At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data engineering projects, solve business problems, and optimise data platforms.
- Company: Join a US$5bn+ alternative asset manager with a global presence.
- Benefits: £800/day, hybrid work, and a dynamic team environment.
- Other info: Opportunity for growth and collaboration across diverse teams.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a small, high-autonomy team with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in data engineering, strong Python and SQL skills, AWS familiarity.
My client is a US$5bn+ alternative asset manager operating across seven global offices: New York, BVI, London, Switzerland, Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The firm serves institutional investors and high-net-worth clients through a range of alternative investment strategies.
My client's technology strategy is built around a proprietary, cloud-native platform. The firm's technology function is structured as a lean, high-output engineering team comprising three developers led by the firm's COO. This structure means every engineer has significant ownership, direct impact on the platform, and close visibility to senior leadership and business stakeholders.
The Role
They are looking for a Data Engineer to join their small engineering team and help evolve their data platform alongside two other engineers. My client is particularly interested in candidates who can come in quickly, operate with a high degree of autonomy, and take ownership of the data engineering function. This is not a narrowly defined "build what you're told" role. They need someone who can identify business problems, map data architecture, and help drive solutions end-to-end. You'll work directly with operations, research, and investment teams to understand what data they need, where bottlenecks exist, why data is delayed or missing, and how to improve the flow of data across the business.
This role is fundamentally data-engineering focused. They are looking for someone with strong data engineering fundamentals who is comfortable owning production systems, improving reliability and freshness, and working across team boundaries when needed. The role spans both operating existing production pipelines and building new capabilities, with priorities shifting based on business needs.
You should be comfortable working in a small team with high autonomy, wearing multiple hats, and moving between technical investigation, stakeholder conversations, and hands-on delivery.
What You'll Do
- Solve business problems with data — work with ops, research, and investment teams to identify pain points and deliver practical solutions, not just tickets
- Improve the data platform end-to-end — ingestion, transformation, storage, serving, observability, and reliability
- Optimise data freshness and reliability — reduce latency, eliminate stale data, and improve alerting so failures are not silent
- Map and improve data architecture — identify inefficiencies, reduce unnecessary handoffs, and streamline how data flows from vendors to consumers
- Operate and maintain production data pipelines ingesting from financial data vendors
- Build and extend new vendor integrations, data products, and pipeline features
- Manage infrastructure on AWS using Terraform
- Build AI capabilities including RAG pipelines and OCR-based document extraction to unlock unstructured data sources
- Collaborate with the wider engineering team, including on systems that interact with our client-facing NextJS application
- Plan and prioritise work in collaboration with technical and non-technical stakeholders
Tools & Technologies
- Python — primary language for ETL, API clients, data validation, and pipeline development
- SQL — analytical and transactional queries, transformations, and data investigation
- AWS — cloud infrastructure and managed services
- Terraform — infrastructure-as-code
- MongoDB — document storage
- Monitoring / observability tools — for alerting, debugging, and production support
- GitHub Actions — CI/CD pipelines
- Linear — project planning and task management
- Claude Code, Cursor, Codex — AI engineering tools used in daily workflow
- NextJS / TypeScript — exposure helpful, but this is not a full-stack role
What they are Looking For:
Required:
- Experience as a Data Engineer or in a similar role
- Proven ability to identify business problems and deliver end-to-end data solutions, not just implement specifications
- Strong Python and SQL skills
- Experience with AWS services
- Infrastructure-as-code experience
- Comfort with production operations — monitoring, incident response, and debugging distributed systems
- Strong stakeholder communication skills — you'll work directly with non-technical teams across the business
- Comfortable using modern AI engineering tools in day-to-day work
Preferred:
- Experience in financial services, asset management, or hedge funds
- MongoDB experience
- Experience with modern data tooling
- Familiarity with vendor API integrations and handling messy real-world data
- Experience with data lake patterns
- Exposure to or interest in learning NextJS / TypeScript
- Exposure to RAG architectures, OCR, or LLM-based document extraction
- Comfortable working in a lightweight agile workflow focused on delivery
You'll thrive with my client if you:
- Proactively identify problems and propose solutions rather than waiting for requirements
- Are comfortable owning systems and projects end-to-end in a small team
- Can context-switch between building new features and keeping production stable
- Prefer simple, pragmatic solutions over over-engineered abstractions
- Are comfortable wearing multiple hats
- Communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders
- Enjoy working with a high degree of autonomy
If you are interested in this role, please send your CV for immediate consideration.
Lead Data Engineer - Python/ SQL/ AWS. Asset Management. £800/ Day Inside IR35. 3 month rolling contract. Hybrid 2 Days a week in Central London office. employer: CommuniTech Recruitment Group
Join a dynamic and innovative asset management firm that values autonomy and ownership in your role as a Lead Data Engineer. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams in a collaborative environment, all while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of Central London. The company offers competitive compensation and a hybrid working model, ensuring a healthy work-life balance while you contribute to cutting-edge data solutions.
Contact Details:
CommuniTech Recruitment Group Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Data Engineer - Python/ SQL/ AWS. Asset Management. £800/ Day Inside IR35. 3 month rolling contract. Hybrid 2 Days a week in Central London office.
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who work in asset management or data engineering. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your Python and SQL skills. Be ready to discuss how you've solved real business problems with data in the past. We want to see your thought process and how you tackle challenges!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your autonomy! In interviews, highlight instances where you've taken ownership of projects or systems. This role is all about being proactive, so let them know you're the go-getter they need.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are keen to join us directly!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Data Engineer - Python/ SQL/ AWS. Asset Management. £800/ Day Inside IR35. 3 month rolling contract. Hybrid 2 Days a week in Central London office.
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV highlights your experience with Python, SQL, and AWS. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t just send a generic CV. Customise it to show off your data engineering prowess!
Showcase Problem-Solving Skills:In your application, give examples of how you've tackled business problems using data. We love candidates who can demonstrate their ability to deliver end-to-end solutions, not just follow instructions.
Keep It Clear and Concise:When writing your application, be clear and to the point. We appreciate straightforward communication, especially since you'll be working with non-technical teams. Avoid jargon unless it's necessary!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at CommuniTech Recruitment Group
✨Know Your Tech Stack Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Python, SQL, and AWS. Brush up on your ETL processes and be ready to discuss how you've used these technologies to solve real business problems. Prepare examples that showcase your ability to improve data architecture and reliability.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Be prepared to discuss specific instances where you've identified business pain points and delivered end-to-end data solutions. Think about how you can articulate the impact of your work on previous projects, especially in a fast-paced environment like asset management.
✨Communicate Like a Pro
Since you'll be working with non-technical teams, practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. Highlight your experience in stakeholder communication and how you’ve collaborated with different teams to drive solutions.
✨Demonstrate Your Autonomy and Ownership
This role requires a high degree of autonomy, so be ready to share examples of when you've taken ownership of projects. Discuss how you manage your time and priorities, especially in a small team setting, and how you balance building new features with maintaining production stability.
