Senior Specialist: Cloud Data Engineer at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

• The primary purpose of this, Senior Data Engineer role, is to design, develop, and maintain robust, scalable, and secure data and analytics infrastructure that supports batch and real-time data processing at scale.
• This includes managing on-premises big data platforms, edge applications, and cloud deployments to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance across all environments.
• The role is crucial in driving innovation, ensuring data integrity, and delivering actionable insights that empower the organization to make data-driven decisions.

Key Objectives

• Data Pipeline Excellence: Build and maintain efficient data pipelines that handle large volumes of data with high reliability and performance.
• Edge and Cloud Integration: Seamlessly integrate edge applications and cloud services to provide real-time data access and machine learning capabilities.
• Innovation and Improvement: Continuously seek opportunities to enhance the data infrastructure, adopt new technologies, and improve processes.
• Collaboration and Leadership: Work closely with cross-functional teams to understand their data needs and provide technical leadership and guidance.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Data Pipeline Management: Design, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines using batch technologies (like Spark, NiFi, and Hive) and real-time technologies (like Kafka, Flink, Spark streams).
• Edge Application Development: Implement and manage edge applications using MongoDB and CassandraDB, ensuring efficient data processing and storage.
• Microservices and Containerization: Develop and deploy microservices in an OpenShift containerized environment, utilizing tools like Nginx API Gateway for real-time data access.
• Cloud Deployment and Management: Implement and support similar use cases in AWS, GCP, ensuring seamless integration between on-premise and cloud environments.
• Performance Monitoring and Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize the performance of data pipelines, applications, and services.
• Security and Compliance: Ensure all systems and data processes comply with relevant security standards and regulations.
• Technology Stack Selection: Recommend/make decisions on the appropriate technologies and tools to use for various components of the data and analytics infrastructure.
• Architecture Design: Define the architecture for data pipelines, edge applications, and microservices to ensure scalability and reliability.
• Resource Allocation: Allocate resources effectively to balance performance, cost, and scalability across on-premise and cloud environments.
• Data Governance and Compliance: Establish and enforce data governance policies to ensure data quality, security, and compliance.
• Incident Management: Lead the response to any incidents or outages, ensuring quick resolution and minimal impact on operations.
• Innovation and Improvement: Continuously seek opportunities to improve processes, adopt new technologies, and drive innovation within the team.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• 3 year IT or IS degree or diploma or related field is essential 
• 5 – 8 Years experience across the disciplines of software development / cloud development / etl integration and design  through development, testing, implementation, and production support aspects of the SDLC preferably in a highly complex in-house development environment.
• Relevant AWS, GCP or Azure cloud certification at professional or associate level
• Data engineering or related software development experience
• Agile exposure working with Kanban or Scrum

Key Competencies

• Technical Proficiency: Strong skills in programming languages such as Python, Java, or Scala
• Big Data Technologies: Expertise in tools like Spark, Hive, parquet, iceberg, etc.
• Database Management: Proficiency with both relational & NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, CassandraDB)
• Cloud Computing: Experience with cloud platforms like AWS/GCP, including services for data storage and processing.
• Containerization & Microservices: Knowledge of containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and microservices architecture, particularly in OpenShift, AWS ECS and GCP GKE environments
• API Management: Experience with API gateways like Nginx and developing APIs for real-time data access
• Data driven: Applies data-driven and technology-enabled approaches to solve business problems and improve operational outcomes.

Knowledge Areas

• Distributed Systems: In-depth understanding of distributed computing principles and technologies
• Data Engineering: Knowledge of data pipeline design, ETL processes, and data integration
• Security and Compliance: Familiarity with data security practices and regulatory compliance requirements
• Performance Optimization: Techniques for monitoring and optimizing the performance of data systems and applications
• Edge Computing: Understanding of edge computing concepts and technologies for processing data closer to the source
• Demonstrates the ability to effectively adopt and utilise AI-enabled tools, digital technologies and automation capabilities to improve personal productivity, quality and service delivery.

Experience

• Hands-On Experience: Several years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, or cloud engineering roles
• Project Management: Experience managing complex projects, preferably in a big data or cloud environment.
• Team Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of addressing complex technical challenges
• Continuous Learning: Maintains awareness of emerging technology and AI trends and contributes ideas that improve processes, customer experience and operational effectiveness.
• Demonstrates AI fluency and literacy through the ability to effectively use, evaluate and govern AI-enabled tools and solutions, applying them responsibly to improve business outcomes, productivity and decision-making.

AI-Enabled Leadership and Delivery

• Demonstrates the ability to identify, evaluate and implement technology, automation and AI opportunities that improve team performance, operational efficiency and business outcomes.
• Creates an environment that encourages innovation, experimentation, continuous learning and responsible adoption of emerging technologies.
• Leads teams through evolving operating models and technology-enabled transformation, building capability and readiness for future workforce requirements.
• Tracks and delivers measurable business outcomes from digital, automation and AI initiatives through effective prioritisation, governance and benefits realisation.
• Demonstrates AI fluency and literacy through the ability to effectively use, evaluate and govern AI-enabled tools and solutions, applying them responsibly to improve business outcomes, productivity and decision-making.

We make an impact by offering:

• Enticing incentive programs and competitive benefit packages
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits
• Cell phone and data benefits, advantages fibre connection discounts, and exclusive staff discounts offered in collaboration with partner companies

Closing date for Applications: 18 August 2026