Data Architect – FTC (Cape Town)

You will own and evolve enterprise data architecture to drive innovation and efficiency. This role focuses on end-to-end responsibility for the data landscape, closing gaps, modernizing architecture, and ensuring scalable, governed solutions for current and future products.

Where You’ll Add Value

• Lead the end-to-end data architecture for the enterprise, providing a solid foundation for AI, analytics, and new product use cases.
• Analyze current data assets, pipelines, and architecture to identify improvement opportunities in speed, quality, and scalability.
• Direct the validation and evolution of medallion architecture, ensuring seamless data flow from ingestion through analytics.
• Oversee and optimize data pipelines, data quality, and classification standards.
• Design and drive the integration of data platforms with enterprise systems using Microsoft stack (.NET, SQL Server, Power BI); familiarity with Databricks or Snowflake is advantageous.
• Shape and govern future integrations and architecture landscape, ensuring design aligns to organizational standards and governance.
• Translate business strategy and requirements into robust, scalable technical solutions.
• Produce architecture diagrams, technical documentation, and required artifacts to guide engineering teams.
• Represent data architecture in governance forums and steering committees, challenging and improving existing approaches.
• Collaborate with data engineers and cross-functional teams to ensure architectural designs are implemented effectively.

What Sets You Apart

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience as a hands-on Data Architect with a strong data engineering background and real-world delivery records.
• Track record of designing, evolving, and validating medallion or equivalent architectures.
• Deep expertise in data pipelines, quality, classification, and integration for analytics and AI readiness.
• Demonstrated ability to work within and improve governance, approval, and security processes.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills—able to challenge, advocate, and drive architectural decisions.
• Experience preparing data for advanced analytics and AI workloads.
• Ability to represent architecture in leadership forums and ensure traceability for architectural changes.
• Practical, delivery-focused mindset—not just advisory.

Your Toolkit

• Experience with Microsoft data stack (.NET, SQL Server, Power BI) in enterprise settings
• Exposure to Databricks, Snowflake, or similar is valuable.
• Practitioner of scalable architecture in complex, governed environments, with exposure to cloud (Azure preferred; AWS useful).

What’s In It For You

• Earn what you deserve: Enjoy competitive pay that grows with you through annual increases.
• Recharge fully: Benefit from 20 days of annual leave, more time for rest, travel, or personal projects.
• Earn rewards for successful referrals: Employee referral program for bringing talented people into the team.
• Feel valued and celebrated: Participate in quarterly reward and recognition programs, wellness events, and opportunities to engage in company-wide strategy meetings.
• Work with purpose: Gain hands-on experience on exciting projects across industries, collaborating with top South African and international clients.
• Advance your career: Receive mentorship and structured leadership training to accelerate your professional development.

Who We Are

Get to know the team, the tech, and the impact we create at https://saratogasoftware.com