Data and Automation Systems Builder

THE/STUDIO; Johannesburg; Remote; ZAR 1,982,000 - 2,972,000; Full time

Job summary

THE/STUDIO is a fully remote company building an AI-powered data engine to automate and optimize product creation across platforms. We seek a builder who ships dashboards, pipelines, and real-time alerts to expose operational data and bottlenecks.

You will collaborate with engineering to connect data ecosystems, automate workflows with n8n, and push data-driven decisions across the organization.

Qualifications

• Hands-on fluency with SQL and cloud data warehouses (BigQuery or equivalent).
• Experience building dashboards with BI tools (Looker Studio).
• Ability to design automated pipelines and real-time alerts.
• End-to-end ownership: build tools from scratch, not just query data.
• Frequent collaboration with engineers and stakeholders across time zones.
• Bias toward action: research, build, break, fix, and ship.

Responsibilities

• Architect the AI Data Engine and contribute to AI-driven analytics.
• Build automated pipelines and dashboards with minimal manual data pulling.
• Deliver end-to-end solutions from raw requirements to working systems.
• Deploy real-time alerting for process breakdowns and deviations.
• Expose process timestamps across core platforms to identify bottlenecks.
• Develop and maintain automated workflows linking data sources to reporting.
• Fix data quality issues at the source and leverage AI to accelerate work.
• Document tools and workflows for non-technical managers.

Skills

SQL

BigQuery

Looker Studio

n8n

Make

End-to-End Ownership

AI-First Workflows

Stakeholder Communication

Tools

Looker Studio or alternative BI tools

n8n / Make / scripts

Job description

Location: 100% Remote (Global)

Timezone / Hours: Flexible working hours, with a requirement for partial overlap with US business hours (PT/ET) for synchronous team collaboration and meetings.

Engagement Type: Full-Time Independent Contractor

The Vision: Building the Operating System for Product Creation

Since 2013, THE/STUDIO has been building the definitive operating system for product creation. We are combining modern SaaS technology with custom manufacturing to make producing physical goods as seamless, fast, and scalable as launching software.

We operate two core platforms: Customize Now (our best-in-class, on-demand manufacturing platform) and Source Anything (our new SaaS product that enables customers to seamlessly work with global factories beyond our own network).

We are a profitable, previously Silicon Valley-backed, fully remote company, and we are not just looking to improve manufacturing, we are looking for a visionary operator to help us truly revolutionize the global supply chain.

The Role

We're not looking for a traditional data analyst. We don't need someone to sit between our systems and the business interpreting what the numbers mean. We need a builder who can take a stated requirement ("we need this tracked," "alert us when this breaks") and ship it: a dashboard, an automated pipeline, or a real-time alert.

A significant part of this role is exposing what’s already happening across our platforms: tracking when something enters a process, when it exits, and pinpointing where it gets stuck. This is closer to an automation and systems engineering role than classic business intelligence. You will work alongside our core engineering team and our Automation Engineer to connect, clean, and automate our entire data ecosystem.

We would rather hire someone scrappy and technical who figures things out (researches, builds, breaks things, and fixes them) than someone with a polished analytics background who needs well-defined problems handed to them.

The Big Vision

You will own data across the entire organization. We are actively moving away from static dashboards and toward an AI-powered data engine where team members can type in natural-language queries, and the engine automatically fetches, processes, and analyzes the data in real time.

Ultimately, you will build the central data heart of THE/STUDIO—a system where automated, data-driven decisions execute seamlessly across our operations.

What You’ll Do

• Architect the AI Data Engine: Build toward our long-term vision of an AI-driven, natural-language query interface and contribute to automating operational decision-making across the business.
• Build Automated Pipelines & Dashboards: Design self-sustaining systems (e.g., Looker/Looker Studio or equivalent BI tools) where metrics populate automatically with zero manual pulling.
• Ship End-to-End Solutions Independently: Take raw requirements from managers and build working systems without needing a formal spec or data translator.
• Deploy Real-Time Alerting: Build triggers that instantly flag process breakdowns or deviations, moving from retrospective reporting to proactive mitigation.
• Expose Process Timestamps: Surface stage-by-stage system events (entry/exit timestamps) across our core platforms to identify and fix operational bottlenecks.
• Engineer Workflow Automations: Build and maintain automated workflows (e.g., via n8n) linking our raw data sources directly to reporting and alerting tools.
• Solve Root-Cause Data Issues: Fix data quality and integrity issues directly at the source.
• Leverage AI as a Default: Use modern AI tools as a core build accelerant in your day-to-day workflow.
• Document for Enablement: Create clear, lightweight documentation so non-technical managers can use and navigate tools independently.

Requirements

• A Builder & Engineer Mindset: You thrive when handed an ambiguous problem, navigating it through research, experimentation, and execution.
• Technical Foundation: Hands-on fluency with SQL and cloud data warehouses (e.g., BigQuery or equivalent). Note: This is a foundational baseline, not the entire job.
• Tooling Proficiency: Deep experience with BI dashboarding (e.g., Looker Studio) and workflow automation platforms (e.g., n8n, Make, or custom scripts).
• End-to-End Ownership: Proven track record of building and deploying functional tools from scratch, not just querying existing databases.
• AI-First Workflows: Heavy daily reliance on AI tools to accelerate development, write code, and build system prototypes.
• Direct Stakeholder Communication: Comfortable talking directly to business leads to extract requirements without needing formal spec processes.

The Profile We’re Looking For (Our Core Pillars)

• Raw Intelligence & Problem-Solving: High processing power, business acumen, and logical reasoning. You can think on your feet, connect complex ideas, and break down ambiguous problems quickly.
• "Give a Shit" Energy (Extreme Ownership): You take 100% accountability for your domain and outcomes. You don't make excuses or blame external factors. You look inward, find solutions, and push across the finish line.
• Rapid Adaptation & Radical Candor: You embrace blunt, constructive feedback and pivot instantly without ego. You excel in a fast-moving environment where you need to act with urgency without waiting for hand-holding.

Compensation & Terms

• Flexible & Competitive: We offer competitive, outcome-driven compensation packages tailored to the candidate's level of impact.
• Engagement Type: Full-time, exclusive independent contractor role.

Our Hiring Process

• Initial Screen: Brief intro chat to evaluate mutual fit, communications, and expectations.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Deep dive into your hard skills, past track record, and problem-solving approach.
• Assessment / Case Study: (If applicable for the role) Practical demonstration of your capabilities.
• Final Executive Interview: Conversation with key team members.
• Reference Checks: Verification of past performance with former leaders and CEOs.

THE/STUDIO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive, high-performance culture free from discrimination.