Data Platform Engineer

Ninety One; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Ninety One in Cape Town is seeking a Senior Data Platform Engineer to design and sustain the firm’s Azure-based data layer with a focus on Databricks and automation.

You will collaborate across data, security and infrastructure teams to build reusable libraries and scalable pipelines, while upholding governance and cost controls. A strong Python/SQL background with Terraform and DevOps experience is essential.

Qualifications

• BSc Computer Science or equivalent.
• Minimum 7 years technology experience, with at least 3 years in cloud platform/data platform roles.
• Intermediate Databricks engineering experience.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Azure infrastructure.
• Proficiency in Python and/or SQL; .NET is a plus.
• Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions.
• Terraform (IaC) experience, ideally in a multi-environment setup.
• Understanding of Platform Governance, Security.
• Experience in Data Modelling, Data Contracts and exposure to FinOps/cost attribution practices.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain solutions at the platform layer.
• Python solutions for platform and automation.
• Common shared libraries/modules used by data engineers and analysts across the platform.
• Pipelines/processes that support platform management (cost tracking, governance, provisioning, monitoring).
• CI/CD pipelines (DevOps/GitHub Actions) for platform and application deployments.
• Terraform IaC for Azure services and Azure Databricks (Unity Catalog, workspaces, networking, compute policies).
• Collaborate with data engineers, analysts, security and infrastructure teams to translate requirements into capabilities.
• Provide platform support to engineering teams and platform users including issue resolution.
• Contribute to platform documentation, patterns and best-practice standards.

Skills

Python

SQL

Databricks

Azure

DevOps

GitHub Actions

Terraform

Data Modelling

Cost attribution

Education

BSc Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

Azure Databricks

Azure DevOps

GitHub

Terraform

Job description

About us:

Ninety One is an independent, active global asset manager with R4 trillion* of assets under management.

Established in South Africa in 1991, as Investec Asset Management, the firm started offering domestic investments in an emerging market. In 2020, almost three decades of organic growth later, the firm demerged from Investec Group and became Ninety One.

Our distinctive capabilities sit within differentiated fixed income and credit as well as specialist equities, and we have a unique perspective and approach to investment opportunities presented by emerging markets and the energy transition.

*as at30 June 2026

Ninety One is an equal opportunities employer. Our imperative is to attract and retain the best talent by providing a corporate environment where people from varying backgrounds can develop professionally and build a rewarding career.

About the team:

At Ninety One, the vision for data is for trustworthy, discoverable and timely information to be at everybody’s fingertips. Data is our number one technology priority and foundational in our journey to become an AI-centred organisation.

The Data Technology team are custodians of Ninety One’s enterprise data platform and the core data domains that drive the firm’s investments and analytics engines. The team comprises several cross-functional, high-performing delivery squads, resourced through a mix of business and technology stakeholders. Their mandate is to deliver high quality, business value solutions, while assuring the highest standards of speed, accuracy, stability and security.

We treat data as a product and subscribe to a modern, customer-centred product development philosophy and as a team our key objectives are:

• Better data - by improving the quality, trustworthiness, traceability and ownership of data
• Faster data - by continuously reducing the time between data sourcing and information delivery
• More data - by expanding the contextual, historical and domain content available and making it discoverable

We believe in the power of technology to enable our vision and are looking for passionate, committed individuals to join us on our journey.

In this role you will have a unique opportunity to work in a blended role requiring Data Engineering, Azure Cloud Infrastructure and DevOps practices to keep Ninety One's Databricks environment reliable, secure and well governed while building automation, common tooling and self-service for platform users.

In this role you will:

• Work across both the data engineering and infrastructure/platform spaces to design, build and maintain solutions at the platform layer:Python solutions for platform and automation.
  • Common shared libraries/modules used by data engineers and analysts across the platform.
  • Pipelines/processes that support overall platform management (e.g. for purposes such as cost tracking, governance, provisioning, monitoring).
  • CI/CD pipelines (DevOps/GitHub Actions) for platform and application deployments
  • Terraform IaC for Azure services and Azure Databricks (e.g. Unity Catalog, workspaces, networking, compute policies)
• Collaborate with a wide ranging scope of teams including data engineers, analysts, security and infrastructure teams to translate requirements into capabilities.
• Provide platform support to engineering teams and platform users including assisting with issues, ranging from code, platform and infrastructure.
• Contribute to platform documentation, patterns and best-practice standards

You should consider applying if you have:

• BSc Computer Science or equivalent
• Minimum 7 years technology experience, with at least 3 years’ experience in the cloud platform/data platform roles
• Intermediate Databricks engineering experience
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Azure infrastructure
• Proficiency in Python and/or SQL; .NET is a plus
• Azure DevOps and/or GitHub Actions
• Terraform (IaC) experience, ideally in a multi-environment setup
• Understanding of Platform Governance, Security
• Experience in Data Modelling, Data Contracts and exposure to FinOps/cost attribution practices

Some of the attributes we look for in a person are:

• The ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships
• The ability to 'approach and own' and continuously look for opportunities to develop
• A client focused and collaborative approach
• High conviction and be comfortable sharing opinions
• A curiosity about technology and its potential to drive innovation