Data Architect

ATS Client; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

ATS Client in Centurion seeks a Data Architect to lead the redesign and modernization of the data warehouse environment. You will design, govern and implement enterprise data architecture to enable analytics, AI and BI capabilities.

Ideal candidates bring 8–10 years of data architecture experience, strong Microsoft Fabric/Azure credentials, and proven leadership of data integration and governance initiatives.

Qualifications

• Matric plus Bachelor's Degree or National Diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, Engineering or related field.
• TOGAF Certification.
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate.
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate.
• Minimum 8–10 years’ experience in Enterprise Data Architecture, Data Warehousing, Azure Data Platform, Power BI, and related areas.
• Understanding of REST/SOAP APIs, QA, SQL/NoSQL, and data migrations.
• Ability to lead teams and manage project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Review and enhance the on‑premises Data Warehouse and lead performance improvements.
• Design and maintain Modern Data Architecture using Fabric, Azure Data Lake, Synapse, Databricks and Power BI.
• Develop and enforce Medallion Architecture standards.
• Architect scalable ingestion pipelines for batch, streaming and real‑time data.
• Define data modelling standards (star schema and semantic models).
• Oversee ingestion from systems, APIs, databases and third‑party sources.
• Implement ETL/ELT pipelines with Fabric Data Factory, Azure Data Factory and Synapse Pipelines.
• Ensure governance, security, and compliance per POPIA and policies.

Skills

Microsoft Fabric

Azure Data Platform

Power BI

Data Architecture

SQL NoSQL

API Integrations

Education

Bachelor's Degree or ND in CS/IT/Engineering

TOGAF Certification

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate

Azure Data Engineer Associate

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Synapse

Databricks

Power BI

Microsoft Fabric

Job description

Our client based in Centurion is looking for a Data Architect to be part of an ICT project implementation team, who will be redesigning and modernizing the data warehouse environment. This is a fixed term contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, governing and implementing the company’s Enterprise Data Architecture. The role provides strategic leadership in establishing scalable, secure and high‑performing data platforms that enable advanced analytics, Artificial Intelligence, reporting and business intelligence.

The role requires a skilled Data Architect with experience in Microsoft Modern Data Architecture, including familiarity with migrating an on‑premises SQL Data Warehouse environment to the Microsoft Cloud environment. The role also requires experience with Power BI, Medallion Architecture, Fabric, Azure data ecosystems and Application Program Interfaces (APIs).

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Matric plus Bachelor's Degree or National Diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, Engineering or related field
• TOGAF Certification
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Minimum 8‑10 years’ experience in: Enterprise Data Architecture, Data Warehousing, Azure Data Platform, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Data Engineering, Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Integration, SQL Server, Lakehouse Architecture, Medallion Architecture and Enterprise‑scale Analytics
• API & Integration Standards – Understanding how different software systems communicate via REST/SOAP APIs and middleware
• Quality Assurance (QA) – Knowledge of automated testing frameworks and manual testing protocols
• Database Management – Functional understanding of SQL/NoSQL structures to oversee data migrations and integrity during updates
• Good knowledge and handling of project and program management methodology and techniques
• Familiarity with Microsoft technologies used for application development
• Must be able to engage in formal and informal knowledge transfer
• Must be able to lead a team and manage project delivery
• Have ability to communicate clearly – verbally and in written form
• Demonstrate experience in troubleshooting and problem‑solving technical issues
• Good presentation skills

Role Responsibilities

• Review and enhance the on‑premises Data Warehouse environment and lead in the enhancement of the data warehouse performance, ETL / ELT optimisations, query optimisations, data partitioning, delta tables and capacity management

Architecture & Design

• Design and maintain a Modern Data Architecture using Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Lake, OneLake, Synapse, Databricks, and Power BI etc.
• Develop and enforce Medallion Architecture standards
• Architect scalable ingestion pipelines for batch, streaming, and real‑time data
• Define data modelling standards (star schema, modelling, semantic models)

Data Engineering & Integration

• Oversee ingestion from operational systems, APIs, databases, and third‑party sources
• Implement ETL/ELT pipelines using Fabric Data Factory, Azure Data Factory, Synapse Pipelines and Databricks
• Optimize storage, compute, and query performance across the data estate

Governance, Security & Compliance

• Implement data governance frameworks aligned to POPIA and organisational policies
• Define and enforce data quality rules, metadata standards, data lineage and access control and role‑based security
• Ensure secure integration with on‑premises systems (hybrid architecture)
• Implement enterprise governance covering Microsoft Purview, data catalogue, metadata management, business glossary, data ownership, data stewardship, data quality, lineage, classification, information protection and data retention
• Ensure compliance with POPIA, ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework and the company's security policies

Analytics & Business Enablement

• Build and maintain semantic models for Power BI and enterprise reporting
• Enable self‑service analytics through governed datasets
• Collaborate with business units to translate requirements into data solutions

Innovation & Modernisation

• Drive adoption of Microsoft Fabric and cloud‑native data capabilities
• Evaluate emerging technologies (AI, ML, real‑time analytics)
• Lead the implementation of hybrid data warehouses (legacy and modern architectures)