Lead Data Engineer

Experis - ManpowerGroup; Greater London; On-site; GBP 101,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Experis - ManpowerGroup is seeking a Lead Data Engineer in a hybrid London/Reading setting to guide cloud-based data platforms and CI/CD automation. You will mentor engineers while delivering secure, scalable data solutions across the enterprise.

The role focuses on GCP, Terraform IaC, BigQuery, and real-time data integration. Collaboration with architects and stakeholders is essential to drive best practices and optimise data workflows.

Qualifications

• Experience leading data engineering initiatives in cloud environments.
• Strong knowledge of GCP data services and ETL/ELT design.
• Proficiency in Python for data processing.
• Experience with IaC and CI/CD pipelines.
• Data governance, security, and compliance awareness.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of enterprise-scale data pipelines on GCP.
• Develop and maintain ETL/ELT processes and data models.
• Design and manage infrastructure as code with Terraform.
• Build automated deployment pipelines with GitLab CI/CD.
• Optimize BigQuery datasets and analytical workloads.
• Manage Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Cloud Composer.
• Develop Python-based ETL automation tools.
• Mentor engineers and promote best engineering practices.
• Collaborate with architects and stakeholders to deliver secure, scalable data solutions.
• Ensure data quality, governance, security, and compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud data engineering

ETL/ELT design

Python

Data modeling

CI/CD

Data governance

Tools

Terraform

GitLab CI/CD

BigQuery

Cloud Composer

Striim

Ab Initio

Job description

Lead Data Engineer

Key Points

• Location: London Or Reading, Hybrid
• Duration: 12 months
• Rate: Competitive Day Rate, Outside IR35

Overview

This is an opportunity to join a leading organisation undertaking a major cloud transformation and data modernisation programme, delivering enterprise-scale data solutions across a complex technology landscape.

As a Lead Data Engineer, you will provide technical leadership across the design, development, automation, and optimisation of cloud-based data platforms, ensuring secure, scalable, and high-performing solutions are delivered to support business and operational objectives.

Working closely with architects, stakeholders, analysts, and engineering teams, you will drive best practice across data engineering, infrastructure automation, CI/CD, and cloud technologies while mentoring and leading other engineers within the delivery team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of enterprise-scale data engineering solutions within Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Develop and maintain scalable ETL/ELT pipelines, data models, and integration frameworks.
• Design and manage Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform.
• Build and support automated deployment processes through GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
• Design, optimise, and maintain BigQuery datasets, schemas, and analytical workloads.
• Develop and manage Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, and Cloud Composer solutions.
• Develop Python-based ETL applications, automation tools, and data services.
• Implement real-time data integration and Change Data Capture (CDC) solutions using Striim.
• Develop and support ETL workflows and reusable components using Ab Initio.
• Ensure data quality, governance, security, and compliance standards are maintained.
• Monitor platform performance, reliability, and operational efficiency across cloud environments.
• Lead code reviews, mentor engineers, and establish engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable data solutions.
• Support architecture design, technical planning, estimation, and continuous improvement initiatives.