Lead Data Platform Engineer in Manchester

This role operates primarily on a remote working arrangement that only requires a site visit roughly once every 2 months for team meetings. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

About Arden University

We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education. There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.

About Our Department

The Lead Data Platform Engineer sits within our Analysis, Insights & Performance department at Arden University which plays a vital role in driving data-driven decisions. By providing valuable insights, monitoring performance, and promoting innovation, the team supports the university's mission to enhance student outcomes and drive continuous improvement.

About The Opportunity

As Lead Data Platform Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering Arden University’s data platform strategy, using your expertise to drive meaningful improvements in student experience, student outcomes, and operational efficiency. Leading the Data Platform squad, you will take ownership of the design, development and evolution of the University’s core data infrastructure, including the data lake and medallion architecture. You will ensure the platform is scalable, secure and high-performing, consistently meeting the needs of stakeholders across the organisation. As the technical lead for the platform, you will provide direction and governance for the use of modern cloud data technologies, including tools such as Power BI and Microsoft Fabric. You will define and champion best practices, while developing a clear and compelling vision for how modern data platforms and engineering patterns can enable analysts, data scientists and engineers to deliver greater value. Combining strong technical expertise with business insight, you will identify opportunities where advancements in the data platform can unlock efficiencies and enhance decision-making. You will also play a key leadership role in translating complex technical concepts into clear, actionable plans that support wider organisational goals. In addition, you will lead, coach and develop both direct and indirect members of the data team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and technical excellence. This is a hands‑on technical role with team leadership, focused on ensuring Arden’s data platform is robust, future‑ready and aligned with the University’s long‑term ambitions.

About You

You will be a strong technical data engineer who doesn’t necessarily have people leadership experience. This role is roughly 60% technical, 40% leadership.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Programming languages such as Python, R, and SQL
• Database theory and design
• SQL and NoSQL databases
• Big data technologies (e.g. Microsoft Synapse/Fabric, Hadoop, Spark, Kafka)
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) principles
• CI/CD and DevOps concepts
• Data pipeline tools (e.g. Data Factory, Airflow, NiFi)
• Version control systems (e.g. Git)
• Ability to analyse problems and design effective solutions
• Strong communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences
• Familiarity with agile methodologies (e.g. Scrum)
• Data and analytics tools within Microsoft Azure
• Knowledge of Spark workloads

Desirable Skills / Experience

• Formal Data & Analytics qualification e.g. Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), Azure Data Engineer/Scientist Associate
• Experience in the use of data and analytics tooling within Microsoft Azure.
• Experience working within the Higher Education sector
• Data warehousing, business intelligence (BI), data governance, data architecture, data integration, data classification, data strategy, data quality management, data security and privacy, MDM, data standards, regulatory compliance and enterprise architecture frameworks.
• Experience of Data Science technologies within Microsoft Azure.
• Knowledge of ‘lakehouse’ engineering patterns.
• Knowledge of ETL design.
• Experience with enterprise AI Agentic toolsets such as Microsoft Foundry

Benefits

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays on‑top, and even a Christmas closure!
• A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
• SimplyHealth plan option
• Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)
• Access to Perkbox benefits
• Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
• Plus, other excellent benefits
• Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education

Our Values Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness, reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you. There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations.

Closing Date 5th April (Midnight)

Application Notice We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible. If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role. If you wish to be considered under this scheme, you can indicate via the application form below. By doing so, you are also consenting for this information to be shared with the hiring team. For more details on what qualifies as a disability under the Disability Equality Act 2010, please refer to the guidance here. As an Equal Opportunity Employer we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we make sure that our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups.

Sponsorship Statement Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa under the points-based immigration system. However, we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route.