Principal Data Engineer

Placements24; Mossel Bay; Hybrid; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Annual leave

Professional development

Hybrid work model

Competitive salary

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Data Engineer in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, offering a hybrid work arrangement. You will design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and data platforms, guiding senior engineers and collaborating with data scientists to unlock data value.

The role requires a Master's in a relevant field and 8+ years of experience with Spark, Hadoop, and cloud ETL tools. Strong leadership and communication skills are essential for success in this senior position.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering or a related role.
• Deep knowledge of big data technologies and data warehousing.
• Experience with cloud platforms and ETL tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and ETL processes.
• Architect data warehouses and data lakes for analytics.
• Optimize data infrastructure for performance, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
• Implement data governance and ensure data quality and security.
• Mentor junior data engineers and collaborate with data scientists.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Hybrid work readiness

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Spark

Hadoop ecosystem

SQL databases

Airflow

Cloud data services

Job description

About the Role Our client, a prominent organization in the maritime logistics sector, is seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Engineer to lead their data platform initiatives. This role, based in the scenic coastal city of Mossel Bay, Western Cape , offers a hybrid work arrangement, blending office collaboration with remote flexibility. You will be instrumental in designing, building, and maintaining scalable and robust data pipelines and infrastructure. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of big data technologies, data warehousing, and ETL processes, with a proven ability to architect complex data solutions. You will guide technical direction, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with data scientists and analysts to unlock the full potential of the organization's data assets. This is a senior leadership role with significant impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines and ETL processes.
• Architect and build data warehouses and data lakes to support analytics and reporting needs.
• Optimize data infrastructure for performance, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
• Implement data governance policies and ensure data quality and security.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to understand data requirements.
• Select and implement appropriate big data technologies and tools.
• Mentor and guide junior data engineers.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex data-related issues.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and best practices in data engineering.
• Drive innovation in data platform capabilities.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• 8+ years of experience in data engineering or a related role.
• Extensive experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop ecosystem).
• Proficiency in SQL and experience with various database systems (relational and NoSQL).
• Strong knowledge of data warehousing concepts and ETL tools.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their data services.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Scala.
• Experience with data pipeline orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow).
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary of R per annum.
• Hybrid work model for a balanced lifestyle.
• Comprehensive medical aid and retirement fund.
• Generous annual leave allowance.
• Opportunities for professional development and attending industry conferences.
• Relocation assistance may be considered for exceptional candidates.
• Lead key data initiatives in a growing sector, based in beautiful Mossel Bay, Western Cape .