Software Engineer (Java & Scala)

SPAN Digital; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A premium software consultancy is seeking a P2 Data Engineer to contribute to large-scale data migration and engineering projects. This role offers opportunities to build production-quality data solutions while working closely with senior engineers on complex data initiatives. Candidates should have 3-5 years of experience in data engineering, particularly with ETL pipeline development and Apache Spark. A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field is required. The culture emphasizes collaboration, continuous learning, and innovation.

Benefits

Competitive compensation package

Flexible work arrangements

Mentorship-focused environment

Qualifications

• 3-5 years in data engineering, software engineering, or related technical roles.
• Solid experience with ETL pipeline development and data transformation.
• Experience with at least one cloud data platform (AWS, GCP, Azure, or Databricks).

Responsibilities

• Contribute to large-scale data migration initiatives for identity transformation.
• Build and maintain data transformation pipelines supporting batch and streaming processing.
• Implement data validation and quality checks ensuring migration accuracy.

Skills

ETL pipeline development

Data transformation

Strong programming skills in Scala and/or Java

Hands-on experience with Apache Spark

Problem-solving abilities

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent

Tools

AWS

Apache Spark

HDFS

Kubernetes

Job description

SPAN Digital

About SPAN Digital

We're a premium software consultancy partnering with startups to global brands in tech, fintech, and digital media. We build category-defining products and help engineering teams deliver exceptional digital solutions across three continents. At SPAN, we balance structure with flexibility, autonomy with accountability, and learning with doing.

The Role

Join our expert team executing critical enterprise data retention, migration, and privacy enhancement projects at petabyte scale. As a P2 Data Engineer, you'll build production-quality data solutions while growing your technical expertise through hands-on work on complex data initiatives. This role offers significant learning opportunities working alongside senior engineers on large-scale data engineering challenges.

Experience Level: 3-5 years data/software engineering

What You'll Do

Data Engineering & Migration

• Contribute to large-scale data migration initiatives for identity transformation across multi-petabyte datasets
• Build and maintain data transformation pipelines supporting batch and streaming processing
• Implement data validation and quality checks ensuring migration accuracy and data integrity
• Support JDK and Apache Spark upgrades while maintaining production stability
• Develop monitoring solutions for data pipeline performance and system health tracking
• Create automated testing for data migration scenarios
• Document data lineage, dependencies, and transformation logic

Collaboration & Growth

• Work closely with senior engineers to design and implement data engineering solutions
• Participate in code reviews and technical design discussions
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (product, engineering, operations) to deliver data solutions
• Take ownership of well-defined components within larger data migration projects
• Contribute to team knowledge sharing and documentation efforts
• Continuously learn and apply modern data engineering practices and technologies

What You Bring

Required:

• 3-5 years in data engineering, software engineering, or related technical roles
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• Solid experience with ETL pipeline development and data transformation
• Strong programming skills in Scala and/or Java with modern build systems (Gradle or Maven)
• Hands‑on experience with Apache Spark for distributed data processing
• Familiarity with distributed file systems (HDFS) or cloud object storage (S3, GCS)
• Experience with at least one cloud data platform (AWS, GCP, Azure, or Databricks)
• Understanding of data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems concepts
• Strong problem‑solving abilities and attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills for technical collaboration

Preferred:

• AWS experience, particularly with EKS (Kubernetes) for containerized applications
• Exposure to data privacy and compliance requirements (GDPR, CCPA)
• Experience with modern data formats: Apache Iceberg, Parquet, ORC, Avro
• Familiarity with streaming platforms: Apache Kafka or AWS Kinesis
• Knowledge of observability tools: Prometheus, Grafana, Spark UI
• Experience with data lineage analysis and validation frameworks
• Prior work in enterprise engineering environments with large‑scale systems

Core Competencies

This role requires growing expertise across technical areas including Software Development, Data Pipeline Engineering, Testing, Solution Implementation, and System Monitoring. You'll demonstrate increasing independence in problem‑solving, effective collaboration with technical teams, and ownership of your work while learning from senior engineers.

Our Culture = Your Fit (Non‑Negotiable)

We need team members who embrace authentic expression and psychological safety as non‑negotiables, actively contribute ideas and questions rather than waiting to be asked, view mistakes as learning opportunities to share openly, and genuinely collaborate instead of just coordinating tasks. If you thrive in environments where open communication, mutual respect, and genuine teamwork drive excellence, you'll feel at home here. However, if you prefer working in silos, avoiding difficult conversations, or keeping concerns to yourself, this isn't the right fit—and that's okay.

Our Principles: Engage • Communicate • Collaborate • Deliver Value • Grow • Lead • Iterate • Have Fun

Why SPAN Digital

✓ Work on cutting‑edge data engineering projects at petabyte scale
✓ Learn from experienced engineers in a mentorship‑focused environment
✓ Collaborative culture focused on continuous learning and growth
✓ Exposure to enterprise clients in entertainment and technology industries
✓ Clear career progression paths with defined leveling framework
✓ Flexible work arrangements across our global offices
✓ Competitive compensation package
✓ Access to latest technologies and tools in data engineering and cloud platforms

Ready to Grow Your Data Engineering Career?

If you're excited about large‑scale data engineering, continuous learning, and delivering world‑class solutions as part of a collaborative team, we'd love to hear from you.

Next Steps:

1. Review our culture and values at spandigital.com
2. Prepare examples of your data engineering projects and contributions
3. Be ready to discuss your approach to learning, collaboration, and problem‑solving