Senior Data Engineering Technical Lead

ExecutivePlacements.com; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency seeks a Senior Data Engineering Technical Lead to guide enterprise data initiatives and design high-performance data platforms. The role requires strong expertise in data migration, leadership skills, and proficiency in cloud data platforms. Candidates should have at least 8 years of experience in data engineering, with hands-on skills in Scala, Java, and data security principles. This position offers a chance to impact critical business solutions in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years’ experience in data engineering or related engineering roles.
• Advanced proficiency in Scala and Java using Gradle or Maven.
• Hands-on experience with Amazon EKS and containerised workloads.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver large-scale data migration strategies.
• Own and provide technical leadership for critical system components.
• Mentor engineers through pair programming and code reviews.

Skills

Data engineering

Apache Spark

Scala

Java

Cloud platforms

ETL pipeline development

Data privacy and security

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Amazon AWS

Google Cloud Platform

Microsoft Azure

Apache Hadoop

Job description

Senior Data Engineering Technical Lead

Recruiter: Network Recruitment

Job Ref: ITE007396/LM

Date posted: Monday, January 26, 2026

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Salary: Monthly

SUMMARY:

We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineering Technical Lead who thrives on solving complex problems at scale. This role offers the opportunity to lead enterprise‑grade data initiatives, design and build high‑performance data platforms, and work hands‑on with petabyte‑scale systems in modern cloud environments.

POSITION INFO:

You’ll combine deep technical expertise with leadership, guiding engineers, shaping architecture, and delivering mission‑critical data solutions that power real business outcomes. If you’re passionate about data engineering, ownership, and building systems that truly matter, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Data Engineering & Migration Leadership:
  • Design and deliver large‑scale data migration strategies supporting identity transformation across multi‑petabyte datasets
  • Develop robust data lineage mapping and validation frameworks to ensure accuracy and integrity
  • Build scalable batch and streaming data transformation pipelines with parallel orchestration
  • Lead JDK and Apache Spark upgrades while maintaining production stability
  • Implement monitoring and observability to ensure data pipeline performance and system health
  • Create comprehensive testing and validation frameworks for complex migration scenarios
• Technical Leadership & Engineering Excellence:
  • Own and provide technical leadership for critical system components
  • Mentor engineers through pair programming, code reviews, and collaborative delivery
  • Lead technical design discussions aligned with enterprise standards
  • Drive delivery momentum by proactively identifying and removing blockers
  • Collaborate cross‑functionally to ensure strong technical alignment and successful outcomes

Job Experience and Skills Required:

• Minimum 8 years’ experience in data engineering or related engineering roles
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• Proven expertise in large‑scale data migration and ETL pipeline development
• Advanced proficiency in Scala and Java using Gradle or Maven
• Deep experience with Apache Spark and distributed storage systems (HDFS, S3, and GCS)
• Production experience with cloud data platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or Databricks
• Hands‑on experience with Amazon EKS and containerised workloads
• Strong understanding of data privacy, security, and compliance principles (GDPR preferred)
• Excellent distributed systems design, analytical, and problem‑solving skills

Apply now!

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• Software Developers
• Mobile Developers
• Business and Systems Analysts
• BI and SQL Experts

If you have not had any response in two weeks, please consider the vacancy application unsuccessful. Your profile will be kept on our database for any other suitable roles / positions.

For more information, contact:

Lameez Mohamed

Specialist Recruitment Consultant

Connect with me on LinkedIn!