The Data Engineering Graduate Programme is a structured 12-month development pathway designed to turn high-potential graduates into professional Data Engineers. You will work at the bank’s iconic 30 Baker Street offices, gaining hands-on exposure to the entire data lifecycle—from ingestion and transformation to modeling and quality control—all while being mentored by industry experts.
Position Overview
- Employer: Standard Bank of South Africa
- Business Segment: Personal & Private Banking (PPB)
- Location: 30 Baker Street, Rosebank, Johannesburg
- Job Ref ID: 80451705A-0001
- Closing Date: 30 June 2026
Qualification Requirements
Standard Bank is looking for graduates who completed their degree within the last 2-3 years or are finishing in 2026 in the following fields:
- Computer Science & IT: Information Systems, Information Technology.
- Engineering: Computer, Industrial, Electrical, or similar disciplines.
- Mathematics & Science: Statistics, Mathematics, or Analytics.
Minimum Entry Criteria:
- Must be a South African citizen.
- Work experience must not exceed 12 months.
- You must submit full academic transcripts for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
What You Will Do
Technical Execution
- Pipeline Development: Assist with building ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) and ELT pipelines.
- Data Ingestion: Support pulling data from diverse sources including APIs, databases, and external vendors.
- Data Integrity: Implement monitoring and basic quality checks to ensure data is accurate and reliable.
- Documentation: Contribute to metadata and data lineage artifacts so the “path” of data is always clear.
Operational Delivery
- Production Support: Help monitor and troubleshoot data pipelines to resolve incidents.
- Agile Collaboration: Participate in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and other Agile delivery ceremonies.
Your Learning Journey
Graduates will follow a structured learning path covering:
- Fundamentals: SQL and data modeling.
- Core Concepts: SCDs (Slowly Changing Dimensions), data quality, and transformation patterns.
- Modern Tech: Exposure to Cloud data platforms and enterprise-scale architectures.
How to Apply
- The Technical Portfolio: While not mandatory, having a basic proficiency in SQL (joins, aggregations, and queries) and an understanding of relational databases will be a significant advantage during the screening process.
- Academic Focus: Ensure your transcripts are clear and highlight strong performance in technical or mathematical modules.
- Reference Number: Keep the Job Ref ID 80451705A-0001 handy for your application.
Career Advice: The Data Engineering Mindset
- Think in “Pipelines”: Data engineering isn’t just about writing code; it’s about building a reliable system. In your interview, show that you care about reliability and quality. It’s better to have a slow pipeline that is 100% accurate than a fast one that contains errors.
- The “Agile” Advantage: Standard Bank mentions Agile and Hybrid delivery. If you haven’t worked in an Agile environment before, familiarize yourself with terms like “Backlog,” “Sprint,” and “User Stories.”
- The Power of SQL: SQL is the “language of data.” Even if you are a Python or Java expert, your ability to manipulate tables and schemas using SQL will be the first thing they test.
Possible Interview Questions
Technical & Data Theory
- “Explain the difference between ETL and ELT. In what business scenario would you choose one over the other?”
- “What is a primary key, and why is data integrity crucial when moving data from an external vendor into a bank’s database?”
Behavioral
- “Data Engineering often involves troubleshooting ‘broken’ pipelines. Tell us about a time you had to solve a complex technical problem under pressure.”