Modern Data Engineer

Theplug; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Theplug is seeking a Data Engineer in Cape Town for a hybrid role, requiring 3+ years of experience. You will design and operate scalable data pipelines using Python and SQL, on AWS, with Airflow, Snowflake, and PostgreSQL.

You will collaborate across data, software, and product teams to deliver reliable data solutions for analytics and reporting. You will own data ingestion, modeling and delivery while ensuring governance, quality and performance across the data stack.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of commercial Data Engineering experience.
• Strong Python and SQL coding ability.
• Experience with ETL/ELT processes and data pipelines.
• Experience with AWS or other cloud platforms.
• Experience with Airflow or other workflow orchestration tools.
• Familiarity with Snowflake and relational data warehouses.
• API development and data integration experience.
• Knowledge of data quality, governance and validation.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain scalable ETL/ELT data pipelines.
• Ingest, cleanse, transform and integrate data from multiple sources.
• Build well-structured data models for analytics and reporting.
• Develop APIs and data delivery solutions.
• Improve query performance in databases and data warehouses.
• Implement data quality checks and governance processes.
• Monitor and troubleshoot pipelines for reliable data delivery.
• Collaborate with analysts, engineers and stakeholders.

Skills

Python

SQL

ETL/ELT

AWS

Airflow

Spark

Pandas

Git

Education

B.Sc. in CS/SE or related

Tools

Snowflake

PostgreSQL

MS SQL Server

SQL Server

Job description

Data Engineer – Cape Town | Hybrid

Location: Cape Town
Work Model: Hybrid – minimum 2 days per week in the office
Experience: 3+ years
Employment Type: Full-time

Build the data that drives better decisions

Are you a Data Engineer who enjoys solving complex data challenges, building reliable pipelines and working with modern cloud technologies?

We're working with an established, international organisation that is growing its technology and data capabilities and is looking for a talented Data Engineer to join their team in Cape Town.

This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of meaningful data engineering projects, work across multiple teams and help build a scalable data environment that supports analytics, reporting and business decision-making.

You won't simply be maintaining existing pipelines. You'll have the opportunity to design, build, improve and optimise the way data moves through the organisation.

What you'll be doing

As a Data Engineer, you'll be involved across the full data lifecycle, including:

• Designing, developing and maintaining scalable ETL/ELT data pipelines
• Building data pipelines using Python and SQL
• Ingesting, cleansing, transforming and integrating data from multiple sources
• Developing well-structured data models for analytics and reporting
• Building and maintaining APIs and data delivery solutions
• Working with databases and improving query performance and efficiency
• Implementing data quality checks, validation and governance processes
• Monitoring and troubleshooting pipelines to ensure reliable data delivery
• Working with cloud-based infrastructure, particularly AWS
• Using tools such as Airflow to orchestrate data pipelines
• Working with Snowflake, SQL Server and/or PostgreSQL
• Applying software engineering and DevOps practices including CI/CD, automation, monitoring and infrastructure as code
• Collaborating with Data Analysts, Software Engineers, Product teams and business stakeholders to turn business requirements into practical technical solutions

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone with 3+ years of commercial Data Engineering experience who enjoys getting hands-on with data and technology.

You’ll ideally have experience with:

• Python – strong coding ability is important
• SQL – including complex queries, transformations and optimisation
• Building and supporting data pipelines
• ETL/ELT processes
• AWS or another major cloud platform
• Airflow or another workflow orchestration tool
• Relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MS SQL Server
• Data warehouses such as Snowflake
• API development and data integration
• Data quality, validation and governance
• Batch processing and, ideally, some exposure to streaming data
• Tools/frameworks such as Spark or Pandas would be advantageous
• Git and modern software development practices

A relevant degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related field would be advantageous.

The kind of person who will thrive here

We're looking for someone who is:

• Curious and enjoys solving problems
• Comfortable getting hands‑on with code and data
• Passionate about building reliable, high-quality data solutions
• Able to work independently while collaborating effectively with different teams
• Comfortable explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Interested in learning and working with modern data technologies
• Someone who takes ownership and looks for ways to improve systems rather than simply maintaining them

Why consider this opportunity?

This is an opportunity to join a global, technology-driven organisation where data plays an important role in how the business operates and makes decisions.

You’ll get exposure to a broad technology environment, work with experienced technical teams and have the opportunity to make a visible impact on the organisation's data capabilities.

You’ll also be working in a hybrid environment in Cape Town, giving you the flexibility of working from home while still having regular face‑to‑face collaboration with the team.

Interested?

If you’re a Data Engineer with 3+ years of experience and you’re looking for your next opportunity where you can work with Python, SQL, AWS, Airflow, Snowflake and modern data engineering technologies, we’d love to hear from you.