Product Engineer – Data Quality

Absa is seeking a dedicated Product Engineer to join their Enterprise Data Management platform team. This role is crucial for embedding robust data quality practices across the organisation, ensuring the integrity and reliability of the data that underpins critical business decisions. While the primary focus will be on data quality, the successful candidate will also collaborate within a broader team responsible for Master Data Management, Reference Data Management, Metadata, Data Catalog, and Data Governance. This is an opportunity to contribute to a significant transformation journey within a well-established African financial institution.

About the role

The core of this position involves implementing and operationalising data quality capabilities using the Ataccama platform. This encompasses a range of activities, from initial data profiling and validation to the design and monitoring of data quality rules, scorecards, and issue remediation processes. You will be instrumental in fostering the adoption of enterprise-wide data quality standards. This is not a traditional IT support role; instead, it requires a deep understanding of enterprise applications and the ability to translate complex business needs into effective technical solutions. The ideal candidate will possess a proven ability to quickly grasp new technologies and platforms, applying them to solve real-world business challenges.

Your responsibilities will span several key areas, ensuring a comprehensive approach to data quality management:

• **Business Requirements and Solution Design:** You will engage extensively with business stakeholders to understand their operational challenges, gather detailed requirements, and identify opportunities for process improvement. This will involve analysing these requirements and translating them into concrete application configurations, workflows, and business rules within the platform. Recommending solutions that leverage the product's inherent capabilities and align with industry best practices will be a significant part of your work. You will also facilitate workshops and demonstrations to ensure clear communication and buy-in.
• **Product Expertise and Configuration:** A strong understanding of the Ataccama platform's capabilities, limitations, and configuration options is essential. You will ensure that business requirements are met through standard platform features and best practices, assessing when configuration, customisation, process changes, or integration are the most appropriate solutions. This involves configuring workflows, business rules, data validation rules, and other application features to meet specific business needs.
• **Implementation and Enhancement:** You will own the delivery of enhancements, from initial requirements analysis through to design, configuration, testing, deployment, and ongoing production support. This includes participating in the implementation of new platform capabilities and modules. Collaboration with vendors, architects, and development teams will be key to delivering seamless business solutions. You'll actively evaluate product features to identify opportunities for process improvement through configuration.
• **Data Quality Operations and Improvement:** Acting as a functional and technical subject matter expert, you will drive the adoption of data quality capabilities. Monitoring data quality metrics, investigating anomalies, and resolving validation failures will be daily tasks. You will also define and maintain reusable data quality rule patterns and standards, supporting the onboarding of new data domains into the monitoring system. Working closely with data owners and stewards to enhance data quality controls and remediation processes is also vital. Managing incidents related to data integrity and performing root cause analysis for recurring issues will ensure system stability and continuous improvement.

What they're looking for

To be successful in this role, you will need a strong foundation in enterprise application implementation and a keen analytical mind. A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Management, or a related field is required, along with at least five years of experience in implementing, configuring, enhancing, and supporting critical enterprise applications within complex environments.

Key skills include:

• Proficiency in business analysis, requirements elicitation, and process analysis.
• Demonstrated experience in enterprise application configuration and implementation.
• Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills.
• Ability to design solutions using out-of-the-box product capabilities.
• Sound functional consulting and advisory capabilities.
• A track record of rapidly learning and becoming proficient in new enterprise applications.
• A solid understanding of business processes and data-driven decision-making.
• Experience leading workshops, demonstrations, and user engagement sessions.

Experience with enterprise platforms such as Master Data Management (MDM), Data Quality (DQ), Metadata Management, Governance, ERP, CRM, Workflow, or Case Management solutions is highly desirable. While not mandatory, certifications in MDM, DQ, or metadata tools would be considered an advantage.

In South Africa, roles focused on data quality and management within large financial institutions like Absa often command competitive salaries, reflecting the critical nature of data governance and the specialised skills required. Career progression typically involves moving into more senior data management roles, leading data initiatives, or specialising further in areas like data architecture or data governance leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Management, or a related field. Certifications in MDM, DQ, or metadata tools are a plus.
• 5+ years of experience implementing, configuring, enhancing, and supporting enterprise applications in complex business environments.
• Experience working with MDM, Data Quality, Metadata Management, Governance, ERP, CRM, Workflow, Case Management, or other business-critical enterprise platforms is highly desirable.
• Candidates should demonstrate the ability to engage business stakeholders, translate requirements into solutions, and successfully deliver business outcomes through application configuration and platform capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience translating business requirements into configured application solutions and successfully delivering business outcomes
• Experience participating in application implementations, upgrades, migrations, or platform transformation initiatives.
• Experience working in Agile, DevOps, or product-centric delivery environments.

Desirable Experience

• Experience implementing Data Quality controls, profiling solutions, validation frameworks, monitoring dashboards, or remediation workflows.
• Experience with Critical Data Elements (CDEs), data quality scorecards, and data quality governance practices
• Data Governance, Master Data Management, Reference Data Management, Metadata Management or Data Quality initiatives.
• Informatica MDM, IDQ or EDC.
• Ataccama ONE.
• Collibra.
• Talend.
• SAP MDG.
• Salesforce.
• Oracle, SAP or other enterprise application platforms.

 

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised