Principal Consultant - Data and Analytics Advisory

Acumen BI · Permanent · Auckland or Wellington

The combination of real technical depth and genuine consulting ability is rare. If you have both, we’d like to talk.

If you have designed and built models, pipelines, platforms, models, dashboards, and you are ready to lead the work rather than just execute it, we would like to talk to you.

Acumen BI is a specialist data and analytics consultancy trusted by leading New Zealand organisations to deliver complex data programmes. We are growing our practice and looking for an experienced consultant who can move comfortably between hands-on delivery and senior advisory. We are looking for someone who earns client trust because they have actually done the work.

What the work looks like

The Advisory Practice exists to help clients succeed at data and analytics. That means more than delivering a technical artefact. It means genuinely improving how an organisation thinks about, uses, and governs its data. Our consultants work across strategy, operating model, problem definition, and change, always grounded in a deep understanding of the client's context. You will need to understand the technical landscape to do this work well, but your primary role is upstream of the build.

• Discovery and problem definition: Defining the real problem before the solution is designed, through structured discovery, options analysis, and impact assessment.
• Standards, frameworks and assessments: Developing organisation-level data and analytics standards and frameworks for critical areas such as AI, security, FinOps and data governance. Assessing where the client is today across architecture, operations, governance and ways of working.
• Strategy and roadmap: Developing data and analytics strategies and roadmaps in context of a client's people, process, and governance, not just their technology.
• Ways of working and leadership: Shaping how client teams work, make decisions, and adopt new capabilities, including the practical integration of AI tools into data and analytics workflows.

What stays consistent is the expectation that you’ll bring both the technical depth to deliver and the client skills to lead.

Which level fits you?

We’re open to appointing at either level, title and scope will reflect what you bring.

• Senior consultant
• More experienced; ready to lead
• AUTONOMY Works within a clear framework; exercises strong judgement and knows when to escalate
• STAKEHOLDER IMPACT Influences clients and communicates clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
• DELIVERY Leads complex engagements end-to-end; applies creative thinking to resolve difficult problems
• PEOPLE & GROWTH Mentors others; shares knowledge and actively develops own skills

• Principal consultant
• Trusted advisor; raises the bar
• AUTONOMY Defines their own frameworks; operates with high independence and sets direction for others
• STAKEHOLDER IMPACT Influences at senior organisational level; shapes decisions where it matters most
• DELIVERY Leads at programme level; evaluates risk, assesses organisational impact, drives improvement
• PEOPLE & GROWTH Shapes team culture; develops others and drives best practice across the practice

Your background

We are not looking for a tool specialist or a pure practitioner. We are looking for someone who started technical, as an analyst, engineer, or developer, and has grown into a role where they lead, advise, and shape direction. You will need both sides: the credibility that comes from having built things, and the consulting maturity to translate that into client outcomes.

Technical foundation

Must have at least 3 to 5 years in a hands-on technical delivery role in data solutions, analytics, or data engineering.

• Hands-on experience building and delivering in data engineering, analytics, or business intelligence, in real enterprise environments.
• Strong data modelling skills and comfort with complex, varied data sources.
• Experience with modern cloud data platforms and analytics tools such as Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, Azure, Power BI, Qlik, or dbt.
• Understanding of enterprise data platform governance, operations, and support across technical and non-technical dimensions.
• Experience in using and leveraging generative AI well within a delivery or data context.

Consulting and leadership

Preferably at least 3 to 5 years of consulting experience, ideally focused on data, analytics, or business intelligence.

• Proven track record leading complex projects/programmes, with the ability to influence and manage expectations of senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience leading or managing technical teams and delivery, preferably multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong delivery management skills, including managing multiple priorities and delivering high-quality results to deadline.
• A genuine commitment to continuous learning and staying current with industry trends and emerging practice in data and analytics.

Career and Culture

Acumen is accelerating, particularly in AI-adjacent work. Joining now means joining at a genuinely exciting moment.

The team is tight-knit and highly collaborative. People here support each other through tough engagements. You will not be left to sink or swim on a difficult project.

At the same time, the structure is flat and trust-based. You will own your work and your client relationships without being micromanaged.

The practices are led by people with deep hands-on experience who are equally committed to sharing that knowledge and learning from the team. You will have access to a real development plan, certification support, and the kind of day-to-day learning that only comes from working alongside genuinely expert people.

Sounds like you? Lets talk

Please apply via: Seek, or send your CV and a brief note on what draws you to this role to ***email_hidden*** . Or call for a confidential conversation, we’re happy to talk before you decide to apply: contact Daniel Gargiulo directly at 027 838 8183 for a confidential discussion.

Please note that your application material may be reviewed by AI systems as part of the screening and analysis process.