Senior Data Engineer

RWA People; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

RWA People is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to shape and grow an enterprise data platform in Christchurch. You will design scalable Snowflake solutions, build robust data models, and lead data pipelines end-to-end.

The role emphasizes data warehousing, ML/ MLOps evolution, and mentoring colleagues while collaborating with analysts and stakeholders. A hybrid working setup in Christchurch is offered.

Qualifications

• Significant commercial experience delivering data solutions.
• Excellent SQL, ETL/ELT and data warehousing capability.
• Strong experience with schema design and dimensional modelling.
• Commercial experience with Snowflake and Azure cloud.
• Ability to lead and influence engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Designing and building scalable enterprise data solutions within Snowflake.
• Developing robust dimensional data models and data warehouse structures.
• Building and maintaining complex data ingestion and transformation pipelines.
• Translating business requirements into well-structured, reusable information layers.
• Helping establish data engineering standards, patterns and development practices.
• Working across Snowflake, Azure, SQL, GitHub, Power BI and data tooling.
• Providing technical leadership and mentoring to less experienced team members.
• Contributing to POCs, automation and adoption of new technologies.
• Ensuring data quality, governance and platform reliability.

Skills

SQL

ETL/ELT

Data warehousing

Data modelling

Production-grade pipelines

Snowflake

Azure

Leadership

Tools

GitHub

Power BI

Kimball modelling

Job description

This is a genuinely interesting opportunity for an experienced Senior Data Engineer to join a team that is building out a modern, enterprise-strength data platform and establishing how data engineering is done across the wider organisation.

Snowflake is relatively new within the environment. A strong reference architecture has been established and the focus is now on building upon that foundation, migrating data into the new environment and developing scalable, well-structured data models that can be confidently used across the business.

Importantly, this isn't simply a pipeline-building role.

There is a significant data warehousing and modelling component. You'll work from business requirements through to ingestion, transformation and the creation of robust information layers that enable analysts and other teams to confidently consume and report on data.

You’ll also have the seniority and influence to help establish engineering standards, improve ways of working and shape how the platform evolves

What You’ll Be Doing

• Designing and building scalable enterprise data solutions within Snowflake
• Developing robust dimensional data models and data warehouse structures
• Building and maintaining complex data ingestion and transformation pipelines
• Translating business requirements into well-structured, reusable information layers
• Helping establish data engineering standards, patterns and development practices
• Working across Snowflake, Azure, SQL, GitHub, Power BI and associated data tooling
• Supporting the rebuild of legacy data workloads into a modern architecture rather than simply carrying technical debt forward
• Working closely with analysts, technical teams, stakeholders and external partners
• Providing technical leadership and mentoring to less experienced team members
• Contributing to proof‑of‑concepts, automation and the adoption of new technologies
• Helping establish sustainable approaches to data quality, governance and platform reliability
• Longer term, contributing to the evolution of ML and MLOps practices within the data environment

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for an established Senior Data Engineer rather than someone taking their first step into a senior position.

Ideally, You’ll Bring

• Significant commercial experience delivering data solutions, ideally 10+ years across data/technology environments
• Strong hands‑on data engineering experience
• Excellent SQL, ETL/ELT and data warehousing capability
• Strong experience with schema design and dimensional data modelling
• Experience designing and building complex, production‑grade data pipelines
• Commercial experience with Snowflake
• Good understanding of cloud data architecture, ideally within an Azure environment
• Experience delivering enterprise-scale solutions rather than isolated reporting or analytics projects
• The ability to understand business problems and translate them into practical data solutions
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to provide technical guidance to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• A willingness to lead, influence engineering practices and help others within the team

Experience with Coalesce, Omnata, Power BI, GitHub or Kimball‑style dimensional modelling would be useful, but isn't essential if your core data engineering and modelling experience is strong.

Why Consider This Role?

The attraction here is the opportunity to join at a particularly good stage in the platform’s evolution.

The foundations are already in place, so you aren't walking into a blank sheet of paper, but there is still plenty to build, improve and influence. You'll be working with a modern Snowflake architecture, helping determine what "good" looks like as the environment matures.

It’s a senior position where you’ll remain technically close to the work while having genuine influence over architecture, engineering standards and how data is made available across the organisation.

You’ll join a collaborative and relatively young data team, with flexible hybrid working from a central Christchurch office.

If you’re an experienced Data Engineer who enjoys the modelling and architecture side of data engineering just as much as building pipelines, we’d be keen to hear from you.

You must have valid New Zealand working rights to be considered for this role

Job Ref DD4067738