Lead Data Platform Engineer

JR United Kingdom; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is looking for a Lead Data Platform Engineer to spearhead the design and implementation of cutting-edge data platforms. This hybrid role offers the opportunity to lead engineering teams while engaging in strategic discussions about platform evolution and best practices. You'll bring your extensive experience in software engineering and cloud-native architectures, particularly with Databricks and Terraform, to ensure the delivery of resilient and compliant solutions. Join a dynamic team where your leadership will drive significant digital transformation initiatives and shape the future of data engineering.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software/systems engineering roles with leadership experience.
• Proven track record with Databricks and cloud-native architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of cloud-native data platforms.
• Mentor engineers and ensure engineering excellence across projects.

Skills

Software Engineering

Databricks

Cloud-Native Architecture

Terraform

CI/CD

DevSecOps

Cloud Security

Networking Principles

Digital Transformation

Education

Degree in Computer Science

MSc in Software Engineering

Tools

Databricks

Terraform

Jira

Confluence

Job description

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? UK-Based | Hybrid / Flexible Working

We’re working with a top-tier consultancy delivering large-scale data and digital transformation across regulated industries. They are seeking a Lead Data Platform Engineer to take ownership of the design, build, and leadership of modern data platforms, with a strong focus on Databricks and cloud-native tooling.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role — ideal for someone who’s equally comfortable designing robust data architectures, leading engineering teams, and engaging in strategic conversations around delivery, best practices, and platform evolution.

? Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of production-grade, cloud-native data platforms
• Work across multiple concurrent projects, setting direction and ensuring engineering excellence
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including involvement in pre-sales and delivery estimation (>£1m)
• Embed best practices for data engineering workflows using Databricks and IaC
• Ensure platforms meet resilience, recovery, security, and compliance standards
• Mentor engineers and contribute to capability growth across the team

What You’ll Bring

• 10+ years in software/systems engineering roles
• 2+ years hands-on with Databricks (Professional-level certified)
• Proven track record leading engineering teams and delivering complex platforms
• Strong experience with Terraform and infrastructure-as-code best practices
• Background in designing both cloud-native and hybrid data architectures
• Solid understanding of cloud security, networking, and DR principles
• Experience working on major digital transformation or IT consolidation programmes
• Cloud-native services: e.g. GCP (Dataflow, BigQuery), Azure, or AWS equivalents
• Jira, Confluence
• CI/CD and DevSecOps best practices

? Certifications (Preferred)

• Databricks Certified Professional (Data or ML Engineer), ideally also Architect-level
• Cloud architecture certification (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Degree or MSc in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or similar