The posting
Love Databricks? Speak fluent business? Occasionally dream in SQL?
We're looking for a seriously capable Databricks Specialist to join First Focus and help turn complex business problems into clever, scalable data and AI solutions.
And when we say specialist, we mean someone who knows their way around Azure Databricks, Python, PySpark and SQL, not someone who watched a 20-minute YouTube tutorial and updated their LinkedIn headline.
You'll be working across Databricks, Microsoft Azure, APIs, AI integrations and enterprise data architecture, building solutions that actually make a difference.
But here's the twist. We also need someone who understands the business side of technology.
Someone who can sit down with Finance, Sales or Demand Planning teams, work out what they're trying to achieve, translate that into a technical solution, and then roll up their sleeves and build it.
If you can explain a complex data architecture to a Finance Manager without making their eyes glaze over, you're already doing better than most of us.
And with hybrid working in Manila, you'll hopefully spend a little less time negotiating with EDSA traffic and a little more time enjoying your merienda.
A little about Us
We're Australia's #1 MSP, with nearly 500 people across Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
We've been growing for more than 15 years, helping businesses get more from technology without making everything unnecessarily complicated.
We're big enough to offer exciting projects, serious technical challenges and genuine career opportunities, but still small enough to remember that our people are humans, not ticket numbers.
We believe in giving smart people the freedom to do great work, supporting them when things get tricky, and recognising them when they deliver.
No unnecessary politics. No endless meetings about scheduling other meetings. Just good people doing meaningful work.
Requirements
What you'll actually be doing
This isn't a role where you'll spend your days moving data from Column A to Column B and calling it digital transformation.
You'll be:
- Designing and building enterprise data solutions using Azure Databricks, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog and Microsoft Azure.
- Getting under the hood of business requirements, working with Finance, Sales, Demand Planning and Forecasting stakeholders to understand processes, data and desired outcomes.
- Developing production-grade solutions using Python, PySpark and SQL, including complex data transformations and scalable pipelines.
- Making Databricks run beautifully, optimising Spark workloads, SQL queries, compute resources, storage and data layouts for performance and cost.
- Building and integrating APIs using REST services and Azure API Management (APIM).
- Connecting data with AI, integrating Databricks with LLM applications, AI agents and other enterprise systems.
- Designing secure Azure architectures, including private networking, VNets, Private Endpoints, managed identities, Entra ID and RBAC.
- Troubleshooting the genuinely tricky stuff, from slow-running Spark jobs to mysterious Azure networking issues that apparently worked perfectly yesterday.
- Owning solutions from start to finish, including requirements, architecture, development, testing, deployment, documentation and production optimisation.
You'll work closely with business stakeholders, developers, data engineers, AI specialists and cloud infrastructure teams.
In other words, plenty of variety, genuine ownership and very little opportunity to get bored.
What we're looking for
We're after someone with deep technical expertise, strong analytical thinking and the confidence to work directly with business stakeholders.
The essentials:
- Extensive hands-on experience with Azure Databricks in enterprise environments.
- Strong Microsoft Azure expertise. This one really is essential.
- Expert-level Python, PySpark and SQL, including complex query and workload optimisation.
- Solid experience with Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Databricks SQL, Jobs/Workflows and Spark.
- Proven ability to optimise Databricks performance, scalability and cloud costs.
- Experience designing and integrating REST APIs using Azure API Management.
- Strong knowledge of Azure networking and infrastructure, including VNets, Private Link, Private Endpoints, DNS, firewalls and secure connectivity.
- Experience integrating Databricks with AI applications, LLMs, AI agents or enterprise platforms.
- Strong understanding of OAuth 2.0, Microsoft Entra ID, managed identities, service principals, RBAC and secrets management.
- Significant Business Analysis experience, including stakeholder workshops, requirements gathering, process analysis, data mapping and translating business needs into technical solutions.
- Experience working with business functions such as Finance, Sales, Demand Planning, Forecasting or FP&A.
- Excellent troubleshooting skills and the ability to communicate technical concepts without requiring everyone else to learn Python first.
We know that's quite a list. We promise we're hiring one person, not attempting to assemble an entire technology department.
Extra points if you've also got...
- Databricks certifications or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
- Experience with Databricks AI/BI, Genie, Mosaic AI, Vector Search or Model Serving.
- Exposure to agentic AI, GenAI applications, Azure AI Foundry or Azure OpenAI.
- Experience with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.
- Knowledge of Azure DevOps, Git, CI/CD, Terraform or Bicep.
- Experience implementing data governance, lineage and access controls through Unity Catalog.
- Experience working across development, test and production environments.
- A background in consulting, managed services or multi-client environments.
You don't need every bonus skill. If you've got the essentials and a genuine appetite for learning, we'd love to hear from you.
The kind of person who'll thrive here
You're naturally curious, technically strong and comfortable taking ownership.
You can move from a conversation about forecasting accuracy with a Finance Director to investigating a Spark performance bottleneck, then jump into an Azure networking discussion without needing to Google what a subnet is.
You understand that great data solutions aren't just technically impressive. They need to solve real business problems.
You ask good questions, challenge assumptions respectfully, communicate clearly and take pride in delivering solutions that work.
One of our values is Be the Solution, and this role is practically a walking demonstration of it. We also believe in Live Curiously, Win Together and Never Stop Growing.
You can learn more about how we work and what matters to us at https://www.firstfocus.com.au/about-us/.
Benefits
Why you'll love working with First Focus
We're serious about technology, but we try not to take ourselves too seriously.
Here's what you can expect:
- Competitive salary package reflecting your experience and technical expertise.
- Hybrid working arrangements, because Manila traffic is enough of a technical challenge on its own.
- HMO from day one, including one dependent and dental cover.
- Never Stop Growing, with 10 paid study days annually, exam covered and salary increases for certifications (conditions apply).
- Free access to Uprise, including one-on-one coaching with qualified psychologists or counsellors.
- Day-shift working hours and weekends off*, leaving actual time for life outside work.
- 25 paid leave days annually, because even Databricks specialists deserve a proper holiday.
- ₱20,000 employee referral rewards, for introducing us to more brilliant people.
- Employee recognition and rewards, because great work deserves to be noticed, appreciated and celebrated.
- Loyalty bonuses*, because sticking around and doing great work should count for something.
- Regular social events, End-of-FY celebrations and Christmas parties, with people you'll hopefully enjoy spending time with even when nobody's paying you.
- A supportive international team, meaningful technical challenges and genuine opportunities to keep developing your career.
*Applicable conditions apply.
Our Metro Manila offices:
29th Floor, Robinsons Cyberscape Gamma, Topaz Road, Ortigas, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
26th Floor, Axis Tower One Building, Filinvest Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa, Philippines.
Ready to build something that matters?
If you're a Databricks expert who enjoys solving complex problems, understands the business behind the technology and gets a slightly unreasonable amount of satisfaction from making SQL queries run faster, we'd love to meet you.
Bring your technical expertise, curiosity and problem-solving mindset.
We'll bring the interesting challenges, supportive people and opportunities to keep growing.
Apply now and let's build something brilliant together.
Our commitment to inclusive recruitment
Neurodiversity: First Focus welcomes applications from Neurodiverse candidates. We recommend & appreciate disclosure along with the application so that a copy of our Neurodiversity Statement can be provided outlining the flexible options we can offer to best showcase your skills.
AI in Recruitment: We use AI-assisted recruitment tools to support application review. These tools do not make hiring decisions. All applications are handled by our recruitment team in compliance with the Philippine Data Privacy Act.
