Data Engineering Test Lead

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
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.   Key Responsibilities 1.       Testing & Data Quality 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.   2.       Leadership & Coordination 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.   3.       Stakeholder Engagement 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.   Minimum Requirements 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   Advantageous \/ Nice-to-Have ·       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   Key Strengths (Ideal Candidate) 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     Location: Cape Town  Engagement Type: Contract