BI Engineer: Takealot Group

About the Role

The Takealot Group, a prominent and rapidly expanding online retailer in South Africa, is seeking a skilled Business Intelligence (BI) Engineer to enhance its data capabilities. This organisation, encompassing popular platforms like Takealot.com and Mr D, thrives on a culture of innovation and hard work. They are looking for individuals who possess integrity, creativity, and a sharp intellect to contribute to their hyper-growth environment. In this role, you will be at the forefront of translating business needs into actionable data insights. You will engage directly with various internal stakeholders, understanding their requirements for business intelligence, reporting, and in-depth data analysis. Collaboration will be key, working alongside both business units and development teams to design, document, and implement robust dashboards, critical alerts, and comprehensive reports.

As a BI Engineer at Takealot Group, your responsibilities will span the entire lifecycle of BI solutions. You will spearhead analytical projects, particularly during the implementation of new BI software and systems, with a focus on technologies like Google BigQuery and Looker. This position involves tackling complex, cross-functional, and enterprise-level BI challenges. A significant part of your work will involve evaluating the needs of both internal and external stakeholders to craft appropriate and effective solutions. You will actively participate in the planning, technical design, development, and rigorous testing phases of BI initiatives.

Furthermore, you will contribute to the development and refinement of information quality metrics, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the data driving business decisions. Reviewing data pipelines and testing plans will be crucial to guarantee that business outcomes are accurately reflected and validated. You will also play a vital role in researching, identifying, and proposing new tools, frameworks, techniques, patterns, or processes that can positively influence the BI architecture. Developing best practices for the deployment of reports and dashboards will also fall within your remit. Beyond technical contributions, you will offer guidance, training, and problem-solving assistance to fellow team members, acting as a subject matter expert for key BI core functions.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, a solid educational foundation is expected. A Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, or Business Management is typically required. Complementing this, a minimum of five years of experience in Business Analysis or a similar technical capacity is essential. In instances where a formal degree is not held, an equivalent of at least eight years of relevant technical or business analysis experience will be considered.

Beyond formal qualifications, practical experience is paramount. You will need a minimum of three years of hands-on experience with BI reporting tools such as Looker, Tableau, or Microsoft BI. Proficiency in SQL is also a must, with at least three years of experience required. Similarly, a minimum of three years of experience in Data Warehousing is non-negotiable. High proficiency in working with large datasets and complex business models is crucial for success.

While not mandatory, certain additional skills and experiences would be highly advantageous. Knowledge of one or more business functional areas would be beneficial. Experience with the Google Cloud Platform and/or Google BigQuery would be a significant plus. Familiarity with Python would also be viewed favourably. Experience with subscription or recurring payment models, particularly in e-commerce, would be considered highly beneficial, given Takealot's business.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the data-driven future of one of South Africa's leading e-commerce players. BI Engineers in South Africa can expect competitive remuneration, often ranging from R500,000 to R900,000 per annum depending on experience and the specific company, though exact figures will vary. Takealot Group, alongside many other established retailers and tech companies in major South African cities like Cape Town, offers a dynamic environment with substantial opportunities for professional growth and development in the burgeoning field of business intelligence.

• Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Management, and a minimum of 5 years of Business Analysis or related technical experience is required.
• In the event that a candidate does not have a Bachelor’s Degree or an Advanced Diploma, an equivalent experience requirement must be met, which equates to a minimum of 8 years of Business Analysis or related technical experience.
• Minimum 3 years experience using BI reporting tools (e.g. Looker, Tableau, Microsoft BI, etc.)
• Minimum 3 years SQL experience
• Minimum 3 years Data Warehousing experience
• High proficiency in working with large data sets and business models
• Knowledge of one or more business functional areas
• Google Cloud Platform and/or Google Big Query experience would advantageous
• Python Experience would be advantageous
• Current or previous subscriptions / recurring payment experience would be highly beneficial
• E-commerce experience would be advantageous