Senior Data Engineer - Fixed Term

Contact Energy; Wellington; On-site; NZD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing benefits

Flexible working

KiwiSaver 4%

Corporate discounts

Job summary

Contact Energy’s Data Engineering team seeks a Senior Data Engineer to help build and improve our data platform, enabling trusted, scalable insights across the business. You’ll work with experienced data engineers on behind-the-scenes improvements that support our business-facing data squads and deliver practical results.

You’ll contribute to platform enhancements, data pipelines, and ML-ready workflows while collaborating across squads, embracing ambiguity and helping the team move forward with

Qualifications

• Strong SQL capability
• Experience with Linux and Git
• Proficiency in Python and Spark
• Experience building, supporting and improving data pipelines and data platforms
• Ability to troubleshoot complex technical challenges and work through ambiguity
• Collaborative mindset and willingness to mentor others
• AWS experience
• Machine learning pipeline experience
• SAP exposure
• Experience coaching or mentoring other engineers

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with data engineers on behind-the-scenes platform improvements
• Work on platform enhancements and data pipelines to support business squads
• Help unblock work and deliver practical, visible impact
• Contribute as part of a high-trust, collaborative team across Aotearoa

Skills

SQL

Linux

Git

Python

Spark

Data pipelines

Mentoring

Team collaboration

AWS

Databricks

SAP

ML pipelines

Tools

AWS

Databricks

SAP

Job description

At Contact, we believe home is the most important place in the world. That belief shapes everything we do, from leading the energy transition to how we power Aotearoa and care for our people and communities.

We're a power, broadband, and mobile company, but we're also investing boldly in renewable energy and smarter, more connected ways of working (mahi). Our ambition is simple: to leave Aotearoa better than we found it.

Guided by our values & behaviours, we're a team who care deeply about the work we do, how we support one another, and the impact we have. Simply put, we touch lives to make life better.

Behind every customer experience, operational decision and strategic investment sits data. As Contact continues to grow its data and digital capability, having the right foundations in place matters more than ever. Our data platform helps teams across the business turn information into meaningful insights, solve problems faster and make better decisions for our customers, communities and people.

That's where this opportunity comes in. Joining our Data Engineering team, you'll help build and improve the platform capabilities that enable our data squads to deliver trusted, scalable solutions across the business. It's practical, hands-on work with visible impact, supporting a team that values collaboration, curiosity and shared ownership over individual heroics.

Job Description

Good data work often starts well before a dashboard or product reaches the business. It starts with a platform that is reliable, well cared for and easy for our data squads to build on. That's where you come in.

You'll work alongside experienced data engineers on the behind-the-scenes improvements that help our business-facing data squads keep moving. The mahi is varied and often practical: one piece might be a platform enhancement, while the next could be a short request that unblocks another squad. You'll be able to see where your work helps, without needing to spend the whole fixed term waiting for one long programme to land.

You'll join a high-trust team spread across Aotearoa. People own their work, reach out when they need support and make space for different voices. You'll need to be comfortable asking good questions, working constructively through ambiguity and helping the team move forward without arriving with all the answers.

Qualifications

Kowaikoe| About You

We're looking for a Senior Data Engineer who enjoys solving practical problems and helping others do their best work. You'll bring strong data engineering foundations, but just as importantly, you'll be someone who collaborates well, shares knowledge freely and knows when to ask for help.

What we genuinely need:

• Strong SQL capability
• Confidence working with Linux and Git
• Python and Spark
• Experience building, supporting and improving data pipelines and data platforms
• The ability to troubleshoot complex technical challenges and work through ambiguity
• A collaborative approach and a willingness to contribute as part of a team rather than working in isolation
• AWS experience
• Machine learning pipeline experience
• SAP exposure
• Experience coaching or mentoring other engineers

We know great people don't always meet every requirement on paper. If you've built strong data engineering capability in a similar environment and can demonstrate transferable experience, or if your Databricks experience comes from another cloud provider, we'd still love to hear from you. We care about the evidence behind your experience and how you work with others, not whether every line of your CV matches our environment.

Additional Information

This is a fixed term opportunity until the end of May 2027 to cover parental leave.

Contact is not a place you'll stagnate.

• Even in a fixed-term role, you'll enjoy a generous suite of benefits designed to support your wellbeing and make life a little easier.
• You'll have the flexibility to work in ways that suit you and your team.
• You'll even get a boosted a 4% KiwiSaver employer contribution while you're here with us!
• You'll also have access to a range of additional corporate discounts that make it good to work at Contact.

Applications close on Tuesday 22nd September.

Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing a sense of belonging - one that helps us attract and retain people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers and communities to help build a better Aotearoa New Zealand.

We have a rich community of talented people that we support to thrive at Contact.

Our inclusive hiring process is designed to embrace the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in our decision-making and helping reduce bias along the way.
The wellbeing of our kaimahi is super important to us.
We use employee insights to offer a range of initiatives and resources to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing - including flexible working arrangements, employee network groups and a market-leading parental leave policy.

At Te Mata Hiko, we want everyone to thrive. We welcome applicants far and wide - of every age, stage, background, and pride. Join us and be part of a team that values your passion and attitude just as much as your experience and skills.

Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and those in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they tick every box.We're not about box ticking, so if you think you have what it takes but don't meet everything stated above, please still get in touch. We'd love to kōrero.