Lead Data Engineer

About The Role

Job level: 10

We're looking for a Lead Data Engineer to join our Data Engineering and Analytics practice.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the design, development, management and optimisation of data pipelines to ensure efficient data flows, recognising and sharing opportunities to reuse data flows where possible.
• Coordinate teams and set best practices and standards when it comes to data engineering principles.
• Champion data engineering across projects and clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead by example, holding responsibilities for team culture, and how projects deliver the most impact and value to our clients.
• Be accountable for the strategic direction, delivery and growth of our work.
• Lead teams, strands of work and outcomes, owning commercial responsibilities.
• Hold and manage uncertainty and ambiguity on behalf of clients and our teams.
• Ensure teams and projects are inclusive through how you lead and manage others.
• Effectively own and hold the story of our work, ensuring we measure progress against client goals and our DT missions.
• Work with our teams to influence and own how we deliver more value to clients, working with time and budget constraints.
• Strategically plan the overall project and apply methods and approaches.
• Demonstrably share work with wider audiences.
• Elevate ideas through how you write, speak and present.

Dimensions

• Headcount: Typically leads a multidisciplinary team or multiple workstreams (team size 5-15)
• Resource complexity: Provides leadership across multiple workstreams or technical domains within a project or programme. Responsible for delivery coordination, prioritisation, and quality, often overseeing more junior leads or specialists.
• Problem solving responsibility: Solves highly complex problems, balancing technical, user, business, and operational needs. Applies expert judgement to make decisions, manage risks, and guide teams through ambiguity.
• Change management requirements: Leads or co leads significant change initiatives. Responsible for managing stakeholder expectations, supporting adoption, and embedding sustainable ways of working.
• Internal/External interactions: Acts as a trusted partner to client and internal stakeholders at multiple levels. Leads workshops, presentations, and stakeholder engagement to ensure buy in, alignment, and delivery clarity.
• Strategic timeframe working towards: Works across mid to long term delivery cycles (6-12 months), ensuring that near term work supports broader programme and client objectives.

About You Professional knowledge and experience Essential

• Proven experience in data engineering, data integration and data modelling
• Expertise with cloud platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Expertise with modern cloud data platforms (e.g. Microsoft Fabric, Databricks)
• Expertise with multiple data analytics tools (e.g. Power BI)
• Deep understanding of data wareho using concepts, ETL/ELT pipelines and dimensional modelling
• Proficiency in advanced programming languages (Python/PySpark, SQL)
• Experience in data pipeline orchestration (e.g. Airflow, Data Factory)
• Familiarity with DevOps and CI/CD practices (Git, Azure DevOps etc)
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non technical audiences
• Proven experience in delivery of complex projects in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines

Desirable

• Advanced knowledge of data governance, data standards and best practices.
• Experience in a consultancy environment, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability to client needs.
• Experience defining and enforcing data engineering standards, patterns, and reusable frameworks
• Professional certifications in relevant technologies (e.g. Microsoft Azure Data Engineer, AWS Data Analytics, Databricks Certified Professional Data Engineer)

Skills Data Development Process

• Design, build and test data products that are complex or large scale
• Build and lead teams to complete data integration services integration and reusable pipelines that meet performance, quality and scalability standards
• Collaborate with architects to align solutions with enterprise data strategy and target architectures

Data Engineering and Manipulation

• Work with data analysts, engineers and data science and AI specialists to design and deliver products into the organisation effectively.
• Understand the reasons for cleansing and preparing data before including it in data products and can put reusable processes and checks in place.
• Access and use a range of architectures (including cloud and on premise) and data manipulation and transformation tools deployed within the organisation.
• Optimise data pipelines and queries for performance and cost efficiency in distributed environments

Testing (Data)

• Review requirements and specifications, and define system integration testing conditions for complex data products and support others to do the same
• Identify and manage issues and risks associated with complex data products and support others to do the same
• Analyse and report system test activities and results for complex data products and support others to do the same

Other Skills

• Proficiency in developing and maintaining complex data models (conceptual, logical and physical).
• Strong skills in data governance and metadata management.
• Experience with data integration design and implementation.
• Ability to write efficient, maintainable code for large scale data systems.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, version control, and infrastructure-as-code (e.g. Git, Azure DevOps).
• Strong stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts into business terms.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers, foster collaboration, and build a high performing data engineering culture.

Behaviours and PACT values

• Purpose: Be values driven, recognising that our client's needs are paramount. Approach client engagements with professionalism and creativity, balancing commercial and operational needs.
• Accountability: Be accountable for delivering your part of a project on time and under budget and working well with other leaders. Lead by example, promoting a culture where quality and client experience are foremost.
• Craft: Balance multiple priorities while leading high performing teams. Navigate ambiguity and set the technical direction and approach to support positive outcomes.
• Togetherness: Collaborate effectively with others across TPXimpact. Build strong relationships with colleagues and clients.

Benefits Include:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• 2 volunteer days for causes that you are passionate about
• Maternity/paternity - 6 months Maternity Leave, 3 months Paternity Leave
• Life assurance
• Employer pension contribution of 5%
• Health cash plan
• Personal learning and development budget
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Green incentive programmes including Electric Vehicle Leasing and the Cycle to Work Scheme
• Health assessments