Data and Automation Systems Builder
Johannesburg - South Africa
Job Summary
Location: 100% Remote (Global)
Timezone / Hours: Flexible working hours with a requirement for partial overlap with US business hours (PT/ET) for synchronous team collaboration and meetings.
Engagement Type: Full-Time Independent Contractor
Since 2013 THE/STUDIO has been building the definitive operating system for product creation. We are combining modern SaaS technology with custom manufacturing to make producing physical goods as seamless fast and scalable as launching software.
We operate two core platforms: Customize Now (our best-in-class on-demand manufacturing platform) and Source Anything (our new SaaS product that enables customers to seamlessly work with global factories beyond our own network).
We are a profitable previously Silicon Valley-backed fully remote company and we are not just looking to improve manufacturing we are looking for a visionary operator to help us truly revolutionize the global supply chain.
Were not looking for a traditional data analyst. We dont need someone to sit between our systems and the business interpreting what the numbers mean. We need a builder who can take a stated requirement (we need this tracked alert us when this breaks) and ship it: a dashboard an automated pipeline or a real-time alert.
A significant part of this role is exposing whats already happening across our platforms: tracking when something enters a process when it exits and pinpointing where it gets stuck. This is closer to an automation and systems engineering role than classic business intelligence. You will work alongside our core engineering team and our Automation Engineer to connect clean and automate our entire data ecosystem.
We would rather hire someone scrappy and technical who figures things out (researches builds breaks things and fixes them) than someone with a polished analytics background who needs well-defined problems handed to them.
You will own data across the entire organization. We are actively moving away from static dashboards and toward an AI-powered data engine where team members can type in natural-language queries and the engine automatically fetches processes and analyzes the data in real time.
Ultimately you will build the central data heart of THE/STUDIOa system where automated data-driven decisions execute seamlessly across our operations.
Architect the AI Data Engine: Build toward our long-term vision of an AI-driven natural-language query interface and contribute to automating operational decision-making across the business.
Build Automated Pipelines & Dashboards: Design self-sustaining systems (e.g. Looker/Looker Studio or equivalent BI tools) where metrics populate automatically with zero manual pulling.
Ship End-to-End Solutions Independently: Take raw requirements from managers and build working systems without needing a formal spec or data translator.
Deploy Real-Time Alerting: Build triggers that instantly flag process breakdowns or deviations moving from retrospective reporting to proactive mitigation.
Expose Process Timestamps: Surface stage-by-stage system events (entry/exit timestamps) across our core platforms to identify and fix operational bottlenecks.
Engineer Workflow Automations: Build and maintain automated workflows (e.g. via n8n) linking our raw data sources directly to reporting and alerting tools.
Solve Root-Cause Data Issues: Fix data quality and integrity issues directly at the source.
Leverage AI as a Default: Use modern AI tools as a core build accelerant in your day-to-day workflow.
Document for Enablement: Create clear lightweight documentation so non-technical managers can use and navigate tools independently.
A Builder & Engineer Mindset: You thrive when handed an ambiguous problem navigating it through research experimentation and execution.
Technical Foundation: Hands-on fluency with SQL and cloud data warehouses (e.g. BigQuery or equivalent). Note: This is a foundational baseline not the entire job.
Tooling Proficiency: Deep experience with BI dashboarding (e.g. Looker Studio) and workflow automation platforms (e.g. n8n Make or custom scripts).
End-to-End Ownership: Proven track record of building and deploying functional tools from scratch not just querying existing databases.
AI-First Workflows: Heavy daily reliance on AI tools to accelerate development write code and build system prototypes.
Direct Stakeholder Communication: Comfortable talking directly to business leads to extract requirements without needing formal spec processes.
Our Founder/CEO defines our top performers by three distinct traits. If this describes how you operate you will thrive here:
Raw Intelligence & Problem-Solving: High processing power business acumen and logical reasoning. You can think on your feet connect complex ideas and break down ambiguous problems quickly.
Give a Shit Energy (Extreme Ownership): You take 100% accountability for your domain and outcomes. You dont make excuses or blame external factors. You look inward find solutions and push across the finish line.
Rapid Adaptation & Radical Candor: You embrace blunt constructive feedback and pivot instantly without ego. You excel in a fast-moving environment where you need to act with urgency without waiting for hand-holding.
Flexible & Competitive: We offer competitive outcome-driven compensation packages tailored to the candidates level of impact.
Engagement Type: Full-time exclusive independent contractor role.
Submit Application: IMPORTANT! Please submit your resume/CV in English
Initial Screen: Brief intro chat to evaluate mutual fit communications and expectations.
Hiring Manager Interview: Deep dive into your hard skills past track record and problem-solving approach.
Assessment / Case Study: (If applicable for the role) Practical demonstration of your capabilities.
Final Executive Interview: Conversation with key team members.
Reference Checks: Verification of past performance with former leaders and CEOs.
Note that every role is different so the process may vary depending on the requirements of the role. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive we may not be able to provide feedback to all applications.
THE/STUDIO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive high-performance culture free from discrimination.
About Company
THE/STUDIO is a cutting-edge manufacturing platform designed to help creators brands and organizations seamlessly design and produce custom products. From apparel and accessories to promotional items we make the process easy with low minimum order quantities (MOQs) exceptional quality ... View more