Data Engineering Manager

Derivco; Durban; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Derivco is seeking a Data Engineering Manager to lead the Data-Hub team and drive the full data journey from collection to enrichment for reporting. You will partner with senior engineers and the data architect to set strategy and deliver milestones.

The role centers on extending Snowflake data warehouse capabilities, moving from daily SQL Server ETL to near real-time Snowflake pipelines, with high visibility and stakeholder exposure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with Honours in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related analytical field.
• 8–10 years of progressive experience in data engineering, data analysis, or operations analytics, including experience leading a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the Data-Hub engineering team with strategic direction and executable milestones.
• Own delivery and implement data validation, documentation standards, and quality protocols.
• Manage budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships for data platforms and tools.
• Provide technical leadership across data warehousing, pipelines, and scripting languages.
• Partner with business and analytics teams to translate capability into business outcomes.

Skills

Data engineering

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Team mentoring

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree with Honours in Data Science/Statistics/CS/Math

Tools

Snowflake

SQL Server

ETL

Job description

Derivco is looking for a Data Engineering Manager to lead our Data-Hub team — the data engineering function responsible for the full data journey, from collection at source, through staging, to enrichment and aggregation for use in product and financial reporting.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can partner with the team's senior engineers and data architect to set strategic direction, then drive execution against real milestones. Data-Hub sits at the centre of the business — a wide range of technical and business stakeholders consume what your team produces, plus a close working relationship with our sister analytics team, who deliver analytics to the broader business. That means great exposure, but also means credibility is everything: you'll earn it by consistently meeting commitments and managing stakeholders well when challenges arise. A data engineering background will stand you in good stead, both to lead the team's technical direction and to act as a credible sounding board when they need one.

The Opportunity Right Now

Your first priority will be getting to know the team, the data flows, and the stakeholder landscape. From there, you'll help lead one of Data-Hub's most significant initiatives: extending our existing Snowflake data warehouse capability, moving our primary data warehouse off a daily SQL Server ETL process and onto near-real-time Snowflake pipelines. It's ambitious, high-visibility work that will stretch your leadership abilities — but you won't be doing it alone, with a dynamic peer leadership group and the wider leadership team there to support you.

What You'll Do

Lead and grow the team

• Manage and mentor the Data-Hub engineering team, partnering with senior engineers and the data architect to set strategic direction and translate it into executable milestones
• Identify skill gaps, coordinate training, and establish technical focus areas for team members
• Act as a technical sounding board and decision-support resource, drawing on your own data engineering background

Own delivery and operational excellence

• Prioritise and coordinate competing demands from a wide range of technical and business stakeholders
• Implement data validation, documentation standards, and quality protocols so pipelines are accurate, replicable, and supportable
• Drive process improvement and automation initiatives across the data flow, from source collection to staging and aggregation

Manage budgets, contracts, and vendors

• Take financial accountability for the function, including budget forecasting, cost control, and transparent reporting
• Oversee contract renewals and vendor relationships for data platforms and tools, negotiating cost-effective terms

Provide technical leadership

• Maintain oversight of the team's technology stack across data warehousing, pipeline orchestration, and scripting languages
• Evaluate new tools and methodologies, and guide solution design decisions across the data platform

Partner with the business

• Build strong working relationships with the many technical and business consumers of Data-Hub's output
• Work closely with the sister analytics team, supporting them with routine reporting and the medallion data architecture that underpins it
• Translate technical capability into business outcomes and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree with Honours in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related analytical field
• 8–10 years of progressive experience in data engineering, data analysis, or operations analytics, including experience leading a team
• A data engineering background, with credibility to guide technical direction and act as a sounding board for senior engineers
• Solid experience with budget management, contract/vendor negotiation, and financial reporting
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with a track record of building credibility through consistent delivery
• A track record of mentoring engineers/analysts and building team capability.

What Derivco Offers

• The chance to lead a high-visibility data engineering function at the heart of the business, with real influence over strategic direction
• A dynamic, committed team, peer leadership group, and wider leadership team invested in your success
• Genuine scope to grow your own capability applying AI in the technology space
• A competitive, market-related remuneration package.

Closing Date: 28 October 2026