At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and evolve teams for Depop's modern data platform, driving analytics and machine learning.
- Company: Join Depop, a vibrant community-driven fashion marketplace with over 35 million users.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work options, generous leave, health support, and professional development budgets.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and sustainability.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in circular fashion while advancing your engineering career.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in managing data platforms and leading high-performing engineering teams.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Depop is the community-powered circular fashion marketplace where anyone can buy, sell and discover desirable secondhand fashion. With a community of over 35 million users, Depop is on a mission to make fashion circular. Depop is headquartered in London, with offices in New York and Manchester. We’re an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion.
Role: Senior Engineering Manager – Data Platform to lead and evolve the teams responsible for Depop’s modern data platform. You’ll help grow platform capabilities and improve how we execute and collaborate. You’ll oversee squads building systems that power analytics, machine learning, and product experimentation — including our experimentation platform, event ingestion pipelines, data lake, governance frameworks, and real-time analytics. You’ll work with Data Science, Machine Learning, Backend Engineering, and Product leadership to ensure our data platform is scalable, reliable, and enables fast, trustworthy decision-making across the company.
Responsibilities:
- Partner with stakeholders across Product, Data, and Engineering to translate strategic goals into clear, actionable platform capabilities.
- Lead and mentor 1–2 squads responsible for experimentation platforms (Optimizely), analytics event logging, batch processing, real-time infrastructure, data observability, and governance.
- Drive strong execution across teams, establishing clarity, accountability, and predictable delivery in a complex data environment.
- Evolve and scale the real-time streaming platform to support reliable, low-latency data processing for product, analytics, and ML use cases.
- Own and evolve Depop’s experimentation platform (Optimizely), ensuring reliable, scalable, and statistically sound A/B testing.
- Define and drive the technical roadmap for the data platform, balancing short-term delivery with long-term scalability and maintainability.
- Champion engineering excellence across performance, reliability, and privacy-by-design principles.
- Establish robust data observability and governance practices to improve data quality, trust, and lineage.
- Hire, mentor, and develop high-performing engineers.
Qualifications:
- Proven experience managing data infrastructure or platform teams at scale, ideally in a consumer or marketplace environment.
- Experience strengthening delivery practices and overall effectiveness in complex or evolving environments.
- Experience leading teams through periods of change or transformation, including raising engineering standards and accountability.
- Experience building or owning experimentation platforms (e.g., Optimizely), with solid understanding of A/B testing and experiment design.
- Deep understanding of distributed systems and modern data ecosystems (Databricks, Apache Spark, Kafka, DBT).
- Strong experience with both batch processing and real-time streaming architectures.
- Deep understanding of data warehousing, ETL/ELT pipelines, and analytics engineering.
- Strong programming skills (Python, Scala, or Java) and experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
- Experience working with privacy-sensitive data and implementing strong data governance and observability practices.
- Hands-on technical foundation — you’ve built or architected systems.
- Track record of building, stabilising, and scaling high-performing engineering teams.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Bonus Points:
- Experience with machine learning infrastructure or MLOps practices.
- Familiarity with event-driven architectures in mobile-first products.
- Experience in marketplaces, fashion, or sustainability-driven tech.
Additional Information:
- Health + Mental Wellbeing: healthcare access with Bupa, counselling and coaching, EAP, and mental health support.
- Work/Life Balance: 25 days annual leave (carryover up to 5 days), quarterly company-wide day off, volunteering time, sabbatical after 5 years, flexible hybrid options, dog-friendly offices, and international work flexibility.
- Family Life: paid parental leave, IVF leave, shared parental leave, and paid emergency parent/carer leave.
- Learn + Grow: budgets for conferences and learning, mentorship programs to upskill employees.
- Your Future: Life Insurance (3x salary), pension matching up to 6% of qualifying earnings.
- Depop Extras: free shipping on Depop sales within the UK for employees; milestone gifts and rewards.
Senior Engineering Manager - Data Platform employer: Depop
Depop is an exceptional employer that champions a vibrant work culture focused on community, sustainability, and innovation. With a commitment to employee growth through mentorship programmes and learning budgets, alongside generous benefits like flexible working options and comprehensive health support, Depop fosters an inclusive environment where every team member can thrive. Located in the heart of London, employees enjoy a dynamic atmosphere that encourages collaboration and creativity, making it an ideal place for those passionate about circular fashion and technology.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Engineering Manager - Data Platform
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Depop's culture and values, and think about how your experience aligns with their mission. Show them you’re not just another candidate.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online platforms. The more comfortable you are, the better you'll perform when it counts.
✨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 take that extra step.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Engineering Manager - Data Platform
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Engineering Manager role. Highlight your experience with data platforms and how it aligns with Depop's mission. We want to see how you can contribute to our community-powered marketplace!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Senior Engineering Manager, you'll be leading teams, so don’t forget to mention your past experiences in mentoring and managing squads. Share specific examples of how you've driven execution and accountability in complex environments.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate clarity, especially when it comes to your technical skills and achievements.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Depop
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of data platforms and the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Optimizely, Databricks, and Kafka. Be ready to discuss your experience with these tools and how you've used them to drive results in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Senior Engineering Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and mentor teams. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams through change, improved delivery practices, and fostered a culture of engineering excellence.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions that assess your knowledge of distributed systems, data warehousing, and real-time streaming architectures. Brush up on your programming skills in Python, Scala, or Java, and be ready to solve problems on the spot.
✨Align with Depop's Mission
Depop is all about circular fashion and community. Familiarise yourself with their mission and values, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. Be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to making fashion more sustainable through technology.
