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- Tasks: Lead the development of a next-gen data platform for Chelsea FC.
- Company: Join the iconic Chelsea Football Club and shape its data future.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, hybrid work, and a competitive salary.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on fan engagement through innovative data solutions.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in data engineering with strong technical leadership skills.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for mentorship and growth.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 ÂŁ per year.
Chelsea Football Club is seeking an experienced and innovative Lead Data Engineer to shape the technical vision and delivery of a next-generation data platform that underpins the club’s commercial, digital and fan‑engagement strategy. This role will lead the evolution of Chelsea’s centralised data ecosystem, ensuring our data is accurate, accessible, secure and capable of powering world‑class fan experiences.
As a Lead Data Engineer within the Business Insights & Analytics team, you will play a key role in defining the technical direction of the club’s data engineering capabilities – influencing architecture decisions, setting engineering standards and driving modern data practices across the organisation. You will collaborate closely with teams across CRM, digital, marketing, ticketing, merchandise, hospitality and IT, helping Chelsea unlock the full value of its data.
Responsibilities:
- Technical Leadership & Architecture
- Contributing to the data engineering strategy for Chelsea FC’s centralised data platform.
- Designing and evolving a unified data ecosystem that brings together ticketing, merchandise, CRM, digital platforms, matchday systems and partner technologies.
- Helping to define and uphold strong data governance, data quality, security and compliance standards.
- Influencing architectural decisions and championing modern engineering practices across the Business Insights & Analytics team and wider club.
- Data Engineering Delivery
- Designing, building and maintaining scalable, reliable data pipelines that activate data for marketing, digital analytics, merchandising, hospitality and fan‑engagement use cases.
- Developing and optimising high‑quality data models that support analytics, personalisation, operational reporting and emerging AI/automation needs.
- Managing ingestion frameworks, orchestration, monitoring and observability to ensure high‑performing data operations.
- Acting as a senior technical contributor to major club‑wide initiatives, including the implementation and evolution of the Customer Data Platform (CDP).
- Collaboration & Mentoring
- Working closely with stakeholders across CRM, Digital, Marketing, Ticketing, Merchandise, Hospitality and IT to translate business objectives into technical solutions.
- Challenging legacy processes and advocating for continuous improvement across our data landscape.
- Providing mentorship and guidance to engineers and analysts, helping raise technical standards and fostering a culture of excellence.
Experience & Qualifications:
- Essential
- 5+ years of professional experience in data engineering.
- Hands‑on expertise with modern data stacks and cloud environments, including: dbt for data transformation, BigQuery or equivalent cloud data warehouses, Airflow or similar orchestration tools, Beam / PubSub or equivalent streaming frameworks, Terraform or other IaC tools, CI/CD pipelines, Docker and DevOps workflows.
- Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and influence long‑term architectural decisions.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience working across technical and commercial teams.
- Desirable
- Exposure to machine learning, analytics or business intelligence tools.
- Experience within sports, entertainment, media, retail or other fan/customer‑centric environments.
- Experience with Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) and real‑time personalisation ecosystems.
- Familiarity with AI/ML pipelines or automation use cases.
Qualifications:
- Essential
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related STEM field, or equivalent professional experience.
In return:
- 25 days annual leave (+ ...)
Lead Data Engineer in London employer: Chelsea FC
Contact Detail:
Chelsea FC Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Data Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those connected to Chelsea FC. Attend meetups or webinars related to data engineering and make sure to connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your data engineering projects. Whether it's a cool data pipeline you built or a unique solution to a problem, having tangible examples can really set you apart during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your technical knowledge. Be ready to discuss your experience with tools like dbt, BigQuery, and Airflow. Practise explaining complex concepts in simple terms, as you'll need to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical teams.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining the team at Chelsea FC. Get your application in early to avoid missing out!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Data Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Lead Data Engineer role. Highlight your experience with data engineering, cloud environments, and any relevant projects that showcase your skills. We want to see how you can contribute to our data platform!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about data engineering and how your background aligns with Chelsea FC's vision. Don’t forget to mention specific experiences that relate to the responsibilities listed in the job description.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Be sure to include any hands-on experience with tools like dbt, BigQuery, or Airflow. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so demonstrate your technical prowess clearly in your application.
Apply Early!: We encourage you to apply as soon as possible through our website. The sooner you submit your application, the better your chances of standing out before the closing date. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Chelsea FC
✨Know Your Data Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the modern data stacks mentioned in the job description, like dbt, BigQuery, and Airflow. Brush up on your hands-on experience with these tools, as you might be asked to discuss how you've used them in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Lead Data Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead technical initiatives. Prepare examples of how you've influenced architectural decisions or mentored team members in previous roles. This will show that you can take charge and drive improvements.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with Chelsea FC’s commercial and fan-engagement strategies. Think about how your technical skills can directly impact their goals. Being able to connect your expertise to their objectives will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Prepare for Collaboration Questions
Expect questions about working with cross-functional teams. Be ready to share experiences where you’ve collaborated with stakeholders from different departments, like marketing or IT, to translate business needs into technical solutions. This shows you’re not just a techie but also a team player.