Data Engineering and Architecture Lead

X, bigly labs; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 1 000 000 - 1 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare innovation hub in Pretoria is seeking a Data Engineering and Architecture Lead. The role requires extensive experience in data engineering leadership, expertise in SQL and Python, and a proven track record in building scalable data platforms. If you are ready to shape the future of healthcare through technology, apply now to join this dynamic team.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in data engineering or architecture, with 3+ years in a leadership role.
• Deep expertise in cloud-native tools.
• Proven experience designing enterprise data platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of enterprise data architecture.
• Oversee data engineering leadership.
• Engage stakeholders and manage governance.

Skills

SQL

Python

Spark

Cloud platforms (Azure or AWS)

Data governance

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering or related field

Tools

DataBricks

Job description

At X, bigly labs, we’re Dis-Chem’s high-performance innovation hub, where bold ideas meet data, design, and radical customer focus. Our mission is simple: power the future of healthcare by lowering costs, improving outcomes, and unlocking new possibilities.

We’re driven by one big question: How do we use data + technology today to create healthier lives tomorrow?

Here, we don’t just imagine the future, we build it. From cutting-edge digital solutions to smarter, patient-focused experiences, we’re reimagining health tech to make breakthroughs possible.

From retail and pharmacy to clinics, insurance and beyond, we’re applying machine learning and smart systems to reimagine healthcare pathways and create personalised experiences at scale. Here, your work doesn’t sit in a notebook or on a whiteboard. It becomes real. It shapes decisions. It improves lives. And we do it all the Bigly way, questioning, challenging, and building audaciously, together.

Data Engineering and Architecture Lead

We are seeking a visionary Data Engineering and Architecture Lead to lead the design, development, and optimisation of our enterprise data ecosystem. This role is responsible for building scalable, secure, and high-performance data platforms that power analytics, AI, and operational excellence across Dischem and its affiliated businesses. You will be the architect of our data assets by ensuring that our data infrastructure is not only robust and compliant, but also agile enough to support innovation in healthcare, retail, insurance, and beyond.

What We’re Looking For?

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent) in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of experience in data engineering or architecture, with 3+ years in a leadership role
• Deep expertise in SQL, Python or/and Spark, Cloud platforms (Azure or AWS) and cloud-native tools (e.g. DataBricks)
• Proven experience designing, implementing scaling enterprise data platforms using the Medallion Architecture
• Strong understanding of data governance, security, and compliance frameworks
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills

Advantageous

• Experience in healthcare, retail, or insurance data ecosystems
• Familiarity with data mesh, lakehouse architecture and real-time data processing
• Certifications in cloud architecture or data engineering

What You Will Be Doing?

• Enterprise Data Architecture
• Data Engineering Leadership
• Platform Enablement & Innovation
• Stakeholder Engagement & Governance
• Financial & Vendor Management

Who You Are?

• Structured thinking and systems problem-solving
• Commercial fluency and ability to articulate value levers
• Strategic clarity balanced with practical execution
• Able to co-create solutions with technical teams
• Influences without authority and facilitates decision forums
• Drives initiatives independently with high standards of quality

Our values aren’t just ideals, they’re the through-lines in how we think, build, and make decisions that impact real lives. From bold experimentation in digital solutions to platforms built on integrity, we’re shaping a culture designed for progress that lasts. It’s a culture that designs for the future, asks better questions, and answers them with care, urgency, and systems that scale.

Think you’ve got the energy, the curiosity, and the guts? Stay close bigly things are ahead. 💥