Data Engineer III
2U, Inc.|Posted 4 days ago
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Skills and experience
Location and salary
Role description
Senior Data Engineer | Tech & Data Science | Cape Town, ZA
Note: By applying to this position your application is automatically submitted to the following location: Cape Town, ZA
At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education at scale. As the parent company of edX, the world’s leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential.
What We’re Looking For
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Data Engineer III to serve as a key individual contributor responsible for architecting, implementing, and maintaining robust Data Technology Systems across the entire Modern Data Stack (Data Integration, Storage, Transformation, and Governance).
This role demands deep technical proficiency and architectural foresight, requiring the candidate to be hands-on, capable of diving deep into any part of the stack, and executing complex technical work efficiently.
As a senior member of the team, you will:
- Spearhead technical and infrastructure innovation
- Mature our code base and development processes
- Provide essential technical guidance and mentorship to Junior and Intermediate Data Engineers
- Collaborate closely with Analytics Engineers and Product Managers to deliver optimized data pipelines and reliable, high-impact data products
Responsibilities
Technical
- Design and build robust, scalable, and high-performance ETL/ELT data pipelines
- Develop and implement solutions using advanced programming languages (Python, SQL, DBT)
- Optimize and performance-tune complex data workflows and queries to handle massive data volumes
- Assist with the design and implementation of data models for Data Warehouses (Snowflake etc.)
- Implement data quality frameworks (validation, monitoring, testing)
- Establish comprehensive error logging and alerting systems
- Apply DevOps practices to data infrastructure, often involving Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)
Management
- Lead and deliver projects effectively
- Support and mentor data engineers
Business
- Stakeholder management across departments
- Collaborate with engineers and analysts to execute projects
Personal
- Perform research and stay updated on industry trends
- Seek opportunities for improvement through ongoing learning
Required Background
- 5+ years experience in the Data industry
- 4+ years experience in a Data Engineering role
- Expert in SQL and Data Warehousing systems
- Experience with PostgreSQL / MySQL / Python / R / Redshift / Snowflake
- Database design and management experience
- Understanding of data management principles, data quality, and governance
- Experience with version control and infrastructure automation (Terraform)
- Familiarity with containerized services (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with ETL/ELT tools (Airflow, Argo, dbt)
- Experience using AWS services (RDS, EC2, Redshift, EKS)
- Linux command knowledge (bash scripting)
- Project management, problem-solving, mentoring, and stakeholder communication skills
Other Attributes That Will Help
- Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or Engineering preferred
Benefits & Culture
Our global employee base is diverse, innovative, and mission-driven. Life at 2U is fun and meaningful.
Full-time ZA benefits include:
- 2 complimentary GetSmarter short courses per year
- Subsidized medical aid (Discovery Health Medical Scheme)
- 4% 2U contribution to Discovery Life Pension Fund and Group Risk Benefit
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Generous leave policy including volunteer, study, sports leave, and festive season break
Diversity & Inclusion:
- Culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion
- Supportive workplace for all genders, races, sexual orientations, abilities, and other unique qualities
- Reasonable accommodations during recruitment: recruitingaccommodations@2u.com
About 2U
For over a decade, 2U has been the digital transformation partner of choice for colleges and universities delivering high-quality online education at scale. As the parent company of edX, we provide over 45 million learners access to world-class education in partnership with 230+ colleges, universities, and corporations.
Learn more: 2U Careers
About edX
edX is a global online learning platform from 2U, serving over 45 million learners. We partner with top universities and companies to offer education from free courses to full degrees.
Learn more: edX.org
The above statements describe the general nature of work for this position and are not exhaustive. 2U is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and employment equity.
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About 2U, Inc.
Who are we?
At 2U, we deliver high-quality digital education at scale. Our global employee base is powering 4,300+ online education offerings – from free courses to full degrees – and helping unlock human potential.
With edX, our leading global online learning platform, we partner with 250 non-profit universities and corporate partners to provide over 78 million learners and counting with access to world-class online education.
2U continues to build a mission-driven, diverse, and inclusive community centered around our two hub offices: our headquarters in Lanham, Maryland and our office in Cape Town, South Africa. This provides employees the opportunity to work in-office when collaboration, brainstorming, and team bonding are necessary, as well as remotely when needed. This combined with our remote employee population and operations around the world, we are a truly global company meeting the needs of learners across the globe.
We’re a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We’re all in on purpose – join us to make a difference: https://2u.com/careers/.
Why Work For Us
Eliminating the back row in education is more than a metaphor; it’s our mission. We’re committed to helping our partners create educational opportunities that enable lifelong learners to unlock their human potential and solve society’s critical needs. # NoBackRow
At 2U, every employee has the opportunity to advance our purpose. Through a culture built on mutual empowerment and respect, we show up to work and for each other with curiosity and commitment. We believe that trust and transparency are key to collaboration, that relationships matter, and above all, that # Lifeat2U is meaningful.
Explore # Lifeat2U to see how and why we do what we do.
Development Process
We use the agile methodology for our development process. Our sprints last a week, at the end of the week we will sit down as a team and review the task for the next sprint. This gives us opportunity to talk about how we should implement a spec, following the implementation we will have our retro where we can discuss the sprints. We have two main streams of work: enhancements which are improvements to the current code base and projects which new major features. Both streams the developer can have real impact as to how the spec's will be implemented.
Developer Environment
- The room to learn and develop your skills and direct your career as a developer.
- A positive and supportive team of developers who will push you to do rewarding work while enjoying doing it.
- A flexible work environment based on communication and trust.
- A high-spec laptop and two large monitors to allow you to deliver your best work.
Perks at 2U, Inc.
Tech Stack
application and data
utilities
dev ops
business tool
