Introduction
SafeWork NSW is establishing a new data architecture and engineering function, so this application needs to show how you create direction as well as deliver technical solutions. The Manager Data Architecture & Engineering role leads the team responsible for data platforms, pipelines, quality, governance and information used for reporting and decisions.
When explaining how to apply for Manager Data Architecture & Engineering, focus on the judgement behind your architecture and governance work. Your cover letter needs to show how you shaped a data environment, aligned stakeholders and built capability, while your resume should make the scale and outcomes of that work easy to assess.
The role sits in the workplace health and safety regulator, so the panel will want evidence that you can connect sound technical decisions with regulatory priorities, reliable reporting and practical business outcomes. Examples involving data lifecycles, executive stakeholders, quality controls and new team capability will be particularly useful.
For this role, you need a cover letter of no more than two pages and a resume of no more than five pages. The closing date is Monday 20 July 2026 at 9:59am. View the official job ad before submitting.
Contents
- Manager Data Architecture & Engineering role snapshot
- Application requirements
- Candidate evidence areas
- Example cover letter structure
- Help with your application
Manager Data Architecture & Engineering role snapshot
| Role Title | Manager Data Architecture & Engineering |
| Organisation / Entity | SafeWork NSW |
| Agency | Department of Customer Service |
| Job location | Sydney, Parramatta or Gosford, with hybrid working available |
| Job reference number | req51978 |
| I Work for NSW job number | 586875 |
| Work type | Ongoing full-time |
| Grade / level | Clerk Grade 11/12 |
| Salary | Commencing salary of $154,231 plus superannuation |
| Closing date | Monday 20 July 2026 at 9:59am |
| Official job ad | View the official job ad |
NSW Government application requirements
Application requirements are the documents you must submit so the panel can assess a complete application. Keep the page limits visible while you edit, because a senior role still needs a focused application that gives the panel enough evidence without burying the important points.
Candidate evidence is separate from document compliance. Your documents should show how your technical decisions improved data quality, governance, reporting or organisational capability in a complex environment.
Application requirements for Manager Data Architecture & Engineering
For this role, prepare:
- Cover letter, maximum 2 pages
- Resume, maximum 5 pages
NSW Government candidate requirements
The panel is looking for a technical data leader who can build a reliable function and connect architecture decisions to SafeWork NSW outcomes. Use examples that show the problem you were solving, the architecture or governance choice you made, the people you brought with you and the result.
Candidate evidence areas for Manager Data Architecture & Engineering
| Requirement or capability from role | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Modern data platforms and engineering | Use a specific example involving platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, API management, data pipelines or related architecture work. Explain the design decision and the operational result. |
| Data quality and governance | Show how you established standards, controls, ownership or governance processes that made data more reliable and usable. |
| Translating technical concepts for executives | Describe how you turned a complex data issue into a clear recommendation for senior leaders, including the trade-offs and decision that followed. |
| End-to-end data lifecycles | Trace one dataset or data product from onboarding through storage, quality, reporting and use in decision-making. |
| Building team capability | Explain how you shaped a team, developed people or introduced ways of working that improved delivery quality and confidence. |
| Operating in ambiguity and aligning stakeholders | Choose an example where priorities were still forming and show how you created direction, managed competing needs and kept delivery moving. |
Essential role requirements
The advert does not list a separate licence, clearance, qualification or work-right condition. Check the application portal for any updated eligibility instructions before submitting.
Example application structure for Manager Data Architecture & Engineering
The application requires a cover letter and a resume, with the cover letter carrying the main written explanation of your fit. Keep the cover letter to a maximum of two pages and use the resume to support the detail. The table below shows a practical way to organise the cover letter.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening paragraph | Position yourself as a senior data architecture and engineering leader and connect your experience to SafeWork NSW’s need for reliable data, governance and decision support. |
| Modern data platforms and engineering | Describe a platform, pipeline or architecture you designed or improved, including the scale, technology choices and outcome. |
| Data quality and governance | Explain the standards, controls or ownership model you introduced and how it improved trust in reporting or insights. |
| Executive translation and stakeholder alignment | Show how you explained technical risk or opportunity to senior leaders and reached a decision that supported the business. |
| Team capability and delivery | Give evidence of forming, leading or developing a team while delivering useful data products in a changing environment. |
| Closing paragraph | Reinforce your interest in SafeWork NSW and the public value of better data for workplace health and safety regulation. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Technical decisions that improved reliability, quality or scalability
- Governance that people could apply in day-to-day work
- Clear influence with executives and business stakeholders
- Team development and capability uplift
- Measured improvements in reporting, access, performance or decision support
Help with your Manager Data Architecture & Engineering application
A senior data application needs to show both technical depth and leadership judgement. Before submitting, read the official job ad again, check the two-page cover letter limit and make sure each example explains the outcome.
If you want help shaping the written evidence, use the NSW cover letter template as a starting point or request a tailored NSW Government application from Team 3Thirty.