Lead Data Engineer at Shoprite Group of Companies

About the role    

• We're looking for an experienced Lead Data Engineer to lead the design, development, and evolution of enterprise-scale data platforms that enable data-driven decision-making across the Group.
• This role combines deep technical expertise with leadership responsibilities, overseeing advanced data engineering solutions, guiding engineering teams, and helping shape the future data strategy within a modern cloud and big data environment.
• As a senior technical leader, you will drive architecture decisions, establish engineering best practices, mentor team members, and ensure the delivery of scalable, secure, and high-performing data solutions.

What you'll do    

Data Engineering & Architecture

• Design, build, and optimise complex data engineering solutions and platforms.
• Define and maintain data architecture standards and technical roadmaps.
• Develop scalable data pipelines and big data solutions using modern cloud technologies.
• Ensure technical documentation remains current, accurate, and aligned with architectural standards.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement across the data engineering landscape.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship across data engineering teams.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, development patterns, and best practices.
• Lead DevSecOps adoption and ensure quality engineering practices are consistently applied.
• Share knowledge through communities of practice, technical presentations, and mentoring initiatives.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, tools, and industry trends.

Agile Delivery & Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate planning, backlog grooming, sprint reviews, and team alignment activities.
• Translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Partner with Business Analysts, product owners, architects, and stakeholders to drive successful outcomes.
• Provide project, delivery, and incident updates to leadership and key stakeholders.
• Maintain alignment between delivery plans and strategic objectives.

Team Development

• Support performance management, development planning, and capability growth within the team.
• Identify skills gaps and contribute to learning and development initiatives.
• Promote collaboration, engagement, and a high-performance engineering culture.
• Facilitate innovation initiatives, hackathons, and knowledge-sharing activities.

What you bring    

Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field (NQF 6 or higher).
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline would be advantageous.
• Equivalent practical experience will be considered where formal qualifications are not held.

Experience

• 5+ years' experience in Data Engineering, Software Development, BI, or a related data discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring Data Engineering teams.
• Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale data solutions.
• Experience within retail, FMCG, or similarly complex environments is advantageous.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Python and PySpark development.
• Strong SQL skills, particularly in large-scale data environments.
• Big Data technologies including Hadoop and Spark.

AWS services such as:

• EMR
• S3
• Athena
• RDS
• Lambda
• API Gateway
• Experience with Azure, GCP, and Snowflake.
• Data warehouse and Business Intelligence concepts.
• Solution architecture and technical design.
• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• DevOps and Infrastructure Management practices.

Closing Date    

• 2026/09/10