Principal Consultant - Fabric/Databricks

Fusion5; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Collaborative culture

Competitive salary & flexible work

Birthday leave

Volunteer days

Social events

Clear development pathways

Job summary

Fusion5’s New Zealand Data & Analytics team in Auckland (hybrid) is seeking a Principal Consultant Databricks / Fabric. This senior, hands-on role leads the design and delivery of modern data platforms, guiding delivery teams and setting technical standards.

You’ll bring 8+ years in data platform engineering, expertise in Databricks or Fabric, and strong SQL/PySpark. You’ll mentor engineers and collaborate with clients to shape solutions and AI-enabled analytics.

Qualifications

• You'll bring 8+ years of hands-on data platform engineering experience.
• Strong SQL and Python/PySpark with ETL/ELT design skills.
• Experience with lakehouse/medallion architectures on Databricks or Fabric.
• Proven technical leadership and ability to mentor engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the design and build of modern data platforms on Databricks or Fabric.
• Design workspace environments, security, CI/CD, and DataOps.
• Set engineering standards and quality anchors on complex builds.
• Lead discovery, estimates, proposals, and trade-offs with clients.
• Run delivery teams with blended client and Fusion5 members.
• Champion AI adoption on solid data foundations.

Skills

Data platform engineering

SQL

Python/PySpark

Leadership

Mentoring engineers

Workshop facilitation

Client engagement

AI integration

Tools

Terraform

Databricks

Microsoft Fabric

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

• Lead the build of modern data platforms for some of New Zealand’s most ambitious organisations
• Go deep on Databricks or Microsoft Fabric — and set the technical bar for how we deliver
• A senior role that stays hands-on, in a team that values engineering craft

At Fusion5, we’re more than a solutions provider, we’re a Transformation Partner. Across Australia and New Zealand, we help ambitious organisations go beyond, getting more from their people, data and technology. Across business applications, AI, cloud, data, integration and managed services, we bring together connected solutions that solve real business problems — and we bring that same care to our own people.

We’re looking for a Principal Consultant Databricks / Fabric to join our New Zealand Data & Analytics team, based in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch with flexible, hybrid working. This is a senior, hands-on role for someone who leads from the front owning the design and build of modern data platforms, leading delivery teams, and setting the standards the rest of the team builds to.

What You’ll Do

You’ll join a close-knit New Zealand team of data specialists with a shared interest in building things properly. We share what we learn, back each other on the hard problems, and keep the structure flat enough that good ideas land quickly. We work T-shaped, so exposure to data strategy and roadmaps, data governance and quality, or presales and solution shaping is valued too, without being the core of this role.

• Own the platform. Lead the design and build of modern data platforms on Databricks or Microsoft Fabric ingestion, transformation, lakehouse/medallion design and optimisation
• Build the foundations. Workspace and environment design, Unity Catalog or Fabric equivalents, security and access, CI/CD, DataOps and release management
• Set the standard. Define engineering standards and reusable patterns, and act as the technical quality anchor on complex, higher-risk builds
• Shape the work. Lead discovery and requirements with clients running workshops, producing estimates, contributing to proposals and presenting solutions and trade-offs
• Lead delivery. Lead project and delivery teams, including blended client and Fusion5 teams, owning technical direction, quality and delivery outcomes
• Champion AI. Help clients build AI-ready platforms and adopt practical AI on Databricks and Fabric (agents, unstructured data, AI-enabled analytics), and use AI to sharpen how we deliver
• Grow the team. Mentor our engineers and build depth across the team

What You’ll Bring

You’ll go deep on Databricks or Microsoft Fabric, own the platform foundations that make delivery repeatable, and lead blended client and Fusion5 teams on complex, high-value builds. It’s a role with real technical authority — and a genuinely client-facing one, where you shape the work rather than wait for it to be defined. You will:

• Deep, hands-on data platform engineering experience (typically 8+ years), with strong delivery on Databricks (Unity Catalog, Delta, workflows) or Microsoft Fabric (lakehouse, DirectLake, pipelines) credible in the other, and keen to build depth across both
• Strong SQL and Python/PySpark, with solid ETL/ELT design and data modelling
• Hands-on design and build with lakehouse / medallion architecture
• Platform engineering depth security and access, CI/CD, environment promotion, and infrastructure as code
• Technical leadership, setting standards, anchoring quality on complex builds, and mentoring engineers
• Strong consulting skills workshop facilitation, requirements and discovery, estimating, contributing to proposals, and presenting solutions and trade-offs to senior stakeholders
• Experience leading project and delivery teams, including blended client and vendor teams
• Confident, practical use of AI in your day-to-day work, and a real interest in helping clients adopt AI on solid data foundations
• The legal right to work in New Zealand with the ability to engage with clients across the country

Capability across both Databricks and Fabric, Terraform and infrastructure as code, Power BI, and data migration experience (including D365) are all strong advantages as are relevant certifications such as Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional, Microsoft Fabric (DP-600 / DP-700) and Azure Data Engineer (DP-203).

What’s in it for you?

At Fusion5, you’ll own real delivery from day one and have real influence on how we build, with the backing of an established trans-Tasman organisation, working alongside people who genuinely care about outcomes, not just output. We’re proud to be a diverse, inclusive and forward-thinking employer, committed to a workplace where our people feel engaged, challenged, supported and successful.

• Collaborative, supportive culture where people enjoy working together
• Competitive salary, flexible work arrangements and a genuine focus on work-life balance
• Birthday leave, volunteer days, and regular social events
• Clear development pathways and opportunities to grow with the practice