Senior Data Engineer for AI

Air New Zealand; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted travel

FlexiLeave

Learning and development

Job summary

Air New Zealand is seeking a Senior AI Data Engineer to design and deliver trusted, AI-ready data products and intelligent solutions in Christchurch. You’ll collaborate across Commercial, Corporate, Operational and Engineering domains with Auckland support as needed.

You’ll drive AI-enabled data pipelines, semantic models and governance, while mentoring engineers and improving DataOps, CI/CD and testing practices for scalable analytics and AI-powered decision making.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering enterprise-scale data products and modern cloud data platforms.
• Strong data modelling, ELT/ETL and analytic capabilities including AI-oriented tooling.
• Experience with AI solutions, agents, semantic retrieval, automation or AI-assisted engineering.
• Proficiency with AWS, Azure or Google Cloud platforms.
• Experience with DataOps, CI/CD, automation, testing and IaC.

Responsibilities

• Enable AI capabilities including intelligent automation and semantic retrieval.
• Design and deliver scalable, trusted data products supporting analytics and AI solutions.
• Prepare data, information and assets for GenAI agents to use effectively.
• Build cloud data pipelines, semantic models and reusable engineering frameworks.
• Advocate DataOps, CI/CD, automated testing and observability practices.
• Ensure data products are governed, secure, and standards-aligned.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to solve business challenges using data and AI.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to engineering standards.

Skills

Enterprise data products

Cloud data platforms

Data modelling

ELT/ETL

AI agents

Semantic retrieval

Intelligent automation

AI solutions

Cloud technologies (AWS/Azure/GCP)

DataOps/CI/CD

Automation & testing

Infrastructure as Code

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

Snowflake

Job description

Kia ora!

At Air New Zealand, we're harnessing the power of data and AI to transform how we operate, innovate, and serve our customers. As a Senior AI Data Engineer, you'll play a key role in designing and delivering trusted, AI-ready data products and intelligent solutions that drive analytics, automation, and AI-powered decision-making across the airline. Working within our highly engaged Data & AI Chapter area and Agile Tribes spanning Commercial, Corporate, Cargo, Operational, and Engineering domains, you'll collaborate with diverse teams to solve complex business challenges at scale. In this role, you will work with other both technical and non-technical stakeholders as a small team to establish Data and AI capabilities for the business area in Christchurch. You will have support from the strong team based in Auckland when needed. This is an exciting opportunity to combine deep data engineering expertise with emerging AI technologies including AI agents, semantic retrieval, and AI-assisted engineering - to create reusable, governed, and high-performing data solutions that shape the future of aviation.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Enable AI capabilities including intelligent automation, semantic retrieval, and AI-assisted workflows
• Design and deliver scalable, trusted data products that support analytics, automation, and AI solutions
• Enable data, information, knowledge or assets required for GenAI agents to use effectively
• Build and optimise cloud-based data pipelines, semantic models, and reusable engineering frameworks
• Drive engineering excellence through DataOps, CI/CD, automated testing, and observability practices
• Ensure data products are governed, discoverable, secure, and aligned with enterprise standards
• Partner with stakeholders to solve complex business challenges using data and AI
• Mentor engineers and contribute to engineering standards, capability uplift, and innovation

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale data products and modern cloud data platforms.
• Strong expertise in data modelling, ELT/ETL and agentic analytic capabilities such as Snowflake Co-Work.
• Experienced in AI solutions, including AI agents, semantic retrieval, intelligent automation, or AI-assisted engineering.
• Experience with cloud technologies such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Experience with DataOps, CI/CD, automation, testing, and Infrastructure as Code.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into business outcomes.
• AI first, able to deliver these using AI is advantageous.

Why join Air New Zealand?

We want our people to live their best lives and access great benefits that support their lives outside work. Benefits include:

• Discounted travel for you, your friends, and whānau
• FlexiLeave, giving you the option to purchase up to four additional weeks of leave each year
• Learning and development opportunities to support your growth and career progression
• KiwiSaver and FlexiSaver contributions to help you plan for the future

Applications close on Sunday 30 August 2026.

Additional Information

At Air New Zealand, we are proudly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and believe in creating a truly inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. Our people are our greatest asset – because while everything else we do in our operation can be replicated by our competitors, it is our people that truly set us apart. We are firm believers in celebrating the differences and diversity of thought our people bring to their roles. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, including those with a disability, additional health and mental health needs, and/or are neurodiverse to apply for our roles. If you have encountered any accessibility barriers and require further information or reasonable accommodations to our recruitment process, please reach out to the recruiter listed on this job advert so they are able to support you to freely participate equitably in our recruitment and selection process.

Whāia te pae tawhiti kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua, kia tina.

"Seek to bring distant horizons closer. Once near, seize them and make them your reality."