Data Lead - Bryanston/Centurion

Headhunters; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Headhunters in Centurion invites a seasoned Data Management Leader to shape our data strategy and lead a team of engineers and analysts.

You will partner with product, business and regulatory stakeholders to design data platforms, governance models and AI-enabled insights across the organization.

This role requires deep analytics expertise, strong communication, and the ability to drive change in an agile environment.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in a data-related field.
• 10–15+ years in data roles.
• 5+ years in data management leadership.
• Strong experience across data platforms, engineering and/or architecture.
• Proven data governance, data quality and regulatory compliance experience.
• Experience developing data products in commercial environments.
• Strong stakeholder collaboration and advisory skills.
• Experience implementing data strategies and operating models.
• Understanding of data lifecycle management (retention, archiving, deletion).
• Knowledge of ETL/ELT and APIs.
• Experience in both on-premises and cloud environments.
• Proficiency in SQL-based environments.
• Experience with data pipeline development, automation and performance optimisation.
• Understanding of POPIA and other regulatory requirements.
• Ability to translate data into commercially valuable products and client-facing solutions.
• Experience collaborating with technical, business and regulatory stakeholders.
• Advantageous: automotive/mobility/financial services/consumer data; AI/ML concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and optimisation of data pipelines, models and platforms.
• Translate business requirements into scalable, efficient and maintainable data solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to data engineers and analysts.
• Ensure data solutions are well structured and aligned with best practices.
• Design and implement data architectures, including data marts, integration layers and APIs.
• Ensure efficient data ingestion, transformation and integration across systems.
• Contribute to platform evolution through performance optimisation and scalability improvements.
• Implement and maintain data quality controls, validation processes and monitoring.
• Ensure reliability, accuracy and availability of critical datasets.
• Identify and resolve data issues while improving data processes.
• Implement and uphold data governance across relevant data domains.
• Support data classification, retention and lifecycle management processes.
• Ensure compliance with POPIA, PAIA and internal policies.
• Collaborate with Product, Business and Engineering teams.
• Translate complex data concepts into clear insights for stakeholders.
• Support internal and client-facing initiatives requiring data expertise.
• Lead and mentor a team of data engineers and analysts.
• Support team development through coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Foster a culture of ownership, quality and continuous improvement.
• Stay informed about emerging data technologies and practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve data capabilities, tools and processes.
• Enhance efficiency, scalability and usability of data solutions.
• Contribute to development of innovative and commercially valuable data products.
• Support AI/ML and advanced analytics where relevant.

Skills

Data governance

Data quality

Regulatory compliance

Data platforms

Data engineering

Data architecture

ETL/ELT

APIs

SQL

Data pipelines

Automation

Performance optimization

AI/ML knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Agile

Education

Relevant degree in Data/Engineering/CS/Business

Job description

Requirements:

• Relevant degree in Data, Engineering, Computer Science, Business or a similar field.
• 10–15+ years’ experience in data-related roles.
• 5+ years’ experience in Data Management Leadership roles.
• Strong experience across data platforms, data engineering and/or data architecture.
• Proven experience in data governance, data quality and regulatory compliance.
• Experience developing data products within commercial environments.
• Strong stakeholder collaboration, engagement and advisory skills.
• Experience implementing data strategies and operating models aligned to business needs.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end data lifecycle management, including retention, archiving and deletion.
• Strong understanding of modern data architectures and integration patterns, including ETL/ELT and APIs.
• Experience across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Proficiency in SQL-based environments.
• Experience with data pipeline development, automation and performance optimisation.
• Understanding of POPIA and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ability to translate data into commercially valuable products and client-facing solutions.
• Experience working across technical, business and regulatory stakeholders.
• Automotive, mobility, financial services or consumer data experience advantageous.
• Knowledge of AI/ML concepts and advanced analytics advantageous.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong relationship-building and networking capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and conflicting demands effectively.
• Strong client service and expectation management skills.
• Passion for continuous learning and expanding technical knowledge.
• Ability to embrace and initiate change within an agile and fast-paced environment.
• Strong ownership, initiative and outcome-driven approach.
• Sound judgement, resourcefulness, adaptability and resilience.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development and optimisation of data pipelines, models and platforms.
• Translate business requirements into scalable, efficient and maintainable data solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to data engineers and analysts.
• Ensure data solutions are well structured and aligned with technical best practices.
• Design and implement data architectures, including data marts, integration layers and APIs.
• Ensure efficient data ingestion, transformation and integration across systems.
• Contribute to platform evolution through performance optimisation and scalability improvements.
• Implement and maintain data quality controls, validation processes and monitoring.
• Ensure the reliability, accuracy and availability of critical datasets.
• Identify and resolve data issues while continuously improving data processes.
• Implement and uphold data governance practices across relevant data domains.
• Support data classification, retention and lifecycle management processes.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, including POPIA and PAIA, as well as internal policies.
• Collaborate closely with Product, Business and Engineering teams.
• Translate complex data and technical concepts into clear and practical insights for stakeholders.
• Support internal and client-facing initiatives requiring data expertise.
• Lead and mentor a team of data engineers and analysts.
• Support team development through coaching, knowledge sharing and technical guidance.
• Foster a culture of ownership, quality and continuous improvement.
• Stay informed about emerging data technologies, architectures and practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve data capabilities, tools and processes.
• Enhance the efficiency, scalability and usability of data solutions.
• Contribute to the development of innovative and commercially valuable data products.
• Support the practical application of AI/ML and advanced analytics where relevant to business challenges.

Please note that if you do not receive a response within 2 weeks, your application has been unsuccessful.