Senior Data Engineer

About the role

Meet 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, 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.

Interview process

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.

In office perks

Healthy breakfast, lunches and snacks

Monthly team connects

On-site Barista

Perks for South African based employees

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

Our Employee Value Proposition

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.

Compliance

As a fintech company, we prioritize data security, confidentiality, regulatory and compliance. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, we require individuals with a high level of integrity and trustworthiness to ensure adherence to financial regulations and industry standards. Given the sensitive nature of our work, all employees are expected to demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and a commitment to ethical conduct in line with financial regulations and industry standards

Ready to be exceptional? Apply now!

Keen to know more?

Interested in joining our rocket ship?

To find out more about life at Ozow, head over to our Careers Page here!