Head of Data Engineer

Reward; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job description

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Head of Data Engineer

Department: Technology

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Belfast

Description

We're seeking a strategic and hands-on Head of Data Engineering to lead our data engineering function through the next phase of our growth. This role will be critical in shaping our data infrastructure, enabling scalable data solutions, and guiding the data engineering team in supporting analytics, AI/ML, and business intelligence across the organisation.

You'll be a leader who thrives on building future-ready data environments and driving best-in-class engineering practices while working closely with cross-functional stakeholders in product, engineering, and the wider business.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead and scale the Data Engineering team, fostering a high-performing, collaborative culture
2. Own the design and implementation of data architecture, pipelines, and platforms across cloud (preferably AWS)
3. Drive the roadmap for our data infrastructure and tooling to support analytics, data science, and product development
4. Collaborate closely with Data Scientists, Analysts, Product Managers, and Engineers to align data solutions with strategic goals
5. Ensure data governance, data quality, and security best practices are upheld across all environments
6. Evaluate new technologies and vendors, leading innovation and process improvement
7. Act as a thought leader in the data space, helping to shape the company's long-range data strategy
8. Provide technical leadership and mentorship across the team, supporting both career development and delivery excellence

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

1. Proven experience leading a data engineering function or large-scale data teams
2. Deep technical knowledge in modern data stack: SQL, Python, Spark, Airflow, DBT, etc.
3. Hands-on experience with cloud data platforms (AWS is a must; GCP or Azure also considered)
4. Strong expertise in data modelling, warehousing (e.g. Redshift, Snowflake), and real-time data processing
5. Solid understanding of data security, privacy, and compliance frameworks
6. Ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions
7. A growth mindset with strong people leadership, coaching, and communication skills
8. Experience in fast-paced environments, ideally within tech, fintech, or scale-ups

Benefits

1. Annual Leave: 25 days + bank holidays
2. Ability to buy and sell holiday days as well as the ability to bank days (tenure dependent)
3. Flexible working options: we are operating a hybrid working model with 3 days a week from the office
4. Pension: Hargreaves Lansdown - 6% matched contribution
5. Employee share scheme
6. Generous family friendly cover
7. Private healthcare - Bupa
8. Income protection
9. Critical illness cover
10. Life insurance cover
11. Dental cover
12. Optical cover
13. Yulife app for access to employee wellbeing and discounts
14. Perks at Work, cashback/discount shopping site
15. Employee referral scheme
16. Salary sacrifice program which includes cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme and season ticket loans
17. Volunteering program
18. Company events i.e. Christmas party, all-company event and other social/hosted events during the year (we have an active social committee!)
19. Team socials