Work-Force
Data Practice Lead opportunity in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Data Practice Lead Role Overview The Data Practice Lead is responsible for growing and leading Dariel’s Data Architecture, BI, and Analytics capability. This role combines technical credibility with commercial leadership, consultative client engagement, practice development, and delivery oversight. The Data Practice Lead has a matrix reporting line into the CTO and holds accountability for the Data Architecture capability across Dariel.
This includes architectural standards, consulting quality, BI strategy, delivery governance, and people leadership. The successful candidate will engage with clients beyond initial sales introductions, uncover business challenges, articulate value-driven solutions, contribute to proposals and RFQs, and maintain trusted stakeholder relationships throughout the client lifecycle. This is not a purely architectural role.
The candidate must be equally comfortable discussing business outcomes in executive boardrooms, facilitating discovery workshops, supporting sales opportunities, and guiding technical teams through delivery. The role exists to provide leadership across strategy, architecture, consulting, delivery governance, capability development, and business growth while strengthening Dariel’s position as a trusted technology partner. Success in this role is measured through client value creation, capability growth, consulting excellence, and successful delivery outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Practice Leadership & Capability Development Define and evolve the Data Practice vision and strategy from conception through delivery. Build capability maturity across Data Architecture, BI, and Analytics disciplines. Establish best practices, frameworks, standards, and reusable assets.
Coach, mentor, and develop consultants, architects, and analysts. Contribute to talent acquisition, succession planning, and team development. Support business growth through thought leadership and market engagement.
Contribute to Dariel’s leadership community, culture, and continuous improvement initiatives. Ensure architecture is realised through delivery teams. Client Advisory & Commercial Leadership Lead client discovery, consulting, and strategy engagements.
Translate technical concepts into business value and outcomes. Build trusted relationships with executive and senior business stakeholders. Maintain ongoing stakeholder relationships throughout the client lifecycle.
Facilitate workshops, strategic discussions, and solution design sessions. Influence executive decision-making through insight, credibility, and business acumen. Identify opportunities for additional value creation and business growth.
Support pre-sales activities, RFQs, RFPs, proposals, and solution shaping. Act as the primary Data and Analytics subject matter expert during sales and delivery engagements. Delivery & Governance Lead enterprise-scale data and analytics initiatives.
Ensure architectural standards are applied throughout delivery. Balance architectural rigour with pragmatic execution. Govern delivery across multiple client engagements.
Provide delivery oversight and governance across multiple engagements. Support the successful execution of data, BI, and analytics roadmaps. Ensure architecture is realised through delivery teams.
Ensure solutions align with business objectives and measurable outcomes. Ensure consistent consulting quality across engagements.
Requirements
Essential Skills & Experience Minimum 7-10 years of relevant industry experience. At least 7-8 years of hands-on technical experience in Data, BI, and Analytics environments. Proven experience leading enterprise-scale data initiatives.
Strong consulting, advisory, or professional services background. Demonstrated ownership of client relationships and stakeholder engagement. Experience contributing to business development, pre-sales, RFQs, RFPs, and solution design.
Strong understanding of Enterprise Data and Information Architecture. Strong understanding of Data Architecture, Business Intelligence, and Analytics. Experience designing Business Intelligence architectures, semantic layers, and analytics consumption frameworks.
Strong understanding of KPI frameworks, metrics design, and reporting strategy. Strong understanding of data governance, data quality, and metadata management. Experience designing modern data platforms including warehouses, lakes, and lakehouses.
Experience with data integration, orchestration, and pipeline architecture. Experience mentoring, leading, and developing technical teams. Ability to communicate effectively with both executive and technical audiences.
Strong commercial awareness and ability to connect technical solutions to business outcomes. Strong foundation in software engineering principles. Experience designing and leading complex systems.
Deep understanding of application and integration architecture Desirable Skills & Experience Experience leading or growing a consulting practice or capability area. Exposure to enterprise data strategy and transformation programmes. Experience with modern cloud data platforms and analytics ecosystems.
Knowledge of delivery governance frameworks and operating models. Participation in thought leadership, speaking engagements, or industry forums. Experience managing P&L, practice performance metrics, or capability growth initiatives.
Strong foundation in software engineering principles. Experience designing and leading complex systems. Deep understanding of application and integration architecture
Qualifications
Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Data Science, or a related discipline. Relevant industry certifications in Data, Cloud, Analytics, Architecture, or Consulting disciplines would be advantageous. Equivalent practical experience will be considered.
Behavioural
Competencies
Strong executive presence and professional maturity. Trusted advisor mindset with the ability to influence at executive level. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
High emotional intelligence (EQ) and influencing capability. Naturally inquisitive and curious mindset. Strong business acumen and commercial awareness.
Structured and organised approach to problem solving. Passion for data, BI, analytics, and business transformation. Ability to simplify complex technical concepts for business audiences.
Demonstrates judgement and communication maturity, adapting technical depth appropriately for executive, business, and technical audiences. Collaborative and influential leadership style. Adaptability, resilience, and a growth mindset.
Strong ownership, accountability, and delivery focus. Ability to build long-term trusted advisor relationships. What Success Looks Like The ideal candidate demonstrates: Strong technical credibility.
Commercial awareness and business acumen. Consultative selling capability. Executive communication skills.
Practice leadership capability. Relationship-building strength. Delivery governance expertise.
Passion for data and analytics. Ability to connect business outcomes with technical solutions. The role is not just a senior data architect, but a practice leader who can: Lead a Data Architecture capability (standards, people, maturity) Act as a trusted consulting advisor (client-facing, exec-level) Own strategy → roadmap → delivery Cover enterprise data, BI & analytics architecture Balance governance with pragmatic execution Support pre-sales, RFQs, and delivery assurance Have a software/systems mindset, not only governance What We Offer Opportunity to lead and shape Dariel’s Data Practice.
Exposure to strategic client engagements and executive stakeholders. Significant influence on practice growth, capability development, and business outcomes. Opportunity to work across diverse industries and complex transformation programmes.
Collaborative and supportive leadership environment. Continuous learning, professional growth, and career progression opportunities. Competitive remuneration and benefits package.