Data Platform Lead

Wastemanagement8; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Career path

Work-life balance initiatives

Professional development

Onsite cafe and carpark

Discounts on products for you and your

Discounts on fuel

Job summary

WM in Auckland is seeking an experienced Data Platform Lead to own the vision for our data products, blending hands-on analytics engineering with clear product strategy and stakeholder coordination.

You will shape the roadmap for curated datasets, metrics layers and analytical models, work with Snowflake and dbt, mentor engineers, and drive delivery through agile ceremonies and strong collaboration with the data engineering team.

Qualifications

• Experience owning a backlog and shipping data products.
• Strong SQL skills and data modelling knowledge.
• Hands-on analytics engineering with product ownership.
• Experience with dbt, Snowflake and cloud data warehouses.
• Ability to lead discovery sessions with stakeholders.
• Mentoring and coaching engineers on product thinking.

Responsibilities

• Own the product vision and roadmap for data products.
• Build data products hands-on using dbt and Snowflake.
• Manage the product backlog and translate business needs into specs.
• Lead day-to-day delivery and unblock issues.
• Drive stakeholder relationships and manage expectations on timelines.
• Mentor engineers to enhance product thinking and business context.

Skills

Product ownership

Stakeholder management

Mentoring

Analytics engineering

SQL

Tools

dbt

Snowflake

Git workflows

CI/CD

Job description

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Data Platform Lead. The role combines hands-on analytics engineering with responsibility for product strategy, backlog management, and stakeholder coordination to ensure our data products deliver measurable business value.

The position involves owning the vision and roadmap for our portfolio of data products, from curated datasets and metrics layers to analytical models and self-service tools while working alongside the data engineering team to build and deliver solutions using our data stack (Snowflake, dbt).

Key responsibilities include

• Own the product vision and roadmap: Define and evolve the strategy for data products including curated datasets, metrics layers, semantic models, and analytical outputs


• Build data products hands-on: Design and implement transformations, metrics definitions, and consumption-ready datasets using dbt and Snowflake


• Manage the product backlog: Prioritise ruthlessly, translate business needs into technical specifications, and allocate work across the engineering team


• Lead day-to-day delivery: Run ceremonies, unblock issues, and create clarity on priorities and expectations


• Drive stakeholder relationships: Become the go-to person for data product requests, lead discovery sessions, and manage expectations on timelines and scope


• Develop team capabilities: Coach engineers on product thinking, helping them understand the \"why\" behind what they're building

The role suits someone with strong analytics engineering foundations seeking to broaden their impact through product ownership while maintaining hands-on technical involvement.

Product ownership experience

Track record of owning a backlog, defining requirements, prioritising ruthlessly, and shipping data products iteratively that deliver value.

dbt proficiency

Experience building and maintaining transformation workflows, metrics layers, and semantic models.

Strong SQL skills

Ability to design performant queries, model complex business logic, and work with large datasets.

Snowflake experience

Working knowledge of cloud data warehouse patterns and data product delivery.

Dimensional modelling

Understanding of Kimball methodology, star schemas, and designing for consumption.

Analytics engineering best practices

Git workflows, testing frameworks, documentation standards, CI/CD pipelines.

Stakeholder management

Proven ability to manage expectations, navigate competing priorities, and communicate trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Mentoring mindset

Experience guiding and upskilling team members, particularly in product thinking and understanding business context.

What we offer:

• Competitive Salary Package


• Valid and rewarding career path


• Work Life Balance Initiatives


• Professional Development Opportunities


• Onsite Café and Carpark


• Discounts on various products for you and your family to enjoy


• Discounts on Fuel at Z!

Please note - we do not always work to fixed closing dates and may start considering applications as they are received so we encourage you to apply early.

WM is an EEO employer and promotes drug and alcohol-free workplaces.

You must be in New Zealand and hold a current work visa / residency or NZ citizenship.