Lead Data Engineer

Howden Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

Howden Group is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to lead complex data initiatives using Databricks and Azure data services. The role focuses on metadata ingestion, orchestration, and scalable data pipelines to enable business insights.

The candidate will design robust data solutions, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with stakeholders to drive best practices and governance across data platforms.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing metadata-driven data pipelines.
• Deep expertise in orchestration and data workflow automation e.g. Airflow, DBT.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD practices for data engineering.
• Experience with infrastructure as code (Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates).
• 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 and ability to translate business requirements into data solutions.
• Knowledge of data governance, security, and compliance best practices.

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 (ADF, ADLS, Azure Functions).
• Establish CI/CD pipelines and DevOps for data engineering.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, data scientists, and analysts to translate data needs into solutions.
• Optimise existing data pipelines for performance and scalability.
• Drive data governance and security best practices.
• Lead ETL design and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Databricks (SQL & PySpark)

Azure data services

Airflow

DBT

CI/CD for data

Terraform

Bicep/ARM

Stakeholder management

Data governance

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.

Position

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

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 deep expertise in 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of metadata ingestion frameworks and orchestration processes.
• Design and implement scalable and reusable metadata‑driven services to optimise data pipelines.
• Architect and maintain robust data solutions using Databricks and Azure services (such as Autoloader, Spark Declarative Pipelines Azure Data 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

• 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.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing metadata‑driven data pipelines.
• Deep expertise in orchestration and data workflow automation e.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 (not essential, but preferred).

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*.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations.

Permanent

Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.