Head of Data

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At KingMakers, we’re not here to follow the industry; we’re here to shape it. Since launching in 2018, we’ve been redefining sports and gaming entertainment across Africa, building platforms that connect millions of users to the games and experiences they love.

We’ve grown rapidly to become one of the key players in the region, recognized for pushing boundaries and setting the stage for what’s next. Our mission is bold: we aim to inspire, empower, and create meaningful value for the people and communities we serve. Collaboration and innovation are at the heart of our culture, making every decision purposeful and every interaction impactful.

We think big, move fast, and challenge convention. If you’re ready to lead, innovate, and make a real difference, there’s no better time to join KingMakers.

About the Role

As Head of Data Engineering, you will lead the vision, strategy, and execution of our data engineering function. You will be responsible for building and scaling a high-performance data platform that supports business-critical analytics, AI/ML applications, and real-time data processing at scale.

You will manage a global team of data engineers and work cross-functionally with AI, product, finance, risk, and executive leadership teams to ensure our data infrastructure is not only robust and scalable but also aligned with KingMakers’ broader business objectives.

This is a high-impact, hands-on leadership role that requires deep technical expertise, strong people management skills, and the ability to drive strategic data initiatives in a high-growth, fast-paced environment.

What You’ll Be Doing

Strategic Leadership & Execution

• Define and execute KingMakers data engineering strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Drive technical decision-making and platform investments, optimizing for scale, security, and performance.
• Establish and enforce best practices in data architecture, governance, quality, and reliability.
• Collaborate with product, finance, and AI teams to unlock the full potential of data across the business.

Technical Excellence & Data Platform Development

• Architect and lead the development of a highly scalable, cloud-native Enterprise Data Platform.
• Oversee real-time and batch data processing pipelines, ensuring efficiency, low latency, and accuracy.
• Build and manage data lake and data warehouse solutions for advanced analytics and AI-driven applications.
• Implement data observability, governance, and compliance frameworks to ensure security and regulatory adherence.
• Drive automation and continuous improvement across the data engineering stack.
• Lead and scale a high-performing team of data engineers across multiple locations.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, ownership, and continuous learning.
• Implement career development plans, coaching, and mentorship programs.
• Scale the team through hiring, training, and process improvements to meet business demands.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or related fields, with at least 5+ years leading teams.
• Proven track record of building and scaling enterprise data platforms in high-transaction environments.
• Expertise in distributed data architectures, cloud data engineering, and real-time processing.
• Strong background in Databricks, Apache Spark, PySpark, and big data technologies.
• Experience with high-volume financial transactions and ensuring data integrity in regulated environments.
• Deep knowledge of data governance, observability, and security best practices.
• Multi-site engineering team management experience, ideally across different time zones.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence executive stakeholders and translate business needs into technical solutions.

Nice-to-Have Experience

• Experience with Microsoft Azure and the SQL data stack.
• Knowledge of Kafka, MongoDB, and other event-driven architectures.
• Background in hyper-growth startups or fast-scaling digital businesses.
• Familiarity with machine learning and AI-driven data processing pipelines.

How You’ll Work at KingMakers

• Customer Focus – Everything we build is designed to enhance user experience and business impact.
• Innovation & Big Thinking – We challenge the status quo, leveraging technology to push boundaries.
• Ownership & Accountability – We take responsibility for solving problems and driving results.
• Speed & Focus – We prioritize action, iterating quickly to improve continuously.
• Collaboration & Transparency – We work cross-functionally and value candid, open communication.
• Fun – We celebrate our wins, learn from challenges, and support each other’s development.

At KingMakers, we believe great talent deserves great rewards. That’s why we offer competitive compensation packages designed to reflect your expertise and impact.

Our benefits are tailored to each location, ensuring they align with what matters most to our people. Whether it’s health coverage, hybrid work and perks, we strive to provide what you need to thrive – wherever you are.