Data Scientist

About the Company We are the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), specifically within the Taituarā / Regulatory and Identity Services branch. Our mission is to enhance the essential services we provide to Aotearoa, New Zealand. We are committed to fostering innovation through data and analytics, and we are currently seeking a dedicated Data Scientist to join our team. About the Role We are looking for a delivery-driven and hands-on Data Scientist who is enthusiastic about leveraging AI and advanced analytics to address real-world business challenges. In this role, you will collaborate closely with our data engineers, analysts, dashboard developers, and fellow data scientists to transform ideas into actionable insights. You will be responsible for designing, building, and deploying data science solutions that significantly impact our services related to passports, citizenship, and identity. As a key member of our team, you will report to the Manager of Business Insights and lead large-scale advanced analytics projects. Your work will involve applying best practices, developing data products that facilitate informed decision-making, and promoting a data-driven culture across our organization. This opportunity is perfect for a Data Scientist looking for meaningful work and new challenges in a modern data environment. Your responsibilities will include: - Designing, building, and deploying predictive and machine learning models, including time-series forecasting models. - Developing and delivering end-to-end AI use cases, from scoping and prototyping to production, while implementing model lifecycle practices such as versioning and performance monitoring. - Collaborating with data engineers to utilize high-quality data from our new Microsoft Fabric platform. - Partnering with business teams to identify challenges and translate them into practical data science solutions. - Clearly communicating insights to both technical and non-technical audiences. - Contributing to the development of responsible AI practices, MLOps, and model governance within our branch. - Experimenting with emerging tools, techniques, and generative AI capabilities to unlock new value from data. About You We are looking for a passionate individual who communicates effectively, builds strong relationships, and possesses a customer-focused mindset. You will thrive in a collaborative and fast-paced environment where curiosity, adaptability, and teamwork are essential for delivering impactful results. The ideal candidate will have: - 2 to 4 years of experience in applying data science or AI to solve business or service delivery problems. - Strong programming skills in Python or R, with hands-on experience in model development and evaluation. - Familiarity with modern cloud data platforms such as Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake, or Databricks. - A proven ability to deliver results, from data wrangling and feature engineering to model lifecycle management, including versioning, retraining, and performance tracking. - Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset, enabling you to work effectively with others to translate complex data into actionable insights. - A curious and proactive approach, coupled with a focus on delivering practical solutions. Nice to Have - Experience with MLOps, prompt engineering, or integrating AI models into production workflows. - Familiarity with time-series forecasting libraries (e.g., Prophet, ARIMA, ETS), scheduling/optimization libraries, or workforce planning analytics. - Experience working with operational data, including processing times and linking operational metrics with forecasting. - Understanding of Power BI, data storytelling, or advanced data visualization techniques. - Knowledge of ethical AI, data governance, and privacy principles in the public sector. Benefits We offer a competitive salary ranging from $109,697 to $136,512, along with a supportive work environment that encourages professional growth and development. Applications close at 5 PM on Friday, January 16, 2026. For more information, please contact Hien Nguyen at Hien.Nguyen@dia.govt.nz. To review the full job description, please visit our careers website.