Lead Data Engineer (12 month contract) | Centurion

The Recruitment Council; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to spearhead innovative data initiatives and manage a talented team. You will be responsible for developing enterprise-grade data warehouse solutions, optimizing data pipelines, and ensuring the highest standards of data quality and performance. This role requires a strong technical background in SQL and Python, along with proven leadership skills to guide your team towards success.

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in SQL/data engineering.
• 3+ years in a technical leadership role managing development teams.
• Minimum 6+ years of Python experience focused on data workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of SQL developers and oversee their performance.
• Design and maintain efficient ETL/ELT processes.
• Build and optimize SQL-based data pipelines.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical Thinking

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science

Tools

SSIS

AWS

Azure

GCP

Hadoop

Spark

Kafka

Job description

Are you ready to take charge of cutting-edge data initiatives and lead a high-performing team? Our client is looking for a Lead Data Engineer to drive the design, development, and enhancement of enterprise-grade data warehouse solutions.

In this pivotal role, you’ll lead a team of SQL Developers, ensuring the delivery of efficient, scalable, and reliable data systems that empower decision-making across the organization. You’ll work closely with business stakeholders and technical teams, guiding data architecture, infrastructure, and robust ETL processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of SQL developers.
• Oversee the delivery, performance, and development of the data engineering team.
• Translate business needs into scalable data solutions in collaboration with architects and analysts.
• Build and optimize SQL-based data pipelines and infrastructure.
• Design and maintain efficient ETL/ELT processes using tools such as SSIS and Python.
• Optimize data storage and access through best-in-class data modelling and performance tuning.
• Implement automation using GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure coding quality and consistency through code reviews and best practice enforcement.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and contribute to the team’s continuous improvement.
• Lead initiatives aligned to modern cloud and distributed data solutions.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or similar.
• 8+ years’ experience in SQL/data engineering.
• 3+ years in a technical leadership role managing development teams.
• Strong background in SQL development, performance tuning, and data warehouse architecture.
• Minimum 6+ years of Python experience focused on data workflows.
• Proficiency with tools like SSIS; familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Knowledge of AWS-native tools (Glue, Parquet, etc.) is a plus.
• Experience with big data tools (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka) is an advantage.
• Familiarity with languages like C#, Java, or Scala is a bonus.
• Certifications in data or cloud technologies are beneficial.

Key Competencies:

• Strong leadership, coaching, and mentoring ability
• Analytical thinker with a strategic mindset
• Strong communication skills, especially in explaining technical concepts to stakeholders
• Problem-solving under pressure with a focus on delivering results
• Comfortable working across teams and managing multiple priorities