**Introduction** In this role you will join IBM Consulting via our world class Associate Program for university hires. As an Associate at IBM Consulting, you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients worldwide. Our clients' technical and business needs are constantly evolving. We're hiring inspired, talented individuals, who believe no problem is too big to solve. We focus on your professional development through ongoing learning, mentorship, development of technical skills, and continuous personal growth, all grounded in a culture of coaching and career advancement. If you see yourself as someone who never stops learning and who wants to unleash your potential, the IBM Consulting Associates Program is for you. A career in IBM Consulting is rooted by long-term relationships and close collaboration with clients across the globe. You'll work with visionaries across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Your ability to accelerate impact and make meaningful change for your clients is enabled by our strategic partner ecosystem and our robust technology platforms across the IBM portfolio, including Software and Red Hat. Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation to success in IBM Consulting. In your role, you'll be encouraged to challenge the norm, investigate ideas outside of your role, and come up with creative solutions resulting in groundbreaking impact for a wide network of clients. Our culture of evolution and empathy centres on long-term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience. **Your role and responsibilities** Kick-start your career as a Data Consultant, where you’ll design, build and optimize the systems and platforms that power modern data-driven business solutions. You’ll work on real-world projects with the latest technologies that help our clients ingest, store, process and most importantly make sense of vast amounts of data. As part of a collaborative high-performance team, you’ll learn how to: * Design and implement data pipelines for batch and real-time processing * Build and maintain data models, integration processes and data quality and governance frameworks * Work with relational and non-relational databases * Leverage tools such as IBM's Watsonx, Data, Python, SQL, Spark, Kafka and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) to deliver scalable and AI-ready data solutions * Apply data governance and security principles to ensure data is trusted and well-managed. **Required technical and professional expertise** * Be an Australian Citizen/Permanent Resident. * Satisfy an AU Gov client Pre-Engagement Integrity Check * Permanent Residents: Must have been an Australian resident for the past five (5) years. * A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering or a related data field * Strong problem-solving skills and an eagerness to learn new tools and technologies * Basic programming experience in Python, Java, or similar * Understanding of databases, data modelling and parallel data transformation concepts * A collaborative mindset and strong communication skills are a must. **Preferred technical and professional experience** * Highly motivated, with clear evidence of drive and significant achievements * A passion for innovative ideas, coupled with the ability to understand and assimilate different points of view * Drive to overcome the most challenging or difficult obstacles and look for ways to improve results * Strong quantitative analysis skills and the ability to derive recommendations informed by data and insights * Ability to handle multiple tasks concurrently and meet deadlines, while maintaining focus in an environment with conflicting demands IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.