Lead Data and AI Engineer

Boardroom Appointments; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Job summary

Boardroom Appointments seeks a senior data and AI leader to drive vision, execution, and continuous improvement of the team. You will mentor top performers, align initiatives with business strategy, and shape a roadmap for generative AI across the organisation.

You will design scalable data pipelines, champion governance standards, and partner with product and engineering to create data-driven solutions for real-world challenges.

Qualifications

• Degree in a STEM field is required.
• Hands-on experience with Python, SQL and modern AI/ML frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms, especially AWS.
• Experience building and scaling data architectures and pipelines using Airflow.
• Proficiency in Power BI for dashboards and visualisations.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring abilities.
• Clear, confident communicator with executives and engineers alike.

Responsibilities

• Lead the data and AI team, driving vision and execution.
• Mentor a high-performing team, instilling best practices and innovative thinking.
• Align projects with business strategy to deliver meaningful outcomes.
• Design robust, scalable data pipelines and integrate diverse data sources.
• Champion data governance, quality, and architecture standards.
• Partner with product and engineering to deliver data-driven solutions.
• Shape the roadmap for generative AI within the company.
• Build and prototype cutting-edge AI tools for clients and internal teams.
• Advocate for ethical, impactful AI across the organisation.
• Communicate insights through dashboards and automated reports.
• Present strategic data narratives to executives and stakeholders.
• Foster data literacy company-wide through training and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Python

SQL

AWS

Airflow

Power BI

MySQL

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Education

BSc / BEng in STEM

Tools

Airflow

Job description

Drive the vision, execution, and continuous improvement of the company's data and AI team.

Mentor a high-performing team, instilling best practices and innovative thinking.

Align projects with business strategy and deliver outcomes that matter.

Design robust, scalable data pipelines and integrate diverse data sources.

Champion best-in-class data governance, quality, and architecture standards.

Partner with product and engineering to create data-driven solutions for real-world challenges.

Shape the company's roadmap for generative AI.

Build and prototype cutting-edge AI tools that support both clients and internal teams.

Advocate for ethical, impactful AI across the organisation.

Communicate with Impact

Deliver insights through interactive dashboards and automated reports.

Present strategic data narratives to executives and stakeholders.

Foster data literacy company-wide through training and knowledge sharing.

What Were Looking For

• A degree in a STEM field (BSc, BEng, or higher).
• Hands-on experience in Python, SQL, and modern AI/ML frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms, especially AWS.
• Expertise in building and scaling data architectures and pipelines using Airflow.
• Proficiency in Power BI for creating and managing data visualisations and dashboards.
• Solid understanding and experience with MySQL database management and querying.
• Leadership skills that inspire collaboration, innovation, and ownership.
• A natural mentor and team builder.
• Clear, confident communicator with executives and engineers alike.
• Highly organised but adaptable, you thrive in a fast-moving, purpose-driven environment.