Lead Data Engineer (1F8F692)

Referment; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Referment is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to shape a governed, high-quality data foundation in a regulated fintech environment. You will lead the semantic and MCP layers, design transformations, and translate metrics into defined, auditable data models.

The role emphasizes data quality automation, analytics collaboration, and mentoring engineers in a remote-first setup suitable for global work arrangements.

Qualifications

• Expert-level SQL, BigQuery, dbt and Python with data pipelines experience.
• Experience with semantic layer, MCP and AI coding tools.
• Strong engineering practices with maintainable, tested code.

Responsibilities

• Lead build-out of semantic and MCP layers and design data transformations.
• Translate business metrics into clear, governed definitions with stakeholders.
• Implement automated data quality checks and contribute to dashboards.
• Drive data governance in FCA-regulated environment and ensure audit trails.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to the team.

Skills

SQL

BigQuery

dbt

Python

data pipelines

semantic layer

MCP

AI tooling (Claude Code)

analytics agents

Agile / Git

stakeholder communication

fintech / regulated data

Tools

Claude Code

Analytics agents

Job description

Referment is working with a UK online mortgage broker that combines human expertise with AI across the full customer journey, part of a larger group of well-known UK comparison and financial brands. Data is the foundation the business is built on, and this role sits at the centre of making that data trustworthy, governed and usable.

The Role

As Lead Data Engineer, you will report into the Head of Data and work alongside analysts, analytics engineers, data scientists and cross-functional product teams. You will drive the build-out of the semantic and MCP layers, design data transformations from raw ingestion into well-structured models, and translate business metrics into clear, governed definitions in partnership with stakeholders. You will implement automated checks that ensure data quality, contribute to internal dashboards, and drive data quality and governance in an FCA-regulated environment where accurate audit trails are a regulatory requirement. You will also provide technical leadership, champion best practices, foster adoption of new technologies and mentor less senior members of the team.

What We're Looking For

• Expert-level SQL, BigQuery, dbt and Python, with experience of data pipelines and modern ingestion and transformation patterns
• Familiarity with modern data architecture, including building out a semantic layer and working with MCP, and experience with AI coding tools such as Claude Code and analytics agents
• Strong engineering principles and writing maintainable, tested code, with a solid Agile and Git background
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A fintech or regulated financial services background; experience with AI/LLM infrastructure, event-driven architectures or real-time data is a plus

The team is remote-first, with the option to work from anywhere in the world for up to 22 days a year. This could suit a data engineer who has grown into technical leadership and enjoys shaping a governed, high-quality data foundation in a regulated fintech, rather than only building pipelines. #Referment