Data Architect

To advise, design and manage Data Architectures and their evolution to support strategic insights, decision-making, advanced analytics, and AI initiatives. Data Architect must apply TOGAF and DAMA-DMBOK principles to establish and implement modern and robust data architectures, solutions designs and principles in a well-managed, secure, and fit for purpose approach. This role will provide architectural input into the development of scalable data platforms and enable digital capabilities across the organisation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR?

• Bachelor’s degree: Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or enterprise data management.
• Certification in cloud platform: AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01), Azure Data Engineer (DP-203/DP-700), or Databricks Certified Data Engineer.
• Certification or Strong Working Knowledge in TOGAF 10 architecture framework.
• Proven experience designing and governing enterprise data architecture and applying DAMA principles.
• Demonstrated ability to implement modern architectural design and principles in big data environments.
• Experience contributing to or guiding application/system development, procurement, and integration in data ecosystems.
• Strong background in contributing to scalable data platforms that support data science and AI workloads.
• Deep understanding of data modelling, metadata management, data governance, and distributed systems.
• Experience with cloud-native data services (e.g., Azure Synapse, AWS Redshift, GCP BigQuery).
• Familiarity with cloud-native data integration tools (e.g., SAP Business Data Cloud, DataBricks, Snowflake Airflow).
• Familiarity with data privacy regulations (e.g., POPIA, GDPR) and compliance frameworks.
• Certification in DAMA-DMBOK (e.g., CDMP – Certified Data Management Professional).
• Certification in Azure AI Engineer Associate, AWS Machine Learning Specialty.
• Experience in healthcare, retail, or insurance data ecosystems.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING?

• Design enterprise-wide data architecture using DAMA principles and modern design patterns to ensure scalability, flexibility, and alignment with business needs.
• Input architectural requirements into scalable data platform development by collaborating with engineers and modellers to ensure the platform supports analytics, ML, and AI use cases.
• Ensure proper integration of new solution into the data ecosystem by defining data flows, interfaces, and interoperability standards to ensure seamless data exchange and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with business and technical teams through solution design sessions, architecture reviews, workshops, and to align data strategy with organisational goals.
• Document architecture decisions, data flows, and standards using version-controlled repositories and collaborative platforms to support transparency and maintainability.

WHO YOU ARE?

• Ability to design and maintain scalable, secure, and flexible data architectures aligned with business strategy and IT standards.
• Strong capability in designing data flows and integration patterns across heterogeneous systems using APIs, ETL/ELT, and streaming technologies.
• Takes ownership of architectural decisions, their outcomes and align with enterprise architecture and business expectations.
• Build technical consensus and influence decision-making across business, IT, and data teams.
• Ensures that data architecture aligns with application, infrastructure, and security architectures.
• Navigate ambiguity with confidence and composure.