Data Engineering Test Lead

To lead the quality assurance and testing of data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes and reporting solutions, ensuring data is accurate, reliable and fit for business use. The role blends hands-on data/SQL testing with test leadership, UAT coordination and structured stakeholder engagement across Business, SMEs and technical teams.

Define and own the test strategy across SIT, data validation, regression and UAT for data and BI solutions.

Design and execute data reconciliation, validation and quality checks (source-to-target, row counts, transformation logic, business rules).

Build repeatable test frameworks and automated data quality checks where possible.

Manage defect logging, triage, root-cause analysis and resolution tracking.

Lead and mentor a small team of testers / QA analysts; coordinate testing resources and priorities.

Plan and coordinate UAT with business users and SMEs — scope, entry/exit criteria, scenarios, execution tracking and business sign-off.

Manage testing risks, dependencies and readiness for go-live.

Engage Business, Internal teams and SMEs in a structured, professional manner.

Define test cases and communicate quality status clearly to non-technical stakeholders.

Build credibility and a  big picture  business acumen - not just query-writing.

Qualification:

Bachelor's degree/diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or related (or equivalent experience)

Experience:

5-8 years in data/QA testing, with 2+ years in a lead/coordination role

Core Technical:
Advanced SQL (mandatory), ETL/ELT testing, data warehousing concepts (Kimball/Data Vault)

Testing:

Domain:
Short-term insurance / financial services exposure highly advantageous

Cloud / Tooling:
Exposure to Azure / AWS / Snowflake, Power BI / Qlik; test/automation tools an advantage

Guidewire, TIA or similar insurance platform data structures

Python for test automation / data validation

Experience in cloud migration or Medallion architecture initiatives

ISTQB or similar testing certification

Strong SQL and data-testing capability with a quality-first mindset

Proven test leadership and UAT coordination

Structured stakeholder engagement and business acumen - commands respect and sees the bigger picture

Analytical, methodical problem-solver who can bridge business and technology

Cape Town

Contract

Data Warehousing Extract Transform Load (ETL) SQL System Integration Testing (SIT) Test Plans User Acceptance Testing (UAT)