Senior Data Engineer

BigTalent; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 950,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

BigTalent is seeking a Senior Data Engineer for a mostly remote, hybrid role with occasional in-office rotations. You will design scalable data pipelines, leverage AWS services like Redshift, and drive data governance initiatives across teams.

You’ll collaborate with data scientists, analysts, ML engineers, and DevOps to deliver cloud-native data platforms. The role emphasizes mentoring junior engineers, implementing IaC, and shaping data architecture to support business priorities in a

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in data engineering, with at least 1 year in a senior capacity.
• Expertise in AWS cloud services, including Redshift.
• Strong DevOps knowledge: CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure-as-Code, and automation.
• Solid understanding of data governance and regulatory compliance (e.g., POPIA).
• SQL and NoSQL database experience.
• Exposure to Data Mesh concepts (practical or theoretical).

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain high-performance data pipelines and data infrastructure.
• Build ETL frameworks for ingestion and transformation across sources.
• Manage data infrastructure on AWS using Terraform, CloudFormation, and CI/CD.
• Ensure data quality, security, and governance aligned with privacy standards.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align architecture with business priorities.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to data engineering strategy.

Skills

Senior data engineering

Cloud data workflows

Data governance

Tools

Airflow

AWS Redshift

Terraform

CloudFormation

CI/CD

Infrastructure-as-Code

SQL

NoSQL

Job description

Senior Data Engineer (Mostly remote, with occasional in-office rotation)
Flexible Location | Cloud & Data-Driven Environment | Strategic Engineering Role

Are you a data engineer who thrives on solving complex challenges and building scalable, cloud-native infrastructure? Our client is looking for a Senior Data Engineer to join their growing data team and play a key role in shaping the future of data architecture and engineering.

This hybrid role offers the flexibility to work from home most of the time, with occasional office rotations. You'll collaborate with data scientists, analysts, machine learning engineers, and DevOps professionals to build data systems that drive smarter decision-making across the business.

What Youll Be Doing

• Designing and maintaining high-performance data pipelines using tools like Airflow, AWS Glue, and Redshift
• Building ETL frameworks for data ingestion and transformation across multiple sources
• Creating and managing data infrastructure on AWS using Terraform, CloudFormation, and CI/CD practices
• Ensuring data quality, security, and compliance with governance and privacy standards
• Partnering with stakeholders to align architecture with business priorities
• Mentoring junior engineers and contributing to the broader data engineering strategy

What Youll Bring

• 5+ years experience in data engineering, with at least 1 years in a senior capacity
• Expertise in AWS cloud services, including Redshift
• Strong DevOps knowledge: CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure-as-Code, and automation
• Solid understanding of data governance and regulatory compliance (e.g., POPIA)
• SQL and NoSQL database experience
• Exposure to Data Mesh concepts (practical or theoretical)

Bonus Points For:

• AWS certification(s)
• Industry experience in financial services, banking, fintech, or retail
• Familiarity with real-time stream processing frameworks

Why Apply?

• High-impact role in a modern, cloud-first data environment
• Work-from-home flexibility with supportive team culture
• Access to the latest tools and technologies in data and cloud engineering
• Opportunity to lead, mentor, and innovate within a forward-thinking data team