Data Engineering Lead

ICAEW; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical Insurance

24 days' holiday

Option to buy/sell extra days

Wellbeing support

Job summary

ICAEW in Milton Keynes is seeking a Data Engineering Lead to provide technical leadership for data platforms and a small team. You will balance hands-on development with mentoring two engineers and work closely with analytics, governance and wider Technology teams.

The ideal candidate will have a strong Microsoft-first data engineering background, experience delivering complex pipelines, and a passion for secure, scalable architectures in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading data engineering delivery in a Microsoft-first environment (Azure).
• Hands-on experience building and managing ETL/ELT pipelines, data lakes and data warehouses in cloud.
• Proficient in Python and SQL; Scala or R advantageous.
• Experience with data orchestration and workflow tools such as Airflow or Azure Data Factory.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop the data engineering team, ensuring delivery of robust pipelines and platforms.
• Manage delivery of data engineering projects, aligned to ICAEW's transformation programme.
• Define and enforce engineering standards, patterns and best practices across the team.
• Design scalable data architectures including data lakes, warehouses and integration layers.
• Ensure data is accessible, well-structured and compliant with governance, quality and security requirements.
• Collaborate with Data Analytics & Insights Lead to align engineering and analytics capabilities.

Skills

Data engineering

Azure Data Factory

Databricks

Synapse

ETL/ELT

Python

SQL

Data lakes

Data warehouses

Airflow

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Databricks

Synapse

Azure Data Lake

Airflow

Job description

At The Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales (ICAEW), you'll be part of an organisation that's shaping the future of business, finance and the accountancy profession on a global scale. Our bold Direction 2030 strategy puts members, innovation, sustainability and trust at the heart of everything we do; creating an exciting, forward looking environment where your work has real impact. We invest in our people through our benefits package, continuous development and a supportive, inclusive culture that empowers you to grow and thrive. If you're looking for a role with purpose, influence and opportunity, ICAEW is a place where your future can truly take shape.

We're looking for a Data Engineering Lead to join our team in Milton Keynes on a permanent basis. This role offers a salary of £75,000 - £85,000 per annum with a hybrid working pattern.

ICAEW is evolving the way it manages and uses data by modernising how data is ingested, modelled and shared across the organisation. This work will help improve analytics, reporting and decision‑making across a wide range of business areas.

As Data Engineering Lead, you will provide technical leadership for ICAEW's data engineering capability, combining hands‑on engineering with the leadership of a small team of two data engineers. Working closely with the Data Analytics & Reporting team, Data Architect, Data Governance Manager and wider Technology colleagues, you will establish and embed best practice in data engineering, ensuring data platforms, pipelines and models are secure, scalable and fit for purpose.

What you will be doing:

• Lead, mentor and develop the data engineering team, ensuring delivery of robust, reliable pipelines and platforms
• Manage delivery of data engineering projects, ensuring timely outputs aligned to ICAEW's transformation programme
• Define and enforce engineering standards, patterns and best practices across the team
• Design and implement scalable data architectures including data lakes, warehouses and integration layers
• Ensure data is accessible, well‑structured and compliant with governance, quality and security requirements
• Work as a peer to the Data Analytics & Insights Lead, ensuring engineering and analytics capability develop in step with each other

What you will need:

• Substantial experience in data engineering, with a previous role in a lead or senior engineering capacity
• Proven track record leading data engineering delivery within a Microsoft‑first environment - Azure Data Factory, Databricks, Synapse, Azure Data Lake
• Hands‑on experience building and managing ETL/ELT pipelines, data lakes and data warehouses in a cloud environment
• Proficient in Python and SQL, familiarity with Scala or R advantageous
• Experience with data orchestration and workflow management tooling such as Azure Data Factory or Airflow

Please see full job description attached.

What you can expect from us

We believe doing your best work starts with feeling supported both professionally and personally. That's why we offer a range of benefits designed to give you flexibility, security, and peace of mind:

• Private Medical Insurance
• 24 days' holiday, and the option to buy or sell extra days
• Everyday savings through gym discounts, travel loans, and retail perks
• Enhanced family leave, including up to 6 months on full pay
• Ongoing wellbeing support, including access to CABA
• A paid day each year to volunteer for a cause that matters to you

Additional Information

Who We Are

Diversity & Inclusion

Governance