About the Role

Reporting to the Senior Specialist, Data Solutions, the Data Specialist will be part of the ECE Data Solutions team within Early Childhood Digital Services. The primary responsibility of the Data Specialist is to support day-to-day data governance activities and maintain data integrity across critical business platforms. This includes monitoring system operations, managing data flows across production environments, and responding to user queries and issues. The role involves working with modern, government-deployed technologies, including an Informatica Master Data Management (MDM) platform, Azure Synapse (cloud-based SQL Pool) and IBM Business Rules Engine (BRE). The Data Specialist will provide operational support for these platforms, ensuring system stability and data quality.

The Data Specialist will perform a range of operational tasks across key data platforms, including but not limited to Informatica MDM, Azure Synapse SQL Pool, and IBM Business Rules Engine (BRE). Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring data quality across ECE Digital Services applications such as Child Link and Arrival.
• Monitoring and improving data quality using customer feedback, issue reports, performance metrics, and internal evaluations.
• Working with the broader support team to troubleshoot and resolve issues on core platforms (Informatica MDM, Azure Synapse, IBM BRE).
• Logging and managing support requests, ensuring incidents and service requests are addressed per agreed procedures.
• Investigating issues, coordinating fixes, updating documentation, and recommending system enhancements.
• Contributing to the development and maintenance of system documentation, operational processes, and internal knowledge bases.
• Supporting the implementation of data-driven strategies.
• Identifying and implementing improvements to data and operational processes.
• Gaining and applying knowledge of business processes to support systems effectively.
• Providing consultation and advisory support to users and stakeholders.
• Assisting with system analysis, testing, and data validation tasks.
• Generating reports and providing relevant data to stakeholders as required.

Some out-of-business hours support is required for critical priority support incidents and planned production activities.

Attributes

You have experience as a Data Specialist or similar data management responsibilities and have proven capability for ensuring data integrity across critical business platforms as well as developing and documenting processes to support this on an ongoing basis.

Essential:

• Working with Children Check
• A tertiary qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience working with complex data in enterprise environments, including data analysis, management, and support.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with proven experience in data collection, cleansing, validation, and reporting.
• Advanced SQL skills, with the ability to write and optimize complex queries for large datasets.
• Demonstrated experience in data profiling and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes.
  
  

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Experience with Informatica Master Data Management (MDM) solutions, including data stewardship, and matching and merging logic.
• Experience with Azure Synapse SQL Pool and cloud-based ETL pipelines.
• Experience working with IBM Business Rules Engine (BRE) or other rule-based decision systems.
  
  

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit a CV and cover letter (max. 2 pages for cover letter) which summarises their skills, relevant experience and suitability to the role.

About the Department

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.

The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

About the Division

The Information Management and Technology Division (IMTD) guides the Departments' digital capability and is leading digital transformation for the Department including Victorian government schools. The division architects manage and support the largest technology network in Victoria, which has a user base of approximately 750,000 staff and students.

IMTD provides innovation and leadership in the transformation and management of the Department's digital capability through the implementation of solutions on the department's cloud environment (IaaS), enterprise cloud platforms (PaaS) and software (SaaS), using agile practices with a focus on user experience, security, and integration.

As a valued member of the diverse IMTD team, you will have the opportunity to be part of influencing the new way of working for the department through your strong technical skills and customer-centric approach.

This position sits in the Early Childhood Education Digital Services Branch. A minimum requirement of 3 days a week in the DE office is required, plus a valid Working with Children Check (E).

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact George Boulos - Senior Specialist, Data Solutions via [email protected]

A valid Working with Children's Check is mandatory for this role, as well as 3 days a week in the Department office.

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close 11:59pm on 29.10.2025