Senior Data Engineer - RealFi

IOHK; Cape Town; Remote; ZAR 800,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A blockchain technology company is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to shape the technical direction at RealFi. You will design, build, and maintain data pipelines while mentoring other engineers. The ideal candidate has 7+ years in software development, strong skills in Python, and experience with blockchain technologies. This role offers remote work and a competitive benefits package.

Benefits

Remote work

Laptop reimbursement

Hardware essentials package

Learning & Development opportunities

Competitive PTO

Qualifications

• 7+ years in software development, with at least 2 in senior/lead roles.
• Experience with distributed computing and blockchain is preferred.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical direction and development practices at RealFi.
• Design, build, and maintain high-quality software and data pipelines.
• Simplify complex systems and share reusable components.

Skills

Data pipeline automation

Debugging and monitoring

Technical leadership

Collaboration

Documentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Cloud platforms

AWS

Python

Job description

Who are we?

IOG is a technology company focused on blockchain research and development, known for its scientific approach emphasizing peer-reviewed research and formal methods to ensure security, scalability, and sustainability. Our projects include the Cardano blockchain and other products in decentralized finance (DeFi), governance, and identity management, aiming to advance blockchain and Web3 technology globally.

We invest in the unknown, fueling creativity, innovation, and progress to enable people to be fearless changemakers.

About RealFi :

IOG's RealFi Tribe is a venture combining crypto/Web3/DeFi innovations with traditional finance (TradFi) to make borrowing and lending services more transparent, efficient, and accessible globally. Initially focused on Africa, RealFi aims to build a compliant marketplace for tokenized debt assets worldwide.

What the role involves :

As a Senior Data Engineer, you will shape technical direction and development practices at RealFi. You will lead by example—designing, building, and maintaining high-quality software and data pipelines, mentoring engineers, and bridging traditional finance with decentralized technologies to deliver innovative, compliant, and scalable products.

Your responsibilities include guiding architecture decisions, promoting best practices, and fostering cross-team collaboration. You will simplify complex systems, share reusable components, and improve workflows, serving as a technical leader across various codebases and languages.

• Experience in cleaning and ingesting data from diverse sources
• Expertise in streamlining data pipelines and automating data ingestion workflows
• Knowledge of data structuring and accessibility for business use
• Experience with event-driven data architectures, transitioning from ETL to eventing systems
• Advocacy for high-quality software practices and addressing system-level issues
• Skills in debugging, observability, and monitoring
• Collaborative approach to scalable, autonomous development
• Technical leadership and continuous innovation drive
• Subject matter expertise across multiple codebases and languages
• Ability to review specifications and lead component design
• Clear technical documentation skills
• Understanding of distributed and concurrent computing
• Ability to work independently in hybrid environments
• Passion for blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and emerging financial tech

Requirements

Who you are :

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years in software development, with at least 2 in senior/lead roles
• Experience with cloud platforms and DevOps
• Knowledge of Agile and SDLC
• Data engineering experience is a plus
• Experience with distributed computing and blockchain is preferred
• Familiarity with DeFi protocols and smart contracts is advantageous
• Proven team management and innovation skills
• Programming expertise in Python
• Strong understanding of architecture patterns, microservices, and APIs
• Ability to evaluate and integrate new technologies
• Guidance on data strategies and tools for data storage and structuring
• Experience working with external data ingestion on AWS
• Skills in sprint planning, task estimation, and problem-solving
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Benefits

• Remote work
• Laptop reimbursement
• Hardware essentials package
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Competitive PTO

At IOG, we value diversity and are committed to equal opportunity employment, valuing merit, qualifications, and talent without discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or other protected attributes.