Lead Data Engineer 199727

Harnham; Greater London; On-site; GBP 74,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Senior tech leadership exposure

Shape data engineering function

AI/data products exposure

Clear progression in growth

Job summary

Harnham in London is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to establish and lead the Data Engineering function while remaining hands-on with core data challenges.

You will define standards, mentor a growing team, design scalable ETL/ELT pipelines, and partner with AI/Data Science to productionise models. This role offers exposure to senior technology leadership and a path to shape the data platform in a high-growth SaaS business.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or managing Data Engineering teams.
• Strong SQL and Python development skills.
• Expertise building scalable ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Understanding of data modelling and modern data architecture.
• Experience with Azure, AWS or GCP.
• Knowledge of deployment workflows and CI/CD.

Responsibilities

• Define Data Engineering standards and best practices across the organisation.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a growing team of Data Engineers.
• Design and deliver scalable ETL/ELT pipelines across workloads.
• Own cloud-based data platforms and modern data architecture.
• Drive data modelling improvements and engineering quality.
• Lead CI/CD practices and governance.
• Collaborate with Data Science to productionise ML outputs.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI-enabled tools in the lifecycle.

Skills

Lead Data Engineering

SQL

Python

ETL/ELT pipelines

Data modelling

Cloud platforms

Git & CI/CD

DevOps

Stakeholder management

AI-enabled engineering

Tools

Git

CI/CD

DevOps tooling

Job description

London (4 days per week in the office) | £85,000 + Benefits

This is a rare opportunity to build and lead a Data Engineering function within a rapidly growing AI and data-focused technology business. You'll take ownership of engineering standards, team development, and platform-critical data infrastructure while remaining hands-on with the most impactful technical challenges.

The Company

They are an innovative SaaS organisation that helps businesses transform complex data into actionable insights. Operating across a range of industries, they deliver advanced data and AI solutions that support commercial decision-making and customer growth.

With multiple products already in market and further AI-driven solutions under development, they are investing heavily in their data capabilities as they continue to scale. This is a high-growth environment where technology plays a central role in the company's success.

The Role

As Lead Data Engineer, you will be responsible for establishing and leading the Data Engineering function while working closely with senior stakeholders across technology, product, and data teams.

Key responsibilities include:

• Defining Data Engineering standards, processes, and best practices across the organisation.
• Leading, mentoring, and developing a growing team of Data Engineers.
• Designing and delivering scalable ETL and ELT pipelines across operational, analytical, and AI workloads.
• Taking ownership of cloud-based data platforms and modern data architecture.
• Driving improvements in data modelling, platform performance, and engineering quality.
• Leading CI/CD practices, deployment processes, and engineering governance.
• Collaborating with Data Science and AI teams to productionise machine learning outputs.
• Identifying opportunities to leverage AI-enabled development tools across the engineering lifecycle.
• Implementing monitoring, validation, and governance frameworks to ensure reliable data delivery.

Your Skills & Experience

• Commercial experience leading or managing Data Engineering teams.
• Strong SQL and Python development skills.
• Expertise building and maintaining scalable ETL and ELT pipelines.
• Strong understanding of data modelling and modern data architecture principles.
• Experience working with Azure, AWS and/or GCP cloud platforms.
• Knowledge of Git, CI/CD, DevOps practices, and deployment workflows.
• Experience improving engineering standards, processes, and team capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Interest in AI-enabled engineering practices and modern data platforms.

What They Offer

• Direct exposure to senior technology leadership.
• Opportunity to build and shape an entire Data Engineering function.
• Work on cutting-edge AI and data products with real commercial impact.
• Clear progression opportunities as the business continues to grow and expand.