Data Product Owner

New Zealand Government; Palmerston North; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks annual leave

Income Protection

Critical Illness Insurance

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development and career成长

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) | Waka Kotahi is building a data product-centric agency. The Data Product Owner will shape the journey, identify opportunities with business groups and define clear ownership and roadmaps.

You will deliver trusted, reusable data products and embed governance, privacy and stewardship from day one. You will partner with CTO teams and business units to drive adoption, measure early value, and evolve practices as the approach scales across NZTA.

Qualifications

• Experience establishing or evolving products or data capabilities in a complex organisation.
• Ability to uncover business and user needs and define practical starting points.
• Track record turning ideas into roadmaps and working products with early value.
• Understanding of data governance, privacy, security and stewardship across lifecycle.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills to gain commitment.

Responsibilities

• Identify and prioritise data product opportunities with business groups and define ownership and roadmaps.
• Establish and own product backlogs, balancing immediate needs with reusable enterprise value.
• Work with delivery teams to take data products from discovery through to release and value.
• Partner with governance, architecture and platform teams to embed quality, privacy and stewardship.
• Measure early value and adoption, apply feedback, and grow lifecycle management.

Skills

Product delivery

Stakeholder influence

Data governance

Roadmap development

Change management

Job description

Help NZTA's data product journey and shape the shift to a data product-centric agencyDeliver trusted, reusable data products and demonstrate their value across NZTABring people on the journey and establish product ownership, adoption and continuous improvementTe Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunityAs Data Product Owner, you'll help begin NZ Transport Agency | Waka Kotahi (NZTA)'s data product journey and support our transition from project-led data delivery to a data product-centric agency. This is an opportunity to establish the foundations, not simply manage an existing portfolio.Working within the Chief Technology Office's Data and AI function, you'll partner with business groups and specialist teams to identify data product opportunities, define clear ownership and roadmaps, and deliver trusted, reusable data products.You'll own the vision, value and lifecycle of assigned data products while helping embed ways of working that support NZTA's regulatory, operational, customer and organisational outcomes.You will:Identify and prioritise initial data product opportunities with business groups, defining clear user needs, ownership, outcomes and roadmaps.Establish and own product backlogs, balancing immediate project needs with reusable enterprise value and making practical trade-offs across risk, cost and dependencies.Work with delivery teams to take data products from discovery through to release, demonstrating value and establishing repeatable delivery practices.Partner with governance, architecture and platform teams to build quality, security, privacy and stewardship into data products from the outset.Build understanding of data products across NZTA, helping stakeholders adopt product-centric ways of working and discover, trust and reuse products.Measure early value and adoption, use feedback to improve assigned products, and apply lessons to strengthen lifecycle management as the approach grows.You will find out more about the role here Position DescriptionKo koe tenei | About youYou'll bring a product mindset, a practical approach to change and the confidence to build something new. You'll be comfortable working where processes and ownership are still evolving, creating clarity and turning ambition into achievable first steps.You'll combine hands-on product delivery with the ability to bring stakeholders on the journey, influence without direct people-management authority and help shift thinking from one-off project outputs to trusted data products with ongoing ownership and value.You will bring:Experience establishing or evolving products, services or data capabilities in a complex organisation, ideally introducing product-centric ways of working.The ability to uncover business and user needs, identify practical starting points and balance immediate requirements with long-term enterprise reuse.A track record of turning ideas into roadmaps, prioritised backlogs and working products, managing dependencies and demonstrating early value.A practical understanding of data governance, quality, privacy, security and stewardship, and how to manage risks throughout the product lifecycle.Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to create shared understanding, navigate uncertainty and build commitment to new ways of working.Experience bringing users on a change journey, addressing adoption barriers and using engagement, communications, guidance and training to embed new products.A pragmatic, outcome-focused approach: start small, measure value and usage, learn from feedback and build sustainable practices that can scale.You will demonstrate knowledge of, or a willingness to gain an understanding of Te Ao Maori and promote tikanga and Te Reo Maori. You will also have knowledge of, or a willingness to gain an appreciation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application in the public sector.Mo matou |About UsTe Aukaha | Digital exists to improve service offerings, support decision-making and make it easier for people to interact with NZTA. We provide modern, fit-for-purpose digital, information and technology solutions that enable our people, partners and customers to deliver better outcomes.Within Digital, the Chief Technology Office (CTO) is a strategic business enabler responsible for delivering the digital capabilities, platforms and leadership needed to support NZTA's operational performance, regulatory responsibilities and future transport vision.The CTO ensures digital investments and services deliver measurable value while supporting efficient service delivery, improved customer experiences and long-term organisational success.Ka whiwhi koe i te aha | What you will get in returnAt NZTA, you'll have the opportunity to help shape our data product journey from the outset, delivering data products and establishing foundations that support better decisions, services and transport outcomes.In addition, you'll benefit from:A competitive salary and benefits packageFlexible working arrangementsOpportunities to work with modern cloud, analytics and AI technologiesA collaborative, inclusive and purpose-driven environmentProfessional development and career growth opportunitiesFive weeks annual leaveIncome Protection and Critical Illness Insurance for permanent employeesIf you're motivated by building something new, demonstrating the value of data products and helping NZTA become a data product-centric agency, we'd like to hear from you.Me pehea te tuku tono | How to applyPlease click apply to upload your CV and cover letter detailing your suitability for the role.Ra Katinga | Applications close17 November 2026For further information, email: [e-mail] be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.NZTA| Waka Kotahi is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing a working environment that embraces these values. Please let us know if you need any support or have any access requirements that will help you through the recruitment process.Please note that we may begin shortlisting as we receive applications. We encourage early applications as we may withdraw the advertising at any time.