Cape Town City Centre: Head of Data Engineering

Location: Cape Town (Hybrid) Employment Type: Full-Time Industry: FinTech | Data & Analytics | Financial Services About the Role WatersEdge Solutions is partnering with a fast-growing, technology-driven financial services organisation to find a Head of Data Engineering. This senior leadership role is ideal for an experienced data professional ready to drive platform innovation, team excellence, and strategic delivery. You’ll oversee a mature cloud-based data environment while contributing to broader tech strategy at the executive level. You will lead and evolve a core data function spanning Data Engineering, Analytics Engineering, and Machine Learning Engineering, shaping the organisation’s data strategy, governance, and innovation. Key Responsibilities Lead and grow high-performing teams across Data Engineering, Analytics, and ML Engineering Embed best practices for scalable, secure, high-performance systems Define and execute a business-aligned data strategy and roadmap Architect and maintain modern cloud-based platforms (e.g., Snowflake, Azure) Ensure strong compliance with privacy laws and data governance (POPIA, GDPR) Oversee data pipeline design, platform performance, and team delivery Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Business stakeholders Manage budgets, SLOs, SLAs, and vendor relationships What You’ll Bring Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or similar (Master’s preferred) 8–10 years of experience in Data Engineering with advanced cloud expertise 3–5 years of leadership experience in data teams, governance, and compliance Proven track record with cloud-based data platforms, ELT, and CI/CD pipelines Hands-on experience enabling MLOps and delivering operational data products Strong grasp of data privacy regulations and implementation frameworks Experience within product-aligned, agile environments Nice to Have Experience in financial services or banking Deep familiarity with Snowflake, Azure, and DBT Exposure to event streaming tools like Kafka Experience with legacy platform modernisation Technology Environment Snowflake, Azure, Azure SQL (MSSQL), Postgres, Airbyte, Airflow, DBT Cloud/Core, Kafka, Azure ML, Terraform What’s On Offer Executive-level influence on data and technology direction Leadership over a high-impact, cloud-first data function Access to cutting-edge AI and data innovation initiatives Hybrid working environment based in Cape Town Collaborative, product-focused technical culture Company Culture The company champions ownership, technical excellence, and commercial awareness. Teams work with a strong product mindset and collaborate across disciplines to deliver customer-focused, data-driven solutions. As part of the leadership group, you’ll contribute to innovation at scale in an environment that encourages forward thinking and real-world impact. If you have not been contacted within 10 working days please consider your application unsuccessful.