Lead Forward Deployed Engineer - South Africa

Rangr Data; Remote; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A data engineering consulting firm in South Africa seeks a Lead Engineer to drive technical success for client solutions. The role involves architecture, design, and leading a team of engineers. Responsibilities include mentoring, collaborating with stakeholders, and ensuring delivery milestones are met. Qualified candidates should have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 3–10 years of experience, with strong proficiency in SQL, Python, and Palantir Foundry. Join us for a hands-on leadership opportunity in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 3–10 years of experience in data or software engineering.
• Hands-on experience with Palantir Foundry.
• Proven ability to translate business problems into Foundry solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers to deliver client solutions.
• Architect and design high-quality data solutions.
• Mentor and guide technical engineers.
• Ensure project milestones and deliverables are met.

Skills

SQL

Python

Data modeling

Technical leadership

Problem-solving

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Palantir Foundry

SQL databases

Job description

RANGR Data is an advanced data engineering and analytics consulting firm, and a certified partner of Palantir.

We help clients implement and support the most advanced data operations platform : Palantir Foundry.

Role Overview

As Lead Engineer, you are responsible for driving the technical success of client solutions by leading a team of engineers in designing, building, and delivering scalable, high-quality implementations.

You work closely with the Engagement Director to translate client objectives into actionable technical strategies and ensure solutions align with business needs.

This is a hands‑on leadership role, you architect and design solutions, write and review code, set technical standards, and guide engineers through complex problem‑solving.

You serve as the technical leader for the engineering team, steering solution design and delivery while fostering collaboration across the team and with stakeholders.

A Lead Forward Deployed Engineer is a Senior Engineer that combines technical excellence with team leadership to elevate the entire team's performance.

What You’ll Own

Technical Leadership

• Define solution architectures and guide engineering design decisions.
• Perform senior engineer responsibilities and act as the team's technical leader.
• Serve as a Palantir subject matter expert and provide guidance to the rest of the team.
• Write and review code, ensuring quality, scalability, and maintainability.
• Establish and enforce technical standards, practices, and reusable components.
• Partner with Engagement Directors to align technical feasibility with client goals.

Team Leadership

• Mentor, coach, and grow engineering talent through feedback and guidance.
• Ensure engineers are unblocked and supported in their work.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, technical learning, and shared ownership.
• Conduct peer reviews and ensure engineering excellence across the team.

Delivery Leadership

• Break business requirements into technical tasks, estimates, and priorities.
• Execute assigned engineering tasks and report progress transparently.
• Ensure project dashboards and tasks are updated for visibility and alignment.
• Monitor engineering progress, ensuring milestones are delivered on time.
• Continuously refine solutions based on client feedback and performance results.
• Provide timely status updates, proactively escrow risks, and course‑correct as needed.
• Ensure lessons learned and technical improvements are fed back into future work.

Hands‑On Engineering

• Build, deploy, and refine production‑grade client solutions.
• Write clean, maintainable, and reusable code.
• Debug issues and resolve implementation challenges quickly.
• Contribute to the creation of reusable components and best practices.

Culture & Collaboration

• Foster cross‑functional collaboration with Engagement Directors and Forward Deployed Engineers.
• Uphold transparency and accountability in technical discussions.
• Champion innovation and encourage exploration of better tools, frameworks, and methods.

How You Lead

• Hands‑On Mentor – Lead by doing, guiding engineers through example and coaching.
• Technical Steward – Ensure solutions are designed for long‑term value and maintainability.
• Problem Solver – Tackle complex challenges with structure, creativity, and simplicity.
• Team Builder – Invest in the growth and success of engineers under your guidance.

Reporting & Scope

• Reports to the Director of Delivery.
• Leads Forward Deployed Engineers in client delivery.
• Collaborates closely with Engagement Directors on delivery alignment.

Measures of Success

• Everyone is Palantir certified – Foundry Application Developer
• Everyone is Palantir certified – Foundry Data Engineer
• Solution quality (low defects, scalable design, reusability).
• Delivery outcomes (on‑time, on‑budget, meeting client expectations).
• Team growth and performance improvement.
• Engineering efficiency and knowledge sharing.

Embody Rangr Data core values and lead by example in all interactions:

• Be Confident, Act Humbly (Humbly Confident)
• Lead Through the Chaos (Client Empathy)
• Master Our Craft.
• Deliver Results.
• (Professional Expertise)
• Act with Purpose.
• Focus on What Matters.
• (Efficiently Competent)
• Together, We Ride.
• (Generous Collaboration)

Qualifications and Skills

Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field.

3–10 years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or a related discipline.

Proficiency in SQL, Python, and data modeling, with the ability to design, optimize, and scale pipelines.

Hands‑on Palantir Foundry expertise, including:

• Building and managing pipelines (Code Workbooks, Contour, Foundry Transform).
• Developing and maintaining Ontologies, Object Models, and data integration patterns.
• Configuring security models, provenance, and governance in Foundry.
• Experience with Workshop, Reports, and application‑building within Foundry.

Palantir Foundry Application Developer and Data Engineer Certification is a plus

Proven ability to translate business problems into scalable Foundry solutions, balancing speed with long‑term maintainability.

Strong team leadership experience, including:

• Leading and mentoring teams of 2–5 engineers, with a track record of growing technical capabilities.
• Driving sprint planning, backlog prioritization, and delivery in collaboration with product managers.
• Setting technical standards, conducting code reviews, and ensuring quality and reliability in deployments.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a strategic mindset, with the ability to align technical solutions to business outcomes.

Time Zone Availability

Since you will primarily be supporting our US‑based clients, you will be expected to be available by email and Microsoft Teams to respond to client requests that are time sensitive until 10 pm your local time.

Most days we do not anticipate that there will be late requests.

Your actual work hours may differ from these times according to when you prefer to work.

However, RANGR Data will need to ensure your time zone difference does not impact the performance of our services.

Do you want to get a taste of Palantir Foundry : Learn @ Palantir