Chief Operating Officer

Babylonstoren; Paarl; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent hospitality company in Paarl, South Africa, is seeking an Executive to lead their data and technology team. The successful candidate will drive global strategy, manage various software integrations, and enable data-driven solutions. Candidates should have a degree in a relevant field, substantial experience in data and analytics, leadership capabilities, and a passion for technology. This is a full-time role requiring on-site presence five days a week.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in data, analytics, data science, or software development.
• Proven leadership experience and ability to manage teams.
• Knowledge of GDPR and POPIA compliance measures.

Responsibilities

• Lead the data and technology team and drive global strategy.
• Enable data-driven solutions and improve business processes.
• Collaborate across business units and communicate insights effectively.

Skills

Data strategy development

People management

Software development

Data analytics

Strong communication skills

Education

Degree in data science, statistics, engineering, or computer science

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

HubSpot

Salesforce

R, Python, MATLAB

Job description

Overview

The Candide team operates as a services company with the mandate of consolidating all technology and data services across our group of companies – Babylonstoren (Cape Winelands, South Africa), The Newt in Somerset (Somerset, United Kingdom), and other sister estates in Europe. The team’s responsibilities include data management and warehousing, e-commerce platform and website development, app development, and hospitality technology.

The Candide team is currently based in Paarl (on-site at Babylonstoren, South Africa) and in Bristol (United Kingdom) and consists of approximately 20 people specialising in engineering, product, design, and data.

Key Purpose

Candide offers an exciting opportunity for someone who has a passion for data, analytics, AI and software development. In this role, you will lead the data and technology team and drive the group-wide global strategy. You will also coordinate the integration of various software systems and collaborate with teams across business units and countries to enable data-driven solutions, improve business processes, and support informed decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead the data and technology team and drive the group-wide global strategy.
• Coordinate the integration of various software systems and collaborate with teams across business units and countries.
• Enable data-driven solutions, improve business processes, and support informed decision-making.
• Communicate value-adding, data-driven insights to influence marketing, e-commerce, and broader business decisions.

Qualifications and Requirements

• A degree in a relevant field of study, such as data science, statistics, engineering, or computer science
• At least ten years’ experience in relevant fields, including data, analytics, data science, software development, and/or engineering
• Experience in people management and leadership
• Familiarity with CRM software (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce)
• Advanced understanding of BI and analytics tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Google Analytics)
• Familiarity with data science tools and programming languages (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB, pandas) as well as database languages
• Knowledge of data pipelines and data integrations
• Proven experience in building a data strategy and executing projects, including data science and AI applications
• Experience managing technology projects and product development
• Ability to identify and communicate value-adding, data-driven insights to influence marketing, e-commerce, and broader business decisions
• Strong communication skills across all levels of the organisation
• Willingness to travel internationally
• Availability to work on-site, five days per week
• Knowledge of GDPR and POPIA, with experience implementing compliance measures across business operations
• Experience in e-commerce
• Proactive, creative, and able to take initiative

Employment Terms

• Seniority level: Executive
• Employment type: Full-time
• Industry: Hospitality

Applications must be submitted via the application portal: https://babylonstoren.breezy.hr/

We’re seeking top talent to join a high-performance, service-driven group that collaborates to deliver data and technology solutions.