Senio Data Engineer

MJM Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 700 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm in South Africa seeks a Senior Data Engineer to lead the design and implementation of a new Azure-based data warehouse. The successful candidate will oversee the transition from SSIS-based ETL processes, ensuring data governance and mentoring junior engineers along the way. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, strong hands-on experience with Azure data components, and a passion for data quality and security.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in data engineering with experience in data warehouse design.
• Strong hands-on experience with SSIS for ETL processes.
• Proficient in performance tuning and data process troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design of a new Azure-based data warehouse.
• Own the data governance framework and ensure compliance.
• Facilitate workshops for technical solutions with stakeholders.

Skills

Data Governance

Azure Data Platform

SQL

ETL Processes

Data Modeling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Master’s degree in Data Engineering or related discipline

Azure Data Engineer Associate certification

Data governance certification (DAMA, DCAM)

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Azure Synapse Analytics

SSIS

Job description

Main Purpose of Job

To lead the design, development, and governance of the company’s enterprise data infrastructure, transitioning from the current SSIS-based ETL environment to a modern, scalable, Azure-based cloud data warehouse.

This role is strategic and collaborative, requiring close engagement with business leaders, BI developers, analysts, and IT teams to ensure data solutions are business-aligned, governance-compliant, and ready for advanced analytics.

As a senior member of the team, the role will mentor junior data engineers, influence architectural decisions, and champion best practices across the organisation.

Key Performance Areas

Core, essential responsibilities – outputs of the position.

Data Warehouse Architecture & Leadership

• Lead the architectural design and implementation of the new Azure-based data warehouse.
• Oversee the optimisation of the existing SSIS-based ETL environment during the transition phase.
• Establish long-term data platform strategy in collaboration with BI and IT leadership.

Data Governance & Compliance

• Own the data governance framework, ensuring standards for data quality, security, lineage, and access control are embedded in all solutions.
• Partner with compliance and legal teams to meet regulatory requirements for data storage and processing.
• Champion the use of data cataloguing and metadata management tools.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work directly with senior stakeholders across business units to translate needs into actionable technical solutions.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the BI team, engineering, and external vendors for data infrastructure matters.
• Facilitate workshops, architectural reviews, and cross-team solution design sessions.

Technical Delivery & Mentorship

• Lead the build, testing, and deployment of robust ETL / ELT pipelines for multi-source integration.
• Ensure smooth migration of historical and real‑time data to the new warehouse with minimal downtime.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level engineers in technical best practices and solution delivery.

Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

• Implement platform monitoring solutions to track and optimise performance.
• Drive continuous improvement in architecture, tooling, and governance processes.

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION

• Mandatory : Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or related field.
• Preferred : Master’s degree in Data Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• Business Management or Project Management certification to support stakeholder engagement and project oversight.
• Azure Data Engineer Associate or equivalent cloud certification.
• Data governance certification (DAMA, DCAM, or equivalent).

• 5+ years in data engineering, with experience in data warehouse design and development.
• Strong hands‑on experience with SSIS for ETL processes.
• Proven expertise in Azure Data Platform components (Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL Database, Data Lake Storage).
• Strong SQL skills (T‑SQL preferred).
• Experience implementing data governance principles, including data quality frameworks, security / access controls, and metadata management.
• Experience with data modeling (Kimball / Star Schema / Snowflake).
• Proficient in performance tuning and troubleshooting data processes.