Senior Data Fabric Data Engineer

Senior Data Fabric Data Engineer Johannesburg (Hybrid) - Midrand | Full-time, Permanent | Senior Level About the Opportunity An established data and analytics consulting environment is seeking a Senior Data Fabric Data Engineer to lead the design, build and delivery of modern, end-to-end data solutions across multiple client engagements. The role has a strong Microsoft technology focus, particularly Microsoft Fabric, Azure and Power BI, and combines hands-on engineering with solution architecture, client engagement and technical leadership. Role Overview You will take ownership of the technical architecture of client data platforms, from ingestion and Bronze/Silver/Gold Lakehouse and Warehouse layers through to semantic models supporting Power BI. The role includes production implementations, legacy BI migrations, proof-of-concept initiatives, ongoing platform support and mentoring of junior and mid-level engineers. Key Responsibilities • Design and build end-to-end Microsoft Fabric solutions, including Lakehouses, Warehouses, Data Pipelines, Dataflows Gen2 and Notebooks. • Architect medallion (Bronze/Silver/Gold) data models and define ingestion, transformation and curation standards. • Build and optimise ingestion pipelines from sources such as SQL Server, Azure SQL, REST APIs, Excel/SharePoint and ERP/finance systems. • Develop semantic models using DirectLake, Import, DirectQuery and composite modelling to support Power BI and self-service analytics. • Lead migrations from legacy BI and ETL platforms such as QlikView/Qlik Sense, Synapse, SSIS and SSRS to modern cloud architectures. • Write and optimise T-SQL, PySpark and Python for transformation, data quality and performance tuning. • Implement CI/CD, source control, workspace governance and environment promotion using Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions. • Establish monitoring, alerting, data validation, security and governance practices. • Lead client requirements workshops, translate business needs into technical designs and document current/future-state architectures. • Lead technical workstreams and proof-of-concept implementations, support critical platform issues and mentor less experienced engineers. Required Skills & Technology • Microsoft Fabric: Lakehouse, Warehouse, Pipelines, Dataflows Gen2 and Notebooks. • Azure technologies including Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL, Azure Data Lake and Azure Data Factory. • Strong T-SQL, PySpark, Python and Spark SQL skills. • Power BI, DAX, data modelling and semantic modelling. • DirectLake, Import/DirectQuery and composite models. • Delta Lake, SSIS, Power Query (M) and SQL Server. • Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions, Git-based source control and CI/CD. • Data platform security, access controls, governance, monitoring and backup/recovery concepts. Experience & Qualifications • 5+ years' experience in data engineering, BI development or data warehousing, ideally in a client-facing consulting environment. • Hands-on production experience delivering Microsoft Fabric solutions, including Lakehouse/Warehouse builds, pipelines and semantic modelling. • Experience migrating legacy BI/ETL platforms to modern cloud architectures. • Experience leading technical workstreams or small teams and mentoring junior engineers. • Bachelor's degree or diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science or a related field (NQF 6 or higher). Certifications Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate - required or in progress. • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate - required or in progress. • Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate - advantageous. • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals - minimum baseline where the above certifications are still in progress. Advantageous Experience • Databricks and exposure to AWS or GCP. • Machine learning workflows on Microsoft Fabric or data science tooling such as Python or R. • SQL Server high-availability and disaster-recovery concepts. • Agile/Scrum or Kanban delivery methods. • Consulting or professional-services experience managing multiple concurrent client engagements. Personal Attributes • Strong client-facing communication and stakeholder-management skills. • Confident running workshops and presenting technical or architecture decisions. • Self-motivated problem-solver who takes ownership from design through production support. • Structured and methodical, with strong technical documentation habits. • Collaborative and comfortable mentoring less experienced team members. • Able to manage multiple client engagements and changing priorities. This is an excellent opportunity for a senior data professional who wants to combine hands-on Microsoft Fabric engineering with architecture, client engagement and technical leadership.