Data Platform Engineer

About Us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is dedicated to fostering better health outcomes across Aotearoa New Zealand. Our mission is clear: to empower our members to enjoy healthier, longer lives. As a New Zealand-owned and member-based organisation, we prioritize delivering unparalleled value and building a workplace where every employee thrives.

This is an exciting moment to join us. Become part of a high-achieving, value-centered team where people are paramount, and take the opportunity to expand your skills, influence our impact, and feel proud of your work's significance.

Role Overview

At Southern Cross, purpose drives us, supported by talented people and advanced technology. We serve nearly a million members nationwide, helping them live well for longer. As we evolve from insurance to a broader assurance partner in health, we are assembling a new Data & AI division. We seek a Data Platform Engineer to ensure our Snowflake platform remains robust, secure, and dependable—the foundation upon which all else depends.

You will take ownership of the platform that powers our data, developing automated ingestion pipelines and infrastructure, embedding security deeply, and enabling teams across Southern Cross to confidently leverage data.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the Snowflake platform, including managing performance, storage, roles, and security permissions.
• Implement and uphold governance controls focusing on data access, classification, and lineage.
• Operate and enhance the ingestion platform, using Azure Data Factory and upcoming replacements to integrate APIs, storage, and databases.
• Manage database changes with Deployment and Change Management (DCM), reviewing and approving schema modifications.
• Maintain shared GitHub CI/CD pipelines and governance checks applied consistently across multiple repositories.
• Provision and manage infrastructure via code to support platform scalability.
• Ensure the protection of sensitive health data, complying with the Privacy Act and internal protocols.
• Build and maintain MLOps pipelines for managing machine learning model versions, testing, and deployment.
• Collaborate with Analytics Engineers by reviewing and approving their schema change requests within the platform.

Qualifications and Skills

• At least five years of experience developing and operating production-grade data pipelines.
• Strong proficiency with Snowflake and Azure cloud services, including hands-on experience with Azure Data Factory or similar data ingestion tools.
• Advanced SQL expertise alongside familiarity with modern programming languages such as Python.
• Experience working with GitHub and establishing shared CI/CD workflows and quality checks across codebases.
• Competence in database deployment practices, like DCM and schemachange, supplemented by infrastructure-as-code experience.
• Knowledge of platform monitoring, observability techniques, and operational cost awareness.
• Deep understanding of data governance principles, security policies, and Snowflake role/access designs.
• Awareness of privacy obligations and regulatory compliance concerning sensitive health information.
• Outstanding communication abilities and strong stakeholder management, fostering a collaborative and solution-focused work style.

Why Join Southern Cross?

We are investing in our people, technology, and long-term vision. Joining us means becoming part of a growing team empowered to influence data and AI practices that will define the future of healthcare in New Zealand.

Our organisation is gaining widespread recognition for its culture and trustworthiness, highlighted by top rankings in corporate reputation and trust indices for 2026.

Our Culture and Benefits

Southern Cross embodies values of genuine care, safety, and integrity. Our inclusive, diverse environment encourages professional growth and personal wellbeing.

Employee benefits include:

• Five wellness days annually
• Health insurance coverage for employees and their immediate family
• Life insurance and discounted pet and travel insurance
• Enhanced parental leave and support for financial wellbeing
• Access to workplace wellness programs
• Flexible leave purchase options for study, volunteering, or family support
• One paid volunteer day per year to support causes alongside your team

Location and Inclusion

This position is based in Auckland, New Zealand. While applications from other locations are welcome, remote options for this role are not available at this time.

We proudly uphold the Pride Pledge, actively supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion through employee-led networks focused on Rainbow, Māori, Pasifika, Neurodiversity, and family support communities.

We Encourage You to Apply

If you share our passion for impactful data management and health innovation, we welcome your application and look forward to discussing your potential contribution.