Senior Data Engineer

Job Description

About the Role

Ozow is a leading fintech company that’s redefining digital payments in South Africa and beyond. We’re dedicated to making payments more accessible, secure, and convenient for both businesses and consumers. As a fast‑growing player in the financial technology sector, Ozow fosters a culture of innovation, diversity, and inclusivity. We believe in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and are committed to making a positive impact on the world through our payment solutions.

Responsibilities

• Leadership
• Data Platform & Architecture Enablement
• Data Pipeline Development & Reliability
• Data Quality, Governance & Analytics Support
• Tool Utilization + Change Management
• Automation and AI
• During the interview process you will meet with the People team, the hiring manager, and relevant CSuite. Be prepared to complete a technical assessment that will showcase your skills.
• Join Ozow and become part of an elite force that challenges the ordinary and achieves the extraordinary. If you’re driven to make an impact, embrace challenges, and seek unparalleled opportunities for growth, your journey starts here.
• Interested in joining our rocket ship?
• Mentor and support junior data engineers where required
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with product, engineering, and analytics teams
• Contribute to best practices and continuous improvement within the data team
• Design and maintain scalable data architectures aligned to business objectives
• Enable data‑driven decision‑making across the organisation
• Contribute to the evolution of Ozow’s data platform and strategy
• Build and maintain robust data pipelines
• Ensure high data quality, integrity, and availability
• Optimise data storage, processing performance, and cost efficiency
• Develop data applications to automate business processes
• Develop and maintain data models to support analytics and reporting
• Work closely with stakeholders to define data requirements and deliver solutions
• Monitor and troubleshoot data issues ensuring minimal downtime
• Implement data governance, security, and compliance best practices
• Support business intelligence and analytics initiatives
• Maintain clear documentation for data pipelines, processes, and systems
• Drive improvements in data engineering tools and workflows
• Support system upgrades, migrations, and integrations
• Promote adoption of data best practices across teams
• Identify and implement automation opportunities within data workflows
• Leverage modern tools to enhance data processing efficiency
• Support AI/ML readiness by ensuring high‑quality, well‑structured datasets
• 5 years+ experience in a Data Engineering or similar role
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python (or similar programming language)
• Experience building and maintaining data pipelines
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
• Knowledge of data warehousing solutions (e.g., Databricks preferred)
• Understanding of data modelling concepts and best practices
• Experience with streaming or real‑time data processing is advantageous
• Exposure to fintech, payments, or high‑volume transactional environments is a plus
• Strong problem‑solving skills and attention to detail
• You eagerly embrace change, absorb cross‑functional skills, and connect ideas across disciplines to drive fresh thinking and innovation.
• Ability to initiate, develop, maintain and leverage outstanding relationships to influence a wide network, both inside and outside the company.
• A trailblazer who steps up, takes charge, and creates meaningful impact—those driven by performance and purpose to lead from the front and make a real difference every day.
• You thrive in collaboration, embrace inclusion, and bring a genuine curiosity for global cultures—valuing collective success over individual credit.
• Demonstrate strategic foresight, sound judgement, and the ability to make confident decisions under uncertainty, always working toward the best possible outcomes.
• You challenge norms, champion innovation, and constantly seek growth—for themselves, their team, and the solutions they build.
• You are a decisive doer—those who take initiative, follow through with confidence, and ensure results through courageous, hands‑on leadership.
• We value optimism, agility, and the strength to persevere under pressure—balancing performance with positivity, even in challenging environments.
• You are driven, proactive individuals who take ownership, face challenges with grit, and consistently push for excellence—not just as participants, but as catalysts for success.
• Healthy breakfast, lunches and snacks
• Monthly team connects
• On‑site Barista
• Medical aid subsidy
• Group Risk Insurance
• Generous paid annual leave
• Birthday leave
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Mentorship programme
• Quarterly team building
• Community initiatives
• Access to cutting edge technology - Ozow Tech Stack