Data Platform Engineer

Southern Cross Health Insurance; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five days wellbeing leave

Health insurance for you and your whān

Life insurance and discounts

Extra parental leave benefits

Workplace wellbeing programme

Flexi leave for study/volunteering

Annual volunteer day

Job summary

Southern Cross Health Insurance is building a new Data & AI function in Auckland and seeks a Data Platform Engineer to own the Snowflake platform, pipelines, and governance. This role focuses on reliable data runs, security by design, and cross-team collaboration to enable fast, high-quality data delivery.

You’ll work with a DevOps mindset, manage ingestion pipelines, and partner with Analytics Engineers to keep governance and access controls embedded across systems.

Qualifications

• 5+ years building production data pipelines.
• Strong Snowflake, Azure, and ADF experience.
• Proficient in SQL and Python.
• Experience with GitHub and CI/CD pipelines.
• Knowledge of data governance, security and privacy.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Manage Snowflake platform - performance, storage, roles and security.
• Run ingestion pipelines and ensure data quality.
• Implement governance, lineage and access controls.
• Maintain IaC and CI/CD patterns across repos.
• Secure sensitive health data by design and comply with policies.
• Develop and maintain MLOps pipelines for model deployment.
• Collaborate with Analytics Engineers to implement schema changes.
• Guide platform scaling and automation initiatives.

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Collaboration

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Tools

Snowflake

Azure

ADF

Python

SQL

GitHub

Infrastructure as Code

CI/CD

Job description

About Us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We're here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we're building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do -- delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive.

Now is an exciting time to join us. You'll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do -- and in return for your talent, you'll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.

About The Role

Southern Cross is guided by purpose, powered by people and technology. We’re here to help almost one million members across Aotearoa New Zealand live well for longer - work with real scale, real responsibility, and a real opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

About The Role

As we grow to be about assurance as well as insurance - a more proactive partner in our members’ health - we’re building a new Data & AI function from the ground up. We’re looking for a Data Platform Engineer to keep the Snowflake platform everything else depends on reliable, secure and trusted.

This is a technical role for someone who wants to own the platform data runs on: building automated pipelines and infrastructure, securing sensitive data by design, and giving teams across Southern Cross a foundation they can act on with confidence.

Reporting into the Lead, Data Platform Engineering, you’ll manage the Snowflake platform - performance, storage, roles and security access - and run the ingestion pipelines that bring data in at pace and at quality.

You’ll work with a DevOps mindset alongside Analytics Engineers, approving their schema changes into the platform, and partner with the wider Data & AI team to keep governance, lineage and access controls embedded across everything that runs through Snowflake.

This function is still being built, so you’ll help shape how the platform scales - infrastructure as code, shared CI/CD patterns, and the controls that keep member and health data safe and compliant.

What You’ll Do

• Manage the Snowflake platform - performance, storage, roles and security access
• Apply governance controls across access, classification and lineage
• Run and evolve the ingestion platform (ADF and its replacement) across APIs, storage and databases
• Control database change through DCM, reviewing and approving schema change releases
• Maintain shared GitHub CI/CD patterns and checks used consistently across repos
• Provision and manage platform infrastructure as code
• Safeguard sensitive and health data in line with the Privacy Act and internal policy
• Develop and maintain MLOps pipelines for model versioning, testing and deployment
• Partner with Analytics Engineers, approving their schema change fixes into the platform

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years building and operating production data pipelines
• Strong experience with Snowflake and Azure, with ADF or similar ingestion tooling
• Excellent SQL and modern languages such as Python
• Experience with GitHub and shared CI/CD patterns and checks across repos
• DCM and schemachange-style database deployment, plus infrastructure as code
• Platform monitoring, observability and cost-aware operations
• A sound understanding of data governance, security and Snowflake role/access design
• Awareness of privacy and compliance requirements for sensitive data
• A great communicator with strong stakeholder management and a collaborative, solution-oriented style

Why join us

We’re investing - in people, in technology, and in the mission. We're taking a long-term view - investing in our foundations, our people, and the capabilities that will shape the future of healthcare. You’ll join a growing team with the mandate and the tools to genuinely shape data and AI practice at scale.

We’re building something worth joining. Our teams are growing, our employer brand is gaining real traction in market, and the way we show up for our members and each other is being noticed. This momentum has also been reflected externally - in 2026, Southern Cross placed 8th in the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index and 5th in New Zealand for Trust.

Who We Are

Ngākau nui. Āhurutangao. Tikanga.

Join a proud, diverse team that’s always there, always real, always true. If you thrive in a caring, honest and open culture, we think you’ll love working with us.

We know our team’s culture and wellbeing drive us forward. That’s why we prioritise not only professional development but opportunities to thrive personally. We offer exceptional work/life balance, and our people are encouraged - and rewarded - for living well.

Southern Cross Employee Benefits Include:

• Five days of wellbeing leave per year
• Health insurance for you and your immediate whānau
• Life insurance cover and discounts on pet and travel insurance
• Extra parental leave benefits and financial wellbeing support
• Participation in our workplace wellbeing programme
• The option to purchase flexi leave for study, volunteering, or supporting your whānau
• An annual volunteer day to contribute to a cause with your team

This role is Auckland based. While we appreciate interest from candidates in other locations, we’re unfortunately not able to consider remote options. Have questions? Check out our FAQs for help with the application and recruitment process.

We are proud to have taken the Pride Pledge, reflecting our commitment to inclusion and belonging. We also facilitate an active, employee‑led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, which includes our Rainbow Network, Māori Network, Pasifika Collective, and Neurodiversity and Whānau Support networks.

If you share our commitment and passion, we'd love to hear from you.