At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team of Data Engineers on complex AI projects while delivering hands-on technical work.
- Company: Cognite, a leader in industrial digitalisation and AI solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a chance to shape the future of data engineering.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team with high visibility and growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by developing talent and driving innovation in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Hands-on data engineering experience and a passion for mentoring others.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Cognite operates at the forefront of industrial digitalization, building AI and data solutions that solve the world’s hardest, highest-impact problems. With unmatched industrial heritage and a comprehensive suite of AI capabilities, Cognite accelerates the digital transformation to drive operational improvements.
About The Role
Cognite's European Delivery organisation is growing in both scale and technical ambition. As Manager of Data Engineering, you will lead, develop, and retain a team of Data Engineers operating across some of the most complex industrial AI engagements in the market — ensuring they are technically strong, professionally developed, and set up to deliver at the standard our customers expect. This is not a pure people-management role. You will carry a meaningful delivery commitment — approximately 50% billable capacity — working on customer projects alongside your team.
Your credibility as a manager depends on being a practitioner: you need to understand the work at depth in order to coach it, assess it, and raise the bar on it. You will be part of the Value Delivery (VD) Europe profession leadership team and work closely with Portfolio Managers and cross-functional leaders across Value Delivery.
Ownership
- Own the professional development of your Data Engineers spanning junior to seasoned Data Engineers, running structured 1:1s, calibrated performance reviews, and growth conversations grounded in the Data Engineering framework.
- Provide technically specific coaching — not generic management feedback.
- Identify and address skill gaps proactively, before they surface as delivery problems on customer engagements.
- Build a team culture of ownership, technical rigour, and AI-first delivery.
Delivery Accountability
- Carry approximately 50% billable capacity on customer projects — this is a firm expectation.
- Review Statements of Work (SOWs) before your engineers are committed to them: assess scope fit, identify skill gaps, and flag delivery risks before they become customer problems.
- Champion your team's interests in staffing decisions.
- Act as an escalation point when delivery gets hard.
Profession & Team Building
- Contribute to standardising delivery practices across Value Delivery Europe.
- Organise and lead professional development sessions relevant to the team's growth areas and project landscape.
- Collect, prioritise, and elevate product feedback from your engineers and customers.
- Lead or contribute to hiring for your team.
AI-First Leadership
- Model and reinforce AI-first delivery practices across your team.
- Stay current on AI tooling relevant to industrial data engineering.
What we are looking for
Required
- Proven hands-on data engineering background — production-grade Python, SQL, REST APIs, and cloud-native pipeline development.
- At least one year of meaningful association with Cognite's platform and products, with direct delivery experience on customer engagements.
- Demonstrated ability to develop people — not just manage tasks.
- Customer-facing confidence.
- Strong operational judgement.
Strong Advantage
- Formal or informal people-management experience.
- Deep Cognite Data Fusion expertise.
- Experience working in a Value Delivery or professional services environment.
- Familiarity with Cognite's EDF.
- Track record of hiring.
How We Think About This Role
The best candidate for this role is an E3 Data Engineer — or equivalent — who is ready to multiply their impact through others, not just through their own technical output. Technical credibility is the foundation. People development is the job.
Why This Role
- High visibility within Cognite's European Delivery organisation.
- Meaningful influence over how Data Engineering is practised and developed across VD Europe.
- Ownership of a team at a critical growth stage.
- Part of a profession leadership team that is actively building something.
Equal Opportunity
Cognite is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment at work and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive the same level of consideration for employment.
Data Engineering Leader in London employer: Cognite
Cognite is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and professional growth within the dynamic field of industrial digitalization. With a strong commitment to employee development, a culture of ownership, and a focus on AI-first delivery practices, team members are empowered to tackle complex challenges while contributing to meaningful projects. Located in a vibrant European hub, Cognite offers high visibility and influence within its growing organisation, making it an ideal place for those looking to make a significant impact in their careers.
