Senior Data Engineer

Indsafri; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Indsafri is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to design, build and support scalable data engineering solutions. This hands-on role emphasizes Python, SQL and AWS, with production-ready pipelines and cloud data platforms at the core.

You will guide data modelling, warehousing and analytics-oriented schemas, while delivering robust processing across batch and incremental workflows. Collaboration with analytics, BI and product teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a technical field.
• 4–7+ years in Data Engineering or related roles.
• Strong Python, SQL and AWS experience.
• Proven production-ready data pipelines and platforms.
• Experience with data modelling and warehousing.
• Experience with Agile or SAFe delivery environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable data ingestion and transformation pipelines across systems.
• Build robust batch and incremental processing solutions.
• Implement error handling, monitoring, validation and reconciliation.
• Align data solutions with platform strategy and architecture.
• Contribute to a cloud-based, AWS-aligned data environment.
• Assess security, performance, cost and supportability of solutions.
• Review code, enforce engineering standards and best practices.
• Optimize pipelines and data models for performance and reliability.
• Apply CI/CD and structured release practices.
• Provide technical guidance to less experienced engineers.
• Collaborate with Analytics, BI, Data Science, Product and business stakeholders.
• Support operational readiness, incident resolution and root cause analysis.
• Maintain documentation covering pipelines, data models and requirements.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and continuous improvement.

Skills

Python

SQL

AWS

Data pipelines

Data modelling

Data warehousing

Git

CI/CD

Agile/SAFe

Analytics tooling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IS/Engineering

Relevant data engineering experience

Tools

AWS

Git

CI/CD tooling

Power BI

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Senior Data Engineer to join a leading organization and play a key role in designing, building and supporting scalable data engineering solutions.

This is a hands-on senior role where Python, SQL and AWS are critical, with responsibility for production-ready data pipelines, cloud data platforms, engineering standards and technical guidance.

CORE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Strong hands-on Python experience – essential
• Advanced SQL experience – essential
• Strong hands-on AWS experience – essential
• Proven experience delivering production-ready data pipelines and data platforms
• Strong understanding of data modelling, data warehousing and analytics-oriented schemas
• Experience with batch and incremental data processing
• Experience ingesting data from relational databases, cloud storage, APIs and file-based sources
• Experience with Git, CI/CD and automation
• Experience working within Agile or SAFe environments

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and implement scalable data ingestion and transformation pipelines across multiple systems and data domains.
• Build robust batch and incremental processing solutions.
• Implement appropriate error handling, monitoring, alerting, validation and reconciliation.
• Design data solutions aligned to data platform strategy and target architecture.
• Contribute to the evolution of a cloud-based, AWS-aligned data environment.
• Assess solutions for security, performance, cost and supportability.
• Review data engineering code and configurations and contribute to engineering standards and best practices.
• Optimise existing pipelines and data models to improve performance, reliability and maintainability.
• Apply version control, automated testing, CI/CD and structured release practices.
• Provide technical guidance and coaching to less experienced Data Engineers.
• Collaborate with Analytics, BI, Data Science, Product and business stakeholders.
• Support operational readiness, monitoring, incident resolution and root cause analysis.
• Build solutions with appropriate data security, privacy, access control and governance considerations.
• Maintain technical documentation covering pipelines, data models and operational requirements.
• Contribute to Agile ceremonies, sprint planning, estimation, prioritisation and continuous improvement.
• Identify practical opportunities to use approved AI tooling across data engineering, including pipeline analysis, optimisation, testing, documentation and data exploration.
• Validate AI-assisted outputs and ensure their use remains aligned with security and governance requirements.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering or a related discipline.
• 4–7+ years of professional experience in Data Engineering or related roles.
• Strong Python, SQL and AWS experience.
• Demonstrated experience delivering production-ready data pipelines and platforms.
• Strong foundation in data modelling and data warehousing principles.
• Experience working within Agile or SAFe delivery environments.
• Experience using AI tooling within engineering workflows.
• Practical experience applying AI to support data pipeline understanding, optimisation, testing or documentation.
• Understanding of responsible AI use and validation of AI-assisted outputs.
• Familiarity with analytics and BI tools such as Power BI.
• Experience coaching or guiding other engineers.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.
• Understanding of data security, privacy, governance and engineering risk.