Cloud Pod Engineer Lead

**General information**: - Location - Auckland, Christchurch - Expertise - Technology - Job Level - Experienced - Employment Type - Permanent full-time - Close Date - 31-Aug-2025 - Ref # - 62024 **Description & Requirements**: **Spark NZ** - As New Zealand's largest telecommunications and digital services company, Spark's purpose is to help all of New Zealand win big in a digital world. We provide mobile, broadband, and digital services to millions of New Zealanders and thousands of New Zealand businesses. - We operate in an exciting and constantly evolving industry, where the pace of change brings new and unique challenges every day, so we operate using Agile ways of working to allow us to meet the fast-changing needs of our customers. Agile replaces the traditional hierarchical organisational structure to produce a transparent, collaborative environment with highly productive teams who are empowered to deliver better outcomes for our customers, communities, and all of New Zealand. **About the Role**: This SQL Data Engineer Lead role sits within the Cloud team and is responsible for the development of database systems, including: - Developing and continuously enhancing existing database products to enhance client facing portals, internal portals, data syncs, micro-services, reporting etc. - Integration of new vendor services into existing database systems - Maintaining and enhancing security standards and approaches - Supporting billing and reporting initiatives - On-call 24 by 7 rotational roster You will bring: - **Growth Mind Set**- you are adaptable and open to change and learning, as well as sharing knowledge and experience. - **Collaborative Ownership**- you take ownership of your own actions and collaborate well with others across a diverse group of people. - **Passionate about Client Success**- you do what you say you will do, when you said you would do it, and you push for better outcomes. **Day to day you will be involved in**: - Defining new systems and platforms architecture and designs and owning relevant architecture and designs once in operation. - Defining technical specifications, ensuring the security, performance and scalability of the environment is maintained - SQL team workload, including backlog grooming and sizing, task implementation - Billing, Reporting & CMDB continuous improvement for operational efficiencies and enhancements as per business needs - Documenting business rules and operational procedures - SQL team’s on-call roster for operational support of MySQL and MS SQL systems. - Independently identifies the root cause of problems, working across system boundaries to identify and implement solutions to these. - Works with a cross-functional teams of infrastructure specialists, developers, BAs and testers. - Support all working processes (including providing constructive feedback on processes and works towards continual service improvement). - Ensures organisations security processes and policies are adhered to. - Participates in agile meetings (including backlog grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives) - Complete deployment activities (including adhering to the documented change management and release management processes). **What experience you'll bring?** - Minimum 5 years’ experience of database development/engineering using MS SQL Server, MySQL, Postgres or similar plus Power BI - Excellent knowledge of large-scale distributed systems and cloud computing - Excellent knowledge of systems development lifecycle incl. design, testing and release using Azure DevOps, Jira or similar - Experience in systems integration, API development (e.g. REST, SOAP, WDSL), and MS SQL Server Integration Services - Good knowledge of infrastructure technology (incl. server, network, storage and data) desired - Good knowledge of security best practices - PowerShell, Bash or similar **WHY CHOOSE US**: **Diversity and Inclusion: Te Kanorau me te Whakawhāiti mai** - At Spark, we are constantly looking for ways to build a more inclusive culture. Our vision is for diversity and inclusion to be "how things are done at Spark", embedded into our day-to-day activities, standards, and business practices. We want you to feel totally comfortable bringing your whole self to work regardless of your gender, ethnicity, orientation, age, or ability. **Sustainability: Toitū** - Sustainability is a key focus for us. We are dedicated to supporting Aotearoa New Zealand's recovery and economic transformation. The principle of equity is at the very heart of our approach, and we remain committed to working in partnership to make a positive contribution to digital equity in line with our focus on Diversity and Inclusion. **Benefits: Awhina** - Our people matter and we make sure we look after them. As a valued employee of Spark, we've got our people covered with a range of leading benefits including: - **Wellbeing** - Comprehensive medical insurance, life and income protection. Access to wellbeing coaches