Data Platform Engineer

About Southern Cross Health Insurance

Southern Cross Health Insurance strives to create a healthier New Zealand by empowering its members to enjoy sustained wellbeing. As a member-based and New Zealand-owned organization, it focuses on ensuring timely access to quality healthcare, promoting healthier lifestyles, and leading advancements within the health sector. Southern Cross is dedicated to delivering excellent value to its members while fostering a thriving work environment.

Position Overview

This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence healthcare outcomes for nearly one million New Zealand members. As the Data & AI function is newly established, the Data Platform Engineer will be vital in maintaining the Snowflake platform that underpins the organization's data ecosystem. The position involves owning and optimizing the data platform by developing automated pipelines, securing sensitive health data, and providing dependable data foundations for various teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and optimize Snowflake platform including performance, storage management, user roles, and access controls.
• Implement and uphold data governance, classification, and lineage standards.
• Operate and enhance data ingestion pipelines utilizing Azure Data Factory and its successors, managing API, storage, and database integrations.
• Review and authorize database schema changes through Database Change Management (DCM) tools.
• Maintain and develop shared CI/CD pipelines and validation processes within GitHub repositories.
• Deploy and manage platform infrastructure using infrastructure as code methodologies.
• Ensure protection and compliance of sensitive health data adhering to the Privacy Act and internal protocols.
• Develop and maintain MLOps pipelines to facilitate model versioning, testing, and deployment.
• Collaborate with Analytics Engineers by validating and approving schema update requests.

Qualifications and Experience

• Over five years in developing and maintaining production-grade data pipelines.
• Proficiency with Snowflake data platform and Microsoft Azure environments, including experience with Azure Data Factory or similar ETL tools.
• Strong command of SQL and scripting languages such as Python.
• Experienced with GitHub and implementation of shared CI/CD workflows and quality checks.
• Familiar with Database Change Management (DCM), schemachange database deployments, and infrastructure as code techniques.
• Knowledgeable in platform monitoring, observability practices, and cost-efficient operations.
• Comprehensive understanding of data governance, security principles, and role/access design specific to Snowflake.
• Aware of privacy laws and compliance related to handling sensitive data.
• Excellent communication skills coupled with stakeholder management capabilities and a collaborative, solution-focused mindset.

Benefits

• Five annual days of wellbeing leave.
• Health insurance coverage extending to immediate family.
• Life insurance benefits and discounts on travel and pet insurance.
• Enhanced parental leave options and financial wellness support.
• Participation in workplace wellbeing initiatives.
• Opportunities to purchase flexible leave for studies, volunteering, or family support.
• Annual team volunteer day to contribute to community causes.

Additional Information

The role is based in Auckland, New Zealand; remote working options are unavailable. Southern Cross is committed to an inclusive and supportive work culture, reflected in its Pride Pledge and active Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum comprising various employee networks. The organization prioritizes work-life balance and personal growth alongside professional development.