Principal Cloud Data Architect – Azure Databricks & Spark

New Zealand Government Joba; Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch; On-site; NZD 135,000 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa is seeking a Principal Cloud Data Engineer to lead cloud data platforms, modernising data capabilities for secure, scalable government data use. You’ll drive platform architecture, governance, and delivery across Azure Databricks, Delta Lake, and Spark, partnering with stakeholders to deliver reusable, reliable solutions.

This fixed-term role offers collaboration across Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch with emphasis on automation, security, and operational

Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise-scale cloud data platforms.
• 7+ years in Principal/lead roles or equivalent.
• Expertise in Azure Databricks and Spark.
• Strong governance, security, and compliance knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead platform architecture, cloud engineering, governance, and delivery.
• Drive reusable platform capabilities across teams and programmes.
• Promote modern engineering practices, automation, and CI/CD.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver scalable, secure data capabilities.
• Support continuous improvement and operational excellence in government data platforms.

Skills

Azure Databricks

Python

Delta Lake

Apache Spark

Azure data services

Data governance

Data quality

Data lineage

DevOps

Terraform

Git

Automation

Security

Stakeholder comms

Tools

Azure DevOps

Terraform

Git

ARM/Bicep

Job description

Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa is seeking a Principal Cloud Data Engineer to lead cloud data platforms, modernising data capabilities for secure, scalable government data use. You’ll drive platform architecture, governance, and delivery across Azure Databricks, Delta Lake, and Spark, partnering with stakeholders to deliver reusable, reliable solutions.

This fixed-term role offers collaboration across Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch with emphasis on automation, security, and operational