IT Data Architect (Permanent) – Johannesburg
IT
JHB North, Johannesburg – Gauteng
IT Data Architect (Permanent) – Johannesburg
Salary: Market related
Purpose of the role:
Reporting to The Senior IT Architect, The Technology Data Architect designs and governs enterprise-grade Azure data platforms, delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance solutions aligned to business and regulatory needs.
The role drives data modernization, analytics, automation, and integration, reporting to the Enterprise Solutions Architect.
Minimum Requirements and Experience:
Qualifications
- Relevant 3–4 year IT or Business qualification (BCom, BSc, or equivalent)
- Relevant Microsoft/Azure certifications advantageous
Experience
- 7+ years enterprise data architecture experience
- Proven delivery of large-scale data platforms (cloud and hybrid)
- 5+ years insurance industry experience
Strong expertise in:
- Azure data services:
- (SQL, Synapse, Cosmos DB, Data Lake, Data Factory)
- Data modelling:
- (dimensional, star/snowflake schemas, semantic layers)
- Data governance, MDM, quality, and observability frameworks
- Power BI and automation tools
- Cloud security and compliance (POPIA, GDPR)
- DevOps, CI/CD, Infrastructure-as-Code
Key Performance Areas:
Architect Scalable Data Platforms
- Design and implement Azure-based data solutions (Azure SQL, Synapse, Cosmos DB, Data Lake, Databricks, Dataverse).
- Ensure performance, resilience, cost optimization, and security.
- Establish conceptual, logical, and physical data models aligned to business domains.
Lead Data Modernization
- Transform legacy systems into cloud-native architectures.
- Oversee migration strategies, schema conversion, data mapping, and validation.
- Promote adoption of modern analytics and data services.
Data Governance & Compliance
- Define and enforce standards for data lifecycle management.
- Ensure compliance with POPIA, GDPR, and internal governance frameworks.
- Support metadata management, lineage tracking, cataloging, and sensitive data monitoring.
Enable Analytics & Business Intelligence
- Deliver integrated analytics solutions using Power BI, Azure Analysis Services, and Azure Machine Learning.
- Support semantic modeling and KPI standardization.
- Collaborate with business units to deliver actionable insights.
Application Integration & Automation
- Provide architectural guidance for data-driven applications.
- Enable integration across Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365.
- Implement CI/CD, Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform), and automated data pipelines (ADF, Power Automate).
Data Quality & Observability
- Implement data quality frameworks and monitoring standards.
- Leverage Azure Monitor, Purview, and related tools to ensure lineage, reliability, and performance.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Work across architecture, engineering, and business teams.
- Participate in governance forums and steering committees.
- Mentor junior architects and promote continuous learning.
NB: Should you not be contacted within 2 weeks of your application, please consider it as unsuccessful.
