• Full Time
• Application Closes 23 Nov 2025
• Manawatu - Palmerston North
• IT Business Analysts

We’re looking for a Data & Systems Specialist to help ensure our data and information assets are accurate, secure, and accessible across the organisation. In this full-time, permanent role, you’ll play a key part in improving data quality, governance, and integration, and in delivering data and GIS solutions that enable better decisions for our environment and communities.

The role 

Reporting to the Team Leader Data and GIS, this role works across Horizons to develop and maintain data and geospatial systems that support informed decision-making and innovation.

In this role you will:

• Design, build, and maintain data and GIS solutions that meet business needs.
• Integrate and automate data flows across systems using modern tools and techniques.
• Apply data governance, quality, and security practices to ensure information is reliable and well managed.
• Provide technical advice and support to staff to help them access and use data effectively.
• Explore new technologies and approaches that make data more accessible, discoverable, and valuable.

This is a hands-on, collaborative position working closely with teams across the organisation and with external partners.

About you 

You’ll bring strong technical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn data into meaningful insight. You’re equally comfortable with the detail of data management and the bigger picture of how data enables good decisions.

To succeed, you’ll have:

• A relevant tertiary qualification (Information Management, Data Science, Geospatial Science, Computer Science, or similar), or equivalent experience.
• Proven ability to query, manage, and transform data in relational databases (e.g. SQL).
• Experience with GIS platforms such as ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Understanding of data governance and lifecycle management principles.
• Experience with automation or integration tools (e.g. FME, ETL).
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across teams

Desirable:

• Experience with cloud-based platforms (Azure, AWS), data visualisation tools (Power BI, ArcGIS Dashboards), or scripting (Python).

Why join us?

When you join us, you can look forward to a rewarding career full of opportunities to develop a positive and supportive work environment. We do this through: 

• Positive focus on employee health, wellness and wellbeing initiatives across the organisation including your birthday off, wellness day, life insurance for all permanent staff and 5 weeks leave after 2 years of service.
• Flexible family friendly work environment.
• Ongoing development and opportunities across the organisation to grow, specialise or diversify your skills. 
• Working together for a better environment across our region.
• A supportive and social work environment across the organisation.

About us 

The Horizons region extends over 22,200km2 – from Ruapehu in the north and Horowhenua in the south, to Whanganui in the west and Tararua in the east. We work with and for our community in the use and protection of our environment, managing our precious resources of land, air and water; as well as public transport and a key role in emergency management. At Horizons Regional Council we work to make our region a healthy environment where people are thriving, including our staff.

Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 23 November 2025. 

Horizons are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to ensuring we have a diverse and inclusive workplace, so our people reflect the diversity of our region.