Lead Data Consultant

About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga mahi Theta is seeking an experienced Lead Data Consultant to join the Data and Insights Practice, based in our Wellington or Auckland office. This is a priority hire within a team that values delivery excellence and a sustainable pace of work. The role has a strong data engineering focus, with accountability for leading the end-to-end build of modern data solutions. You’ll work closely with client stakeholders, solution architects, and delivery teams to design and deliver reliable, production-grade data platforms and pipelines that enable measurable business outcomes. While Microsoft Fabric is a key part of our delivery, we welcome candidates with strong delivery experience across modern platforms such as Fabric, Databricks, and Snowflake (and related Azure services), with the ability to apply good engineering fundamentals regardless of tooling. What the role delivers Lead the design, build, and optimisation of data pipelines across Lakehouse and warehouse patterns, with a focus on reliability, performance, and supportability Deliver robust data transformations that enable reporting, analytics, and AI use cases Shape and implement modern architecture patterns (e.g., medallion/bronze-silver-gold, curated layers, reusable data products) Produce clean, maintainable Python and SQL aligned to agreed engineering standards Implement automated testing, monitoring, data validation, and performance tuning to support stable operations Lead technical discovery and solution walkthroughs, translating business requirements into clear engineering scope and deliverables Partner with architects and delivery teams to shape solution design, estimates, sequencing, and delivery plans Provide clear communication on progress, risks, dependencies, and technical blockers to client stakeholders and delivery leadership Conduct peer reviews and promote consistent patterns across coding, documentation, and deployment practices Mentor team members, supporting capability uplift and delivery confidence Contribute to Theta delivery assets including templates, reusable components, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives Skills and experience | Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako At least eight years of data engineering experience delivering enterprise-scale data platforms and/or Enterprise Data Warehouses, including complex integration and production support requirements Strong experience delivering on one or more modern platforms such as: a. Microsoft Fabric (e.g., Azure Data Factory/dataflows, Lakehouse/warehouse, OneLake, notebooks, Delta tables, workspace organisation) b. Databricks (e.g., notebooks, workflows, Unity Catalog, Delta Lake, orchestration) c. Snowflake (e.g., data modelling, performance patterns, secure sharing, orchestration/integration) d. Azure Synapse analytics (Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, Power BI) Advanced SQL capability (performance-aware transformation and modelling) Strong Python capability (including PySpark where relevant) Strong experience with modern Lakehouse/warehouse concepts and scalable solution design Strong understanding of Delta / table formats, medallion architecture concepts, and pragmatic data modelling patterns for analytics workloads Strong Git, CI/CD, DevOps and DataOps experience Experience implementing regression testing and data-quality frameworks Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences Experience mentoring team members or providing technical leadership Experience using AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot or similar) with appropriate governance Relevant certifications (Microsoft/Databricks/Snowflake) or a demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development Please note: A cover letter accompanying your application is requested. About You: A successful candidate will bring strong data engineering capability alongside a clear commitment to people and stakeholder engagement. You can build trust quickly, clarify expectations, and translate business needs into practical engineering scope. You care about delivery standards—maintainability, reliability, and operational readiness—balanced with delivery timelines and commercial considerations. You’re collaborative, constructive in peer feedback, and enjoy mentoring and uplifting others. Applications are welcomed from experienced Senior Data Engineers who are seeking a role with meaningful client interaction and genuine team leadership, without being locked into a single technology. About us | Mō mātou We have 30 years of experience as a New Zealand-owned technology consultancy. We take pride in our multicultural and diverse team of circa 290 skilled professionals. Our offices are in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch. Working with clients in both the public and private sectors, we strive to deliver innovative solutions and enable smarter outcomes. Our company attracts some of the brightest minds in the industry, as we foster a culture of excellence and continuous learning. Theta values are at the heart of everything we do: Our people are our greatest asset We conduct business ethically Invention, imagination and creativity are the foundation for growth We work with positive energy, enjoyment, humour and work/life balance Excellence is our passion, and we deliver what we promise - or more! We strive to take a pragmatic approach to all our activities We value and appreciate our natural environment and seek to play our part to maintain it Benefits of working at Theta | Ngā hua ka puta i te mahi ki Theta Theta offers a family friendly work environment with flexible work hours where practical; especially relevant for caregivers. We embrace gender equality and are committed to providing a supportive, diverse and inclusive work environment. Theta is committed to giving back to the community and are avid supporters of Cure Kids. We compete in various adventure races and do many other things to raise money for Cure Kids. And we make time for the fun things in life! We currently provide the following benefits to ensure your professional development and personal wellbeing: Professional growth and learning opportunities A competitive salary (commensurate with experience) Hybrid working model – from a minimum of 2 days in the office Fully subsidised medical insurance for employees Heavily discounted medical insurance for immediate family of employees Enhanced parental leave payment – salary top-ups plus return-to-work incentive Volunteer days Internal Referral Incentive Staff Assistance Programme Annual Flu injections Sick leave from your first day on board Remote working options where practical and mutually agreed Daily fresh fruit basket, coffee machine, wide selection of teas and biscuits in all of our offices. We are also an accredited employer with INZ Please note , all potential employees will be required to consent to a Ministry of Justice and Credit Check . We are only accepting applications from those already residing in NZ with the relevant visas. Apply now | Tono ināianei Ready to take your career to the next level? We would love to hear from you!