Lead Data Engineer

The Opportunity

Shape the future of large-scale data engineering. Join a 100% data driven company where engineering excellence meets impactful delivery. Reporting to the Head of Data Engineering, you'll lead technical strategy, hands-on solutioning, and a talented team all while driving one of the UK’s most ambitious digital transformation programmes.

What You’ll Do

Lead with Purpose
Set technical direction and contribute directly to architecture and high-quality code

Mentor and Elevate
Guide a blended team of permanent staff and contractors, promoting engineering excellence

Strategic Ownership
Drive the technical roadmap and align delivery with wider business objectives

Champion Engineering Quality
Embed best practices in cloud optimisation, automation, and scalable development

Stakeholder Collaboration
Partner across teams and with customers to deliver robust, high-value data solutions

About You

You're a technically strong, strategic leader with deep experience and a hands-on approach. You bring:

• A track record of scaling and leading data engineering initiatives
• Excellent coding skills (e.g. Python, Java, Spark, PySpark, Scala)
• Strong AWS expertise and cloud-based data processing
• Advanced SQL/database skills
• Delivery management and mentoring abilities

Highly Desirable:

• Familiarity with tools like AWS Glue, Azure Data Factory, Databricks (desirable)
• Experience with geospatial datasets and tools (e.g. QGIS, FME)

Here at Southern Lights, we strive to create an inclusive environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to contribute fully. Our recruitment practices are designed to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race, colour, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, or socioeconomic background.