Be at the heart of actionFly remote-controlled drones into enemy territory to gather vital information.

Apply Now

Lead Data Engineer

Holborn and Covent Garden
6 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Lead Data Engineer

Lead Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Governance Manager

Data Engineer

Lead Data Engineer ( Databricks )
London - Hybrid - Remote
Permanent
£100,000 - £130,000 plus up to 20% bonus based on performance and commercial contribution

About the Role

We’re looking for a Lead Data Engineer to spearhead some of our clients most strategic Databricks engagements.

This is a senior client-facing leadership role, blending hands-on technical delivery with architectural design and pre-sales influence.

You'll be leading high-performing squads, guiding complex transformations, and working directly with senior stakeholders to bridge business needs and engineering excellence — particularly in industries like manufacturing, utilities, and aviation.

This is a key hire to support our clients expanding Databricks practice, to build capacity for future growth.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Act as the technical lead on client engagements, owning design and delivery of data solutions in Databricks.

  • Architect robust, scalable data platforms using the medallion architecture.

  • Translate business requirements into scalable workflows, advising on data governance, quality, and security.

  • Design and implement complex data pipelines using tools like Delta Live Tables (DLT) and Unity Catalog.

  • Guide teams in implementing best practices across engineering, DevOps, and model deployment.

  • Support pre-sales activity, including shaping proposals, estimates, and technical roadmaps.

  • Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and oversight to squads of Senior and Associate Engineers.

  • Collaborate closely with Platform Engineers and Platform Architects to align infrastructure with data needs.

  • Contribute to growing the Databricks capability – from delivery frameworks to internal tooling and capability development.

  • Lead a team of data engineers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment.

  • Evaluate new data engineering technologies and strategies, assessing their relevance and fit for the organisation’s strategic goals.

  • Work closely with the commercial team to scope projects and develop proposals that align technical capabilities with client requirements.

    Essential Skills & Experience

  • 8+ years in data engineering, with at least 2+ in a technical leadership role

  • Proven experience designing and leading Databricks-based data platforms

  • Deep understanding of the medallion architecture, data lakehouse design, and transformation workflows

  • Hands-on expertise with DLT, Unity Catalog, and model deployment frameworks

  • Strong communication and consulting skills – able to lead client conversations and manage stakeholders

  • Experience in agile delivery environments and cross-functional teams

  • Commercial awareness – comfortable contributing to pre-sales, growing accounts, and engaging with commercial targets

    Desirable Skills

  • Experience in physical asset-heavy industries (e.g. utilities, manufacturing, aviation)

  • Familiarity with platform and DevOps collaboration, especially on AWS or Azure

  • Certifications in Databricks or cloud platforms (AWS/Azure)

  • Background in consulting or client delivery environments

    Why Join?

  • Join a consultancy that’s doubling down on Databricks with enterprise-grade delivery

  • Be the go-to technical leader on projects with real-world business impact

  • Shape the future of our Databricks workforce strategy and delivery model

  • Career progression into Delivery Lead, Practice Lead, or Pre-Sales Specialist

  • Competitive compensation and strong bonus structure, aligned with delivery and commercial impact

    To find out more about this high profile Lead Data Engineering position, click apply

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Data Engineering Recruitment Trends 2025 (UK): What Job Seekers Need To Know About Today’s Hiring Process

Summary: UK data engineering hiring has shifted from title‑led CV screens to capability‑driven assessments that emphasise reliable pipelines, modern lakehouse/streaming stacks, data contracts & governance, observability, performance/cost discipline & measurable business outcomes. This guide explains what’s changed, what to expect in interviews & how to prepare—especially for platform‑oriented DEs, analytics engineers, streaming specialists, data reliability engineers, DEs supporting AI/ML platforms & data product managers. Who this is for: Data engineers, analytics engineers, streaming engineers, data reliability/SRE, data platform engineers, data product owners, ML/feature‑store engineers & SQL/ELT specialists targeting roles in the UK.

Why Data Engineering Careers in the UK Are Becoming More Multidisciplinary

For many years, data engineering in the UK meant designing pipelines, moving data between systems, and ensuring analysts had what they needed. Today, the field is expanding. With cloud platforms, machine learning, real-time analytics and the explosion of sensitive personal data, employers expect data engineers to do much more. Modern data engineering is no longer just about code and storage. It requires legal awareness, ethical judgement, psychological insight, linguistic clarity and human-centred design. These disciplines shape how data is collected, processed, explained and trusted. In this article, we’ll explore why data engineering careers in the UK are becoming more multidisciplinary, how law, ethics, psychology, linguistics & design now influence job descriptions, and what job-seekers & employers must do to thrive.

Data Engineering Team Structures Explained: Who Does What in a Modern Data Engineering Department

Data has become the lifeblood of modern organisations. Every sector in the UK—finance, healthcare, retail, government, technology—is increasingly relying on insights derived from data to drive decisions, deliver products, and improve operations. But raw data on its own isn’t enough. To make data useful, reliable, secure, and scalable, companies must build strong data engineering teams. If you’re recruiting for data engineering or seeking a role, understanding the structure of such a team and who does what is essential. This article breaks down the typical roles in a modern data engineering department, how they collaborate, required skills and qualifications, expected UK salaries, common challenges, and advice on structuring and growing a data engineering team.