Principal - Technical Business Analyst, Data Products & Platforms

We are looking for a senior, technically credible analyst-advocate on data platform and data product engagements, acting as the customer’s proxy inside delivery. This is a data specialist, not a software or process BA: the person understands how data moves, how it is structured, where it comes from and what it means in business terms, reads data models and source-to-target mappings, and gets into the data to verify it. SQL fluency is essential. You will understand the client’s problem more deeply than anyone in the room, form and defend a clear point of view, shape the solution alongside the tech lead, and turn that into the requirements and documentation that keep engagements moving. Because this is a consulting role, you can also step beyond requirements into a data product lens, thinking in outcomes, prioritisation and value when an engagement calls for it. It flexes across data platform, data product and governance initiatives. Required background: A data-focused technical BA, engagement analyst or consultant, or an engineer / analyst who moved into the analyst seat, or wants to Deep data understanding: how data moves, is structured, where it comes from and what it means in business terms SQL-fluent (must-have): explores, profiles and validates data independently Reads and reasons about data models and source-to-target mappings; knows a modern cloud data stack and ETL / ELT Strong requirements craft: elicitation, workshops, acceptance criteria, backlog, RAID Not a software, process or ERP BA; user-story-only BAs without SQL are not a fit Core capabilities: Data fluency: how data moves, is structured, sourced, and what it means in business terms Requirements elicitation, analysis and prioritisation Customer advocacy and stakeholder proxy Critical thinking, problem solving and logical reasoning Translation between business intent and technical delivery Workshop facilitation, acceptance criteria, validation and UAT Technologies and ecosystems, exposure to – not mandatory: SQL (must-have, fluent: explore, profile, validate) Data modelling and source-to-target mapping Modern stack: Databricks / Snowflake / BigQuery, dbt, Azure / AWS / GCP Pipelines and ETL / ELT; Jira / Confluence Written and communication capabilities: Strong, structured written craft: status reports, proposals, specs Clear executive communication; produces high-quality material independently About Simple Machines Simple Machines is a global, independent technology consultancy operating across Sydney, New Zealand, London, Poland and San Francisco. We design and build modern data platforms, intelligent systems, and bespoke software at the intersection of Data Engineering, Software Engineering and AI. We help enterprises, scale-ups, and government turn complex, high-value data into products, platforms, and decisions that drive real impact. We don't do generic. We build things that matter - We engineer data to life™.