Head AI and Data Engineer

Hire Resolve; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lead generation experience in digital/

Data management experience

Marketing data integrations

GCP certification

Job summary

A digital intelligence firm is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to take on the leadership role of Head of Data Platform & AI. You will own the GCP-based Data Platform, architect ETL/ELT pipelines, and mentor data engineers. This position requires 5+ years of experience, proficiency in GCP, and strong coding skills in Python and SQL. In addition, a proven track record in data modeling and cloud cost optimization is expected. A competitive salary will be offered based on experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Data Engineer or in a Data Platform Leadership role.
• Strong coding skills in Python and SQL.
• Advanced proficiency in GCP services like BigQuery and Dataflow.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the GCP-based Data Platform.
• Architect, build, and manage robust data pipelines.
• Lead root-cause analysis of pipeline failures and ensure data accuracy.
• Implement and enforce best practices across data validation, deduplication, enrichment, security, and governance.
• Create and enforce technical documentation, processes, and SOPs across the data team.
• Lead root-cause analysis of pipeline failures and ensure high data accuracy and uptime, including after-hours escalations.
• Mentor and coach data engineers and analysts; oversee technical delivery, quality, and team growth.
• Collaborate with AI, analytics, marketing, and operations teams to design high-impact data products that drive decision-making and revenue.
• Build internal tools and dashboards for reporting and marketing analytics teams.

Skills

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Python

SQL

Data modelling

ETL/ELT pipelines

GCP

Tools

BigQuery

Dataflow

Pub/Sub

Cloud Functions

Composer

Job description

Overview

A digital intelligence firm that specialises in the development, management, and utilisation of big data technology is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to step into the hands‑on leadership role of Head of Data Platform & AI. You will take full ownership of their data infrastructure, elevating the architecture behind their proprietary Data Management Platform (DMP).

Responsibilities

• Own and manage our entire GCP‑based Data Platform, including core services like BigQuery, Cloud Functions, Composer, Dataflow, and Pub/Sub.
• Architect, build, and manage robust ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest structured and unstructured data from dozens of internal and external sources.
• Optimize the cost, speed, and performance of data storage, pipelines, and compute resources.
• Implement and enforce best practices across data validation, deduplication, enrichment, security, and governance.
• Create and enforce technical documentation, processes, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across the data team.
• Lead root‑cause analysis of pipeline failures and ensure high data accuracy and uptime, including being available for after‑hours escalations during mission‑critical incidents.
• Mentor and coach data engineers and analysts; oversee technical delivery, quality, and team growth.
• Collaborate with AI, analytics, marketing, and operations teams to design high‑impact data products that directly drive decision‑making and revenue.
• Build internal tools and dashboards for reporting and marketing analytics teams.

Minimum Requirements

• 5+ years of experience as a Data Engineer or in a Data Platform Leadership role.
• Advanced proficiency in Google Cloud Platform (GCP), specifically: BigQuery, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage, and Composer.
• Strong coding skills in Python (with experience in SQLAlchemy or similar ORM), SQL, and demonstrable expertise in either Java or PHP.
• Extensive experience with data modelling, schema design, and performance tuning of large datasets.
• Proven ability to manage complex data workflows, including edge‑case debugging and strict data security protocols.
• Comfortable with cloud cost optimisation and designing highly scalable, production‑ready architecture.

Bonus

• Experience in lead generation, digital marketing, or performance media.
• Proven track record of building or scaling a proprietary DMP (Data Management Platform) or CDP (Customer Data Platform) from scratch.
• Familiarity with marketing data integrations like Salesforce, Meta Conversions API, or Google Analytics.
• A GCP Professional Data Engineer Certification.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience (salary can potentially be more based on experience/skills)

If you meet the above requirements and want to make a career‑changing move, apply today by emailing your CV to [e-mail]