Lead Data Engineer

Howden; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to lead complex data initiatives within an Azure-based data ecosystem.

You will design metadata-driven pipelines, drive best practices, and mentor engineers while collaborating with stakeholders to deliver scalable, secure data solutions that enable business insights and operational efficiencies.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of data engineering experience with a focus on Databricks (SQL & PySpark).
• Extensive Azure data services experience (ADF, ADLS, Azure Functions).
• Proven track record designing metadata-driven data pipelines.
• Deep expertise in orchestration and data workflow automation (Airflow, DBT).
• Strong CI/CD practices for data engineering.
• Infrastructure as code experience (Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates).
• Solid development standards and software engineering practices.
• Experience leading technical design discussions and architectural decisions.
• Strong stakeholder management and translating requirements into data solutions.
• Knowledge of data governance, security and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead metadata ingestion frameworks and orchestration processes.
• Design scalable, metadata-driven services to optimise data pipelines.
• Architect and maintain data solutions using Databricks and Azure services (Autoloader, Spark Declarative Pipelines, ADF, ADLS, Azure Functions, ADLS).
• Establish best practices for data CI/CD pipelines and DevOps for data.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, data scientists, and analysts to translate data needs into solutions.
• Optimize existing pipelines for performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Drive data governance and security practices across projects.
• Lead design and maintenance of ETL processes.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote continuous improvement.

Skills

Databricks (SQL & PySpark)

Azure data services

Orchestration & workflows

CI/CD for data

Infrastructure as code

Data governance & security

Leadership & mentoring

Insurance data knowledge

Tools

Terraform

Bicep

ARM templates

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Job Description

Lead Data Engineer

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Position
Senior Data Engineer to lead and drive forward complex and high-impact data initiatives.

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Summary of the Role

Howden Group Services is expanding its internal data engineering capability and is looking for a highly experienced Senior Data Engineer with deepexpertisein Databricks and Azure data services. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in designing and delivering scalable, metadata-driven data solutions, particularly in metadata ingestion and orchestration processes.

The role requires a strategic thinker who can lead technical design discussions, drive best practices, and mentor junior engineers. The successful candidate will be comfortable managing multiple deliverables, working closely with stakeholders, and implementing robust data solutions to enable business insights and operational efficiencies.

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Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Lead the development of metadata ingestion frameworks and orchestration processes.

• Design and implement scalable and reusable metadata-driven services to optimise data pipelines.

• Architect andmaintainrobust data solutions using Databricks and Azure services (suchasAutoloader, Spark DeclarativePipelinesAzureData Factory (ADF), Azure Functions, and Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS)).).

• Establish and enforce best practices for data engineering, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps for data.

• Collaborate with business stakeholders, data scientists, and analysts to understand data needs and translate them into efficient engineering solutions.

• Optimise and enhance existing data pipelines for performance, reliability, and scalability.

• Drive the adoption of data governance and security best practices.

• Lead the design and maintenance of ETL processes

• Mentor and support junior engineers, sharing best practices and driving a culture of continuous improvement.

Requirements

Candidates should have:

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering with a strong focus on Databricks (SQL &PySpark).

• Extensive experience with Azure data services, including ADF, ADLS, and Azure Functions.

• Proventrack recordof designing and implementing metadata-driven data pipelines.

• Deepexpertisein orchestration and data workflow automatione.g. Airflow, DBT.

• Strong understanding of CI/CD practices for data engineering.

• Experience with infrastructure as code (Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates) (preferred).

• Solid development and coding standards, with experience in software engineering best practices.

• Experience leading technical design discussions and driving architectural decisions.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate business requirements into data solutions.

• Knowledge of data governance, security, and compliance best practices.

• Experience working with insurance data (notessential, butpreferred).

This role is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Data Engineer who wants to take on a leadership role, influence best practices, and drive high-impact data initiatives in a modern Azure-based data ecosystem.

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What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you’re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent