Senior Engineering Manager - Data

Very Group; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid work

Inclusive culture

Benefits allowance

30 days holiday

LinkedIn Learning access

Bonus potential

Staff discount

Pension match

Job summary

Very Group is seeking an experienced data leader to shape and grow a high-performing data engineering organisation. You will guide multiple engineering leaders, set technical direction, and drive modern practices across cloud-based platforms and data products.

You will partner with Architecture, Product and Technology to balance long-term strategy with delivering value today, while attracting and retaining top talent in a fast-paced retail data environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading large-scale data engineering organisations within modern technology environments (AWS, Teradata, Fivetran, Power BI).
• Proven track record building, developing and inspiring high-performing engineering teams.
• Strong experience delivering data platforms, pipelines and products at scale.
• Hands-on experience in Data Engineering with modern engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple Data Engineering Managers, BI Engineering Managers and Lead Engineers to shape and grow the data engineering function.
• Define and execute the data engineering strategy in collaboration with Architecture, Product and Tech leaders.
• Deliver trusted, scalable data products in partnership with business domains and ensure data access for informed decision-making.
• Drive collaboration across technology, product and business to translate priorities into engineering outcomes.

Skills

Data leadership

People management

Data engineering

AWS

Cloud architecture

BI tooling

Stakeholder mgmt

Tools

AWS

Teradata

Fivetran

Power BI

Job description

About us

We’re the team behind digital retailer Very.

Our purpose, helping families get more out of life, powers everything we do.

And we want our people to get more out of life too! If you’re high-performing, ambitious and make the most of every opportunity, we want to hear from you. In return, you’ll enjoy heaps of flexibility, great perks and benefits, and the freedom to be yourself, keep learning and take your career wherever you want it to go.

If you love making a difference, you’ll love making it sparkle for millions of Very customers.

About the team

The Data team plays a critical role in helping Very unlock the value of its data.

We're responsible for the platforms, pipelines and products that power reporting, analytics, data science, personalisation and decision-making across the Group. Our teams work closely with Product, Architecture, Data Science, Delivery and Business stakeholders to solve complex challenges and deliver real commercial value.

This role sits within the senior leadership team for Data and will work alongside the Head of Data and fellow engineering leaders to shape our strategy, drive modern engineering practices and support the continued evolution of our data ecosystem.

You’ll lead multiple Data Engineering Managers, BI Engineering Managers and Lead Engineers, supporting a wider organisation of around 40 engineers and analysts.

About the role

Leading and growing great engineering teams

Success in this role starts with people.

You’ll create an environment where engineers can thrive, helping leaders and teams develop their skills, progress their careers and deliver great outcomes. You’ll provide clear direction, remove obstacles and foster a culture built on trust, accountability and continuous improvement.

You’ll also play a key role in attracting and retaining top talent, helping us build a diverse, engaged and high-performing engineering organisation.

Shaping our data engineering strategy

You’ll help define the future of data engineering at Very.

Working closely with Architecture, Product and Technology leaders, you’ll set the technical direction for your teams and ensure our platforms continue to evolve to meet the needs of a growing business.

From modernisation initiatives and cloud adoption through to data platform optimisation and technical debt management, you’ll balance long‑term strategic thinking with the practicalities of delivering value today.

Delivering trusted, scalable data products

You’ll be accountable for the delivery of data products in collaboration with the business domains.

Your teams will build solutions that are secure, reliable and scalable by design, ensuring colleagues across Very can access the data they need to make confident decisions.

You’ll champion engineering excellence, helping teams adopt modern practices that improve quality, speed, resilience and operational performance.

Driving collaboration across the business

This role sits at the intersection of technology, product and business strategy.

You’ll build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, helping translate business priorities into clear engineering outcomes. You’ll influence decisions, challenge constructively and ensure our data capabilities continue to support the ambitions of the wider business.

About you

We’re looking for an experienced data leader who combines strong people leadership with deep data engineering expertise.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience leading large-scale data engineering organisations within modern technology environments. (AWS, Teradata, Fivetran, Power BI)

• A track record of building, developing and inspiring high-performing engineering teams.

• Strong experience delivering data platforms, pipelines and products at scale.

• Previous hands‑on experience in Data Engineering, with a strong understanding of modern engineering practices.

• Experience working within Agile, DevSecOps and product‑led delivery environments.

• The ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.

• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to influence at senior levels.

• Experience managing technical debt, engineering roadmaps and platform modernisation initiatives.

• A passion for coaching, mentoring and helping others grow

• Experience with AWS and cloud-based data platforms.

• Teradata, Fivetran and modern data integration tooling.

• Business Intelligence and analytical engineering capabilities.

• Experience in Multi-cloud or complex enterprise data environments.

• Retail, eCommerce, Financial Services or similarly data-rich organisations.

Some of our benefits

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews

• £10,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• LinkedIn Learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities

We’re building a culture of everyday inclusion, and welcome applications from anyone who believes they can do the job. We don’t discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you need reasonable adjustments to apply, interview, or perform a role, let us know via [e-mail]. We’ll be happy to support you.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer and have nine brilliant colleague networks - including DAWN (Disability Awareness at Very) and Think (Neurodiversity at Very) - that are helping us make Very an even more inclusive place to work.