Job Description

Senior Data Engineer (Python, Java, SQL) - Western Cape - up to R900k per annum
We are seeking an experienced Senior Data Engineer to take ownership of end-to-end Data Platform & AI infrastructure. This role leads the evolution of our proprietary Data Management Platform (DMP), ensuring data scalability, accuracy, and real-time impact across the business.
You'll work alongside a multidisciplinary team of data engineers, analysts, and AI developers, and report directly to senior leadership. This is a hands-on leadership role suited for a proactive technologist who thrives on optimisation, automation, and measurable business outcomes.
Responsibilities:

• Own and evolve our GCP-based Data Platform (BigQuery, Cloud Functions, Composer, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, etc.)
• Architect, build, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest structured and unstructured data from multiple internal and external sources
• Implement and enforce data governance, validation, deduplication, and enrichment standards
• Optimise cost, speed, and performance across data storage, compute, and pipeline operations
• Develop data tools and dashboards to support analytics, AI, and marketing performance measurement
• Establish and document best practices, SOPs, and technical standards for data workflows
• Monitor and resolve pipeline failures and ensure data quality, uptime, and operational continuity
• Collaborate cross-functionally with AI, analytics, marketing, and operations teams to design data-driven products and insights
• Lead and mentor data engineers and analysts, ensuring strong technical delivery and professional growth
• Provide leadership during mission-critical incidents and maintain high system reliability

Qualification & Experience

• 5+ years of experience as a Data Engineer or Data Platform Lead
• Advanced proficiency with Google Cloud Platform (BigQuery, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage, Composer)
• Strong coding expertise in Python, SQL, and either Java or PHP
• Deep understanding of data modelling, schema design, and query performance tuning
• Proven experience managing complex data pipelines, debugging, and ensuring data security
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and tools (experience with Gemini is an advantage)
• Strong understanding of cost optimisation and scalable cloud architecture
• Excellent communicator with a track record of professional accountability and ownership

• Familiarity with Salesforce, Meta Conversions API, or Google Analytics integrations

The Reference Number for this position is NG60896 which is a Permanent Hybrid position based in Johannesburg offering a cost to company of R700k up to R900k per annum negotiable on experience and ability. Contact Nokuthula at or call her on 011 463 3633 to discuss this and other opportunities.
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