing data quality, observability and data contract frameworks, and operating production platforms to agreed service levels, including leading incident response and root cause analysis. Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical audiences. The ability to work through ambiguity and make sound, well-reasoned technical decisions, clearly documenting trade-offs and the options considered.
• A track record of mentoring and developing engineers while driving a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.

Highly Regarded

• Experience with Snowflake Openflow and Snowflake DCM.
• Experience with Apache Kafka and event-driven architectures.
• Experience with observability, governance and FinOps tools such as Datadog, Alation and Cloudability.
• Exposure to AI, machine learning or advanced analytics platforms.

Why Qantas?

You’ll join a team where creativity and passion are encouraged. Our people come together to allow us to dream big and deliver successfully.

There are many different opportunities across our team, which means you’ll be able to grow both personally and professionally at Qantas. Your development is a priority for us – so that you can maintain the high standards our customers have come to expect and can continue to develop over time. You’ll be supported from day 1 with on the job training and coaching as well as our formal training opportunities. While you may start in this role, we’ve got a great track record of supporting our people to take their career in so many different directions, the destinations are endless.

The Qantas employee benefits program offers amazing benefits that extend well beyond travel:

• We love to travel: Enjoy heavily discounted air travel within Australia and across the globe, both for you and your family and friends, as well as exclusive deals on accommodation and holidays.
• We have flexible leave options: Make use of leave and flexible working opportunities including 18 weeks paid parental leave (plus superannuation payments on all paid and unpaid parental leave until your child turns 1) and additional purchased leave options for eligible employees.
• We’ll give you access to thousands of rewards: Through our partnerships we can offer you discounts across shopping, food and wine, insurance, health and wellbeing, leisure and entertainment. You can also take advantage of our salary packaging program including motor vehicles, eligible portable electronic devices and professional memberships.
• We’ll support your wellbeing: Whether it’s learning to better support your own and others’ mental health, our interactive wellbeing app or your very normal t