Senior Data Engineer

Back to jobsSenior Data EngineerCape TownApplyMeet Ozow  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.    More about this Ozow fantastic position   We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineer to join our data team and play a key role in building a scalable, reliable data platform. You’ll help transform raw data into actionable insights and data products that power strategic decisions and enhance our payment platform.  Your role and responsibilities  Leadership  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  Data Platform & Architecture Enablement 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  Data Pipeline Development & Reliability 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  Data Quality, Governance & Analytics Support 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  Tool Utilization + Change Management   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  Automation and AI   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  You are an ideal candidate if you have  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  Your skills and competencies 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,...