Salary: £70,000 - 90,000 per year Requirements:

We are looking for an experienced Data Engineer who has built and operated complete data platforms rather than solely delivering individual components.
Experience across batch data processing, ELT and orchestration.
Experience with modern streaming technologies such as Flink or comparable platforms.
Experience with AWS data services, including S3, Lambda, Glue, Athena, Kinesis and RDS.
Experience with infrastructure as code using Terraform.
Experience with CI/CD and automated testing.
Experience with lakehouse architecture and open table formats such as Iceberg.
Experience with medallion architecture and dimensional data modelling.
Strong SQL and Python skills.
Experience with SQL Server, SSIS/SSDT and Power BI.
Experience with semantic layers, common metrics and data glossaries.
Experience with data governance, lineage, retention, classification and auditability.
Experience managing and developing a small technical team.
Comfortable using advanced AI coding assistants, such as Claude Code or equivalent tools, to improve engineering productivity while maintaining high standards of quality, governance and security.
Desirable experience in a regulated environment.
Desirable experience with PySpark for large-scale data transformations.
Desirable experience migrating legacy data estates to lakehouse or metadata-driven architectures.
Desirable experience with Customer Data Platforms or event-driven systems.
Desirable experience with data-quality tools such as dbt tests or Great Expectations.
Desirable experience with MCP servers or governed natural-language data interfaces.
Desirable experience with financial crime, fraud or regulatory-reporting data.
Desirable experience with Power BI administration and semantic modelling.

Responsibilities:

Own the reliability, security and ongoing development of the data platform.
Modernise the existing SQL Server, SSIS/SSDT and Power BI environment.
Develop scalable batch and real-time data-processing solutions.
Lead the design of a Customer Data Platform.
Build and evolve a lakehouse architecture using AWS technologies.
Create governed semantic models, consistent metrics and clear data definitions.
Enable secure, self-service data analysis using modern AI tooling.
Automate manual, repetitive or fragile data processes.
Support BI, Data Science, Machine Learning and Applied AI teams.
Take ownership of data governance, security, monitoring and platform costs.
Line-manage, develop and help grow the Data Engineering team.
Work closely with technical, operational and senior business stakeholders.

Technologies:

AI
AWS
Lambda
Business Intelligence
CI/CD
Claude Code
Flink
Support
Machine Learning
MCP
Power BI
Python
PySpark
SQL
Security
SSIS
Terraform
dbt
Cloud

More:

We are an established organisation offering a hands-on Lead Data Engineer opportunity in Manchester on a hybrid working pattern, with a salary circa £85K. This is an influential role where we want someone to take ownership of our existing data estate and lead the development of a modern, scalable data platform. You will help build a platform supporting Business Intelligence, Data Science and Applied AI, introduce modern batch and real-time data-processing capabilities, automate inefficient processes and make trusted data more accessible across the organisation. Alongside remaining technically hands-on, you will manage and develop a small team of Data Engineers, with the scope to shape how data and AI are used across the organisation.

last updated 40 week of 2026

Lead Data Engineer - AWS / AI / SQL

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