🧭 Build and own our Data function across data readiness, modelling, and insights🤝 Hands-on leadership role reporting to the CTO and working closely with the leadership team🔁 Partner across product, marketing, and operational analytics to connect them into a broader business intelligence capability 📍 V&A Waterfront, Cape Town (hybrid)LekkeSlaap is South Africa’s leading accommodation booking app, known for its user-friendliness, exceptional customer experience, and extensive local accommodation options. Owned by Tripco, a travel technology company based in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, LekkeSlaap is committed to innovation, best-in-class customer service, and setting new standards in travel technology.As Head of Data at Tripco, you’ll build and own our Data function, taking accountability for how data is made ready, modelled, and turned into insight across the business. You’ll report directly to the CTO, working company-wide to ensure data is trusted, decision-ready, and translated into practical commercial value.This is a hands-on, player-coach leadership role: you’ll lead and develop the team while staying close to the most important data work yourself. You should be comfortable moving between business questions, stakeholder alignment, analytical problem-solving, and building the structure a lean, fast-moving team needs for data to scale as a company capability.You’ll work closely across product analytics, marketing analytics, and operational analytics, helping connect these areas into a broader business intelligence capability, and partner with Product and Engineering so data supports product development, measurement, and technical direction. Engineering, in turn, supports the function with data access and tooling.You'll also make smart use of AI and automation to work more effectively yourself and to help your team do the same, bringing a curious, practical mindset to how these tools can improve data work, analysis, and day-to-day decision-making.Our EnvironmentYou’ll work across a varied data, analytics, and business environment, likely including:Business Intelligence & Reporting: BI tools, dashboards, recurring reporting, and ad hoc analysisData & Analytics: SQL-based data sources, digital analytics, booking and commercial performance dataMarketing & Growth: Google Analytics / GA4, campaign and funnel performance, channel and conversion insightAI, Data & Automation: Active use of AI-driven tools, automation, and data-informed solutions to improve internal processes, analytical workflows, and business decision-makingCross-functional collaboration: Close partnership with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Operations and other business units to translate business priorities into a practical data roadmapResponsibilitiesOwn the Data Function: Build and own Tripco's Data function across data readiness, data modelling, and data insights, establishing the structure, standards, and ways of working it needs to scale.Data Strategy & Direction: Shape the company’s data direction and turn business needs into a practical roadmap, bringing data and commercial insight into company-level planning and surfacing key opportunities and risks to leadership.Business Insight & Analysis: Translate complex data into clear insight that drives real decisions across commercial, customer, product, and operational areas, proactively flagging trends, opportunities, and risks rather than only reporting on request.Data Readiness & Modelling: Improve the quality, consistency, and usability of data, and develop the data models that make information reliable and ready for reporting and analysis.Data Integrity & Trust: Establish and improve confidence in key business metrics by identifying inconsistencies, gaps, and risks in reporting, tracking, and data definitions.Stakeholder Engagement: Partner closely with leaders and teams across the business, Product, Marketing, and Operations, and work with Engineering for data access and tooling, understanding needs, prioritising work, and communicating clearly.Roadmap & Prioritisation: Balance short-term requests with longer-term capability building, prioritising firmly for impact and keeping the function lean rather than over-engineered.Team Leadership & Growth: Lead, support, and develop the data function as it establishes, growing the team and capability over time as the business scales.Smart Use of AI: Use AI and automation to raise your own and your team's effectiveness, and champion a practical, forward-looking approach to new tools.Documentation: Maintain clear, practical documentation around key metrics, reporting logic, definitions, governance principles, and analytical context.Continuous Improvement: Contribute to stronger practices, better systems, and a more data-informed culture across the business.RequirementsBehavioural competenciesCollaboration: Thrives in a highly cross-functional environment, building strong partnerships across technical and non-technical teams and creating alignment around shared goals.Commercial curiosity: Thinks beyond reporting and naturally looks for ways data and AI can create real business value.Strategic thinking: Can see the bigger picture, balance priorities, and connect day-to-day data work to broader business goals.Problem-solving mindset: Approaches challenges with a practical, doer mentality, balancing analysis, judgment, and hands-on execution.Adaptability: Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment, working through ambiguity, and evolving approaches as the business and technology landscape change.Urgency & ownership: Takes initiative, manages competing priorities well, and creates momentum around important data and AI work.Continuous learning: Proactively keeps skills and knowledge current, with a strong interest in emerging practices across analytics, AI, automation, and business enablement.Attention to quality: Committed to producing work, frameworks, and decisions that are thoughtful, reliable, and trusted by the business.Functional experience & competencies5+ years of proven experience in data, business intelligence, analytics, or insights, ideally including function-shaping responsibilityExperience building or leading a data, BI, or analytics function, including leading a team or capability over timeStrong SQL capability and comfortable staying hands-on as a senior contributor on complex analysis and data modellingExperience with data modelling and structuring data for reliable, consistent reporting and analysisExperience translating data into business action, with strong examples of influencing decisions through insight, analysis, and stakeholder partnershipExperience shaping reporting, analytics, or data practices in a way that improves business trust, clarity, and usefulnessStrong understanding of commercial and digital performance data, including customer behaviour, funnel performance, campaign effectiveness, and operational metricsExperience working cross-functionally with teams such as Product, Engineering, Marketing, and leadershipAbility to improve data readiness and governance, including clearer definitions, better consistency, and stronger foundations for decision-making and scaleStrong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to simplify complexity and build confidence across different audiencesGenuinely AI-forward, keen to use AI tools and automation to improve your own and your team's workflows, analysis, and decision-makingBonus if you have:Experience in travel, e-commerce, hospitality, marketplaces, or other high-volume consumer environmentsExperience with Google Analytics / GA4, digital tracking, and performance analysisExposure to data warehousing or platform thinking, and experience working closely with more technical data or engineering teamsUnderstanding of data privacy, governance, and access principles in a business environmentBenefitsHybrid work model & flexible start timesFree lunch when in officeModern offices based at the V&A WaterfrontShowers on siteTravel vouchers and discountsDiscovery medical aid contributions & Vitality Health membershipRetirement annuity contributionsHigh-end laptops and workstation setup, both in-office and at homeGenerous leave packageHalf-day off every monthRegular company-wide initiatives and more!
🧭 Build and own our Data function across data readiness, modelling, and insights
🤝 Hands-on leadership role reporting to the CTO and working closely with the leadership team
🔁 Partner across product, marketing, and operational analytics to connect them into a broader business intelligence capability
📍 V&A Waterfront, Cape Town (hybrid)
LekkeSlaap is South Africa’s leading accommodation booking app, known for its user-friendliness, exceptional customer experience, and extensive local accommodation options. Owned by Tripco, a travel technology company based in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, LekkeSlaap is committed to innovation, best-in-class customer service, and setting new standards in travel technology.
As Head of Data at Tripco, you’ll build and own our Data function, taking accountability for how data is made ready, modelled, and turned into insight across the business. You’ll report directly to the CTO, working company-wide to ensure data is trusted, decision-ready, and translated into practical commercial value.
This is a hands-on, player-coach leadership role: you’ll lead and develop the team while staying close to the most important data work yourself. You should be comfortable moving between business questions, stakeholder alignment, analytical problem-solving, and building the structure a lean, fast-moving team needs for data to scale as a company capability.
You’ll work closely across product analytics, marketing analytics, and operational analytics, helping connect these areas into a broader business intelligence capability, and partner with Product and Engineering so data supports product development, measurement, and technical direction. Engineering, in turn, supports the function with data access and tooling.
You'll also make smart use of AI and automation to work more effectively yourself and to help your team do the same, bringing a curious, practical mindset to how these tools can improve data work, analysis, and day-to-day decision-making.
Our Environment
You’ll work across a varied data, analytics, and business environment, likely including:
- Business Intelligence & Reporting: BI tools, dashboards, recurring reporting, and ad hoc analysis
- Data & Analytics: SQL-based data sources, digital analytics, booking and commercial performance data
- Marketing & Growth: Google Analytics / GA4, campaign and funnel performance, channel and conversion insight
- AI, Data & Automation: Active use of AI-driven tools, automation, and data-informed solutions to improve internal processes, analytical workflows, and business decision-making
- Cross-functional collaboration: Close partnership with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Operations and other business units to translate business priorities into a practical data roadmap
Responsibilities
- Own the Data Function: Build and own Tripco's Data function across data readiness, data modelling, and data insights, establishing the structure, standards, and ways of working it needs to scale.
- Data Strategy & Direction: Shape the company’s data direction and turn business needs into a practical roadmap, bringing data and commercial insight into company-level planning and surfacing key opportunities and risks to leadership.
- Business Insight & Analysis: Translate complex data into clear insight that drives real decisions across commercial, customer, product, and operational areas, proactively flagging trends, opportunities, and risks rather than only reporting on request.
- Data Readiness & Modelling: Improve the quality, consistency, and usability of data, and develop the data models that make information reliable and ready for reporting and analysis.
- Data Integrity & Trust: Establish and improve confidence in key business metrics by identifying inconsistencies, gaps, and risks in reporting, tracking, and data definitions.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Partner closely with leaders and teams across the business, Product, Marketing, and Operations, and work with Engineering for data access and tooling, understanding needs, prioritising work, and communicating clearly.
- Roadmap & Prioritisation: Balance short-term requests with longer-term capability building, prioritising firmly for impact and keeping the function lean rather than over-engineered.
- Team Leadership & Growth: Lead, support, and develop the data function as it establishes, growing the team and capability over time as the business scales.
- Smart Use of AI: Use AI and automation to raise your own and your team's effectiveness, and champion a practical, forward-looking approach to new tools.
- Documentation: Maintain clear, practical documentation around key metrics, reporting logic, definitions, governance principles, and analytical context.
- Continuous Improvement: Contribute to stronger practices, better systems, and a more data-informed culture across the business.
Requirements
Behavioural competencies
- Collaboration: Thrives in a highly cross-functional environment, building strong partnerships across technical and non-technical teams and creating alignment around shared goals.
- Commercial curiosity: Thinks beyond reporting and naturally looks for ways data and AI can create real business value.
- Strategic thinking: Can see the bigger picture, balance priorities, and connect day-to-day data work to broader business goals.
- Problem-solving mindset: Approaches challenges with a practical, doer mentality, balancing analysis, judgment, and hands-on execution.
- Adaptability: Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment, working through ambiguity, and evolving approaches as the business and technology landscape change.
- Urgency & ownership: Takes initiative, manages competing priorities well, and creates momentum around important data and AI work.
- Continuous learning: Proactively keeps skills and knowledge current, with a strong interest in emerging practices across analytics, AI, automation, and business enablement.
- Attention to quality: Committed to producing work, frameworks, and decisions that are thoughtful, reliable, and trusted by the business.
Functional experience & competencies
- 5+ years of proven experience in data, business intelligence, analytics, or insights, ideally including function-shaping responsibility
- Experience building or leading a data, BI, or analytics function, including leading a team or capability over time
- Strong SQL capability and comfortable staying hands-on as a senior contributor on complex analysis and data modelling
- Experience with data modelling and structuring data for reliable, consistent reporting and analysis
- Experience translating data into business action, with strong examples of influencing decisions through insight, analysis, and stakeholder partnership
- Experience shaping reporting, analytics, or data practices in a way that improves business trust, clarity, and usefulness
- Strong understanding of commercial and digital performance data, including customer behaviour, funnel performance, campaign effectiveness, and operational metrics
- Experience working cross-functionally with teams such as Product, Engineering, Marketing, and leadership
- Ability to improve data readiness and governance, including clearer definitions, better consistency, and stronger foundations for decision-making and scale
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to simplify complexity and build confidence across different audiences
- Genuinely AI-forward, keen to use AI tools and automation to improve your own and your team's workflows, analysis, and decision-making
Bonus if you have:
- Experience in travel, e-commerce, hospitality, marketplaces, or other high-volume consumer environments
- Experience with Google Analytics / GA4, digital tracking, and performance analysis
- Exposure to data warehousing or platform thinking, and experience working closely with more technical data or engineering teams
- Understanding of data privacy, governance, and access principles in a business environment
Benefits
- Hybrid work model & flexible start times
- Free lunch when in office
- Modern offices based at the V&A Waterfront
- Showers on site
- Travel vouchers and discounts
- Discovery medical aid contributions & Vitality Health membership
- Retirement annuity contributions
- High-end laptops and workstation setup, both in-office and at home
- Generous leave package
- Half-day off every month
- Regular company-wide initiatives and more!
LekkeSlaap is South Africa's leading accommodation booking platform, helping travellers discover and book great places to stay with confidence. From guesthouses and self-catering cottages to hotels, lodges and camping, our goal is simple: make travel easier, more trustworthy, and more enjoyable.Today, our platform features more than 40 000 properties, and we're proud to be building a homegrown South African technology brand that's trusted by millions of travellers.LekkeSlaap is a proud product of Tripco, which supports the business through shared technology, platforms, and specialist teams. While you'll hear both names, we operate as one team with a shared vision, shared culture, and shared ways of working.Our cultureWe're a collaborative, people-first business that values trust, ownership, and direct communication.People are encouraged to take initiative, share ideas, and work closely across teams to solve meaningful problems. We believe the best ideas come from collaboration, regardless of role or seniority.We're professional without being overly corporate. We work hard, move quickly, and care deeply about what we build, but we also make time for the human side of work. From company-wide initiatives and themed office days to team lunches and social events, we believe work should be a place people genuinely enjoy coming to.Who thrives here?People who enjoy working at LekkeSlaap are often:Comfortable taking ownershipCurious and eager to learnCollaborative team playersCustomer-focused problem solversAdaptable in a fast-moving environmentOpen to giving and receiving feedbackIf you enjoy making an impact, working with great people, and helping build a proudly South African technology company, you'll probably feel right at home.FAQ'sWhat is Tripco?Tripco is the team behind LekkeSlaap, supporting the business through shared technology, platforms, and specialist teams. While you'll hear both names, we operate as one connected ecosystem with shared leadership, culture, and ways of working.Does LekkeSlaap offer benefits?Yes, we do. A detailed overview of our benefits will be shared during the interview process. You can also refer to the original job advert on our careers page for a summary of the benefits applicable to the role.What should I wear to my interview?Business casual is perfect. We're fairly relaxed as a company, but we'd like you to feel confident and comfortable.What should I bring to the interview?Just yourself, your curiosity, and any questions you'd like to ask.If you're attending an interview in person, please bring your ID, as we may begin the background verification process during your visit.How long does the interview process take?The interview process varies depending on the role, but we'll always keep you informed about what comes next. Someone from the hiring team will explain the expected process and timelines during your interviews.When will I hear back?We aim to keep candidates updated as quickly as possible after each stage. Someone from the hiring team will let you know when to expect feedback.What kind of culture can I expect?Our culture is built around trust, ownership, and collaboration.We encourage open communication, value initiative, and believe people do their best work when they're trusted and supported. We work hard, celebrate wins together, and make room for fun along the way.Is LekkeSlaap a strict or corporate company?We're professional in how we work, but our environment is approachable, collaborative, and down to earth. You'll find open conversations, cross-functional teamwork, and plenty of opportunities to get involved beyond your day-to-day role.Do you offer hybrid or remote work?This depends on the role. Some positions are hybrid, while others are office-based or fully remote. Someone from the hiring team will discuss the working arrangement specific to the role you're applying for.What makes LekkeSlaap different?We're building a proudly South African technology company with real impact. As a relatively small business compared to global travel platforms, individuals have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully, work closely with decision-makers, and see the direct impact of their work on both our customers and the business.What are you looking for in a candidate?Beyond the technical skills required for the role, we look for people who demonstrate ownership, curiosity, a willingness to learn, and a collaborative mindset. We're interested in how you approach problems, communicate with others, and contribute to a team just as much as your experience.
LekkeSlaap is South Africa's leading accommodation booking platform, helping travellers discover and book great places to stay with confidence. From guesthouses and self-catering cottages to hotels, lodges and camping, our goal is simple: make travel easier, more trustworthy, and more enjoyable.
Today, our platform features more than 40 000 properties, and we're proud to be building a homegrown South African technology brand that's trusted by millions of travellers.
LekkeSlaap is a proud product of Tripco, which supports the business through shared technology, platforms, and specialist teams. While you'll hear both names, we operate as one team with a shared vision, shared culture, and shared ways of working.
Our culture
We're a collaborative, people-first business that values trust, ownership, and direct communication.
People are encouraged to take initiative, share ideas, and work closely across teams to solve meaningful problems. We believe the best ideas come from collaboration, regardless of role or seniority.
We're professional without being overly corporate. We work hard, move quickly, and care deeply about what we build, but we also make time for the human side of work. From company-wide initiatives and themed office days to team lunches and social events, we believe work should be a place people genuinely enjoy coming to.
Who thrives here?
People who enjoy working at LekkeSlaap are often:
- Comfortable taking ownership
- Curious and eager to learn
- Collaborative team players
- Customer-focused problem solvers
- Adaptable in a fast-moving environment
- Open to giving and receiving feedback
If you enjoy making an impact, working with great people, and helping build a proudly South African technology company, you'll probably feel right at home.
FAQ's
- What is Tripco?
- Tripco is the team behind LekkeSlaap, supporting the business through shared technology, platforms, and specialist teams. While you'll hear both names, we operate as one connected ecosystem with shared leadership, culture, and ways of working.
- Does LekkeSlaap offer benefits?
- Yes, we do.
- A detailed overview of our benefits will be shared during the interview process. You can also refer to the original job advert on our careers page for a summary of the benefits applicable to the role.
- What should I wear to my interview?
- Business casual is perfect. We're fairly relaxed as a company, but we'd like you to feel confident and comfortable.
- What should I bring to the interview?
- Just yourself, your curiosity, and any questions you'd like to ask.
- If you're attending an interview in person, please bring your ID, as we may begin the background verification process during your visit.
- How long does the interview process take?
- The interview process varies depending on the role, but we'll always keep you informed about what comes next. Someone from the hiring team will explain the expected process and timelines during your interviews.
- When will I hear back?
- We aim to keep candidates updated as quickly as possible after each stage. Someone from the hiring team will let you know when to expect feedback.
- What kind of culture can I expect?
- Our culture is built around trust, ownership, and collaboration.
- We encourage open communication, value initiative, and believe people do their best work when they're trusted and supported. We work hard, celebrate wins together, and make room for fun along the way.
- Is LekkeSlaap a strict or corporate company?
- We're professional in how we work, but our environment is approachable, collaborative, and down to earth. You'll find open conversations, cross-functional teamwork, and plenty of opportunities to get involved beyond your day-to-day role.
- Do you offer hybrid or remote work?
- This depends on the role. Some positions are hybrid, while others are office-based or fully remote. Someone from the hiring team will discuss the working arrangement specific to the role you're applying for.
- What makes LekkeSlaap different?
- We're building a proudly South African technology company with real impact. As a relatively small business compared to global travel platforms, individuals have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully, work closely with decision-makers, and see the direct impact of their work on both our customers and the business.
- What are you looking for in a candidate?
- Beyond the technical skills required for the role, we look for people who demonstrate ownership, curiosity, a willingness to learn, and a collaborative mindset. We're interested in how you approach problems, communicate with others, and contribute to a team just as much as your experience.
