Lead Data Engineer (12 month contract) | Centurion

Are you ready to take charge of cutting-edge data initiatives and lead a high-performing team? Our client is looking for a Lead Data Engineer to drive the design, development, and enhancement of enterprise-grade data warehouse solutions.

In this pivotal role, you’ll lead a team of SQL Developers, ensuring the delivery of efficient, scalable, and reliable data systems that empower decision-making across the organization. You’ll work closely with business stakeholders and technical teams, guiding data architecture, infrastructure, and robust ETL processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of SQL developers.
• Oversee the delivery, performance, and development of the data engineering team.
• Translate business needs into scalable data solutions in collaboration with architects and analysts.
• Build and optimize SQL-based data pipelines and infrastructure.
• Design and maintain efficient ETL/ELT processes using tools such as SSIS and Python.
• Optimize data storage and access through best-in-class data modelling and performance tuning.
• Implement automation using GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure coding quality and consistency through code reviews and best practice enforcement.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and contribute to the team’s continuous improvement.
• Lead initiatives aligned to modern cloud and distributed data solutions.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or similar.
• 8+ years’ experience in SQL/data engineering.
• 3+ years in a technical leadership role managing development teams.
• Strong background in SQL development, performance tuning, and data warehouse architecture.
• Minimum 6+ years of Python experience focused on data workflows.
• Proficiency with tools like SSIS; familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Knowledge of AWS-native tools (Glue, Parquet, etc.) is a plus.
• Experience with big data tools (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka) is an advantage.
• Familiarity with languages like C#, Java, or Scala is a bonus.
• Certifications in data or cloud technologies are beneficial.

Key Competencies:

• Strong leadership, coaching, and mentoring ability
• Analytical thinker with a strategic mindset
• Strong communication skills, especially in explaining technical concepts to stakeholders
• Problem-solving under pressure with a focus on delivering results
• Comfortable working across teams and managing multiple priorities