At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data projects, mentor your team, and optimise self-hosted databases.
- Company: Join Digital Extremes, a top independent video game studio.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible work, and career growth opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values creativity and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make an impact in gaming while leading innovative data solutions.
- Qualifications: Experience with PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 78000 £ per year.
We are seeking a Lead Data Engineer with extensive experience in data infrastructure to join our team. This role serves as a technical leader while also directing the team—ensuring projects stay on track, timelines are met, and direct reports are actively mentored and developed. We need a proactive, solutions-oriented engineer who can rapidly master our current self-hosted systems, identify performance bottlenecks, strategically guide our infrastructure into the future, and lead the team through major, large-scale projects. Unlike many modern roles that rely entirely on cloud-managed services, this position focuses on owning and managing self-hosted and on-premise data stacks.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Technical Leadership: Lead technical project initiatives from conception to delivery, managing project timelines and coordinating cross-functional team efforts.
- Team Lead & Culture: Mentor and guide direct reports, conducting code reviews, providing technical coaching, and fostering engineering best practices.
- Infrastructure Ownership: Manage, maintain, and optimize self-hosted database solutions, focusing on performance tuning, hardware upgrades, and OS/environment monitoring for large-scale data warehousing.
- Pipeline Development: Design, develop, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines for data ingestion and processing from varied, complex data sources.
- Data Governance & Security: Ensure infrastructure and pipelines strictly comply with government policies, data privacy standards, and GDPR regulations.
- Collaboration: Partner with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to translate complex data requirements into scalable infrastructure.
REQUIREMENTS
- Technical & Infrastructure Expertise:
- Deep Database Foundations: Extensive hands-on experience managing and optimizing database management systems, specifically PostgreSQL and MongoDB (both relational and NoSQL ecosystems).
- Self-Hosted Mastery: Proven experience setting up, maintaining, and tuning self-hosted/on-premise databases and data warehouses.
- System Environment: Strong proficiency in SQL and deep comfort working within Linux/Unix environments (command line, shell scripting, system performance tuning).
- Data Orchestration: Hands-on experience with modern ETL orchestration tools such as Dagster or Airflow.
- Data Modeling: In-depth knowledge of core data warehousing concepts and relational data modeling.
- Leadership & Project Delivery:
- Demonstrated Leadership: Proven track record of taking informal or formal leadership on technical projects, setting milestones, and ensuring deliverables are met.
- Mentorship Mindset: Experience guiding, coaching, or mentoring junior/mid-level engineers (e.g., leading code reviews, onboarding team members, helping with career growth).
- Communication: Ability to adapt to organizational constraints and effectively communicate architectural decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Salary: $120,000- $130,000 CAD
Please note that the salary range mentioned in this job description should serve simply as a guide. The final compensation offered may vary based on a variety of factors, including bonuses and/or incentives, or a candidate’s experience, skills, budget and location.
Digital Extremes is committed to providing a fair, equitable, and competitive package that reflects the value a candidate brings.
We believe in the power of human connection. At Digital Extremes, we do not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess, or select candidates. All applications are reviewed by human, qualified recruiters.
At Digital Extremes, a core value of our studio is that we do not leverage AI in any of our development processes; this is a strict company policy. Please note that we permit the use of AI tools exclusively for administrative support, it is not used for candidate selection, screening, or any part of the decision-making process. All evaluations are conducted solely by our team to ensure our hiring remains a human-led process, just as our development remains the work of our artists and creators.
ABOUT DIGITAL EXTREMES
Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world's top independent video game development studios. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games' multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise including Unreal and Unreal Tournament, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio has reached its greatest critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game, Warframe®, boasting a global community of 75 million registered players on PC, PS4™, PS5™, Xbox One™, Xbox Series X/S™, Nintendo Switch™, and iOS™. The studio's most recently announced project is the much anticipated Soulframe®, an open-world action-fantasy MMORPG title that is currently under development. Digital Extremes is headquartered in London, Ontario, Canada, and is proud to be selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers.
WHY WORK AT DIGITAL EXTREMES
At Digital Extremes, we don’t just make games - we craft immersive worlds that inspire and connect millions of players around the globe. Our award-winning studio is home to passionate, creative, and collaborative talent who thrive in a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and respect. We offer competitive compensation, industry-leading benefits, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities to grow your career while working on beloved titles like Warframe and the highly anticipated Soulframe.
Whether you’re developing cutting-edge gameplay, designing stunning art, or supporting the teams that make it all happen, you’ll be part of a studio where your ideas matter, your contributions are valued, and your work leaves a lasting impact on our community.
Please note, some benefits may be subject to eligibility for employees.
JOIN US
At Digital Extremes, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our people and the respect we show one another. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a welcoming, accessible, and supportive environment where everyone can do their best work and feel valued for who they are. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including those from underrepresented communities and people with disabilities. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, we will work with you to ensure you have the support you need. We truly appreciate your interest in joining our team, and while we may not be able to respond to every application, we will connect directly with candidates moving forward in the process.
Lead Data Engineer in London employer: Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, making it a fantastic place for a Lead Data Engineer to thrive. With competitive compensation, industry-leading benefits, and a commitment to employee growth, you will have the opportunity to work on beloved titles like Warframe while being part of a diverse team that values your contributions. Located in London, Ontario, our studio not only offers a vibrant work environment but also prioritises inclusivity and respect, ensuring every team member feels valued and empowered.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Data Engineer in London
✨Get Involved in Data Science Meetups
Tap into local data science meetups or workshops to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. These events are goldmines for networking, and sometimes even lead directly to job openings at companies like Digital Extremes!
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Start building a public portfolio showcasing your data science projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites. Highlight unique analyses or models you've developed. This not only demonstrates your skills but also gets your name out there for roles like Lead Data Engineer at Digital Extremes.
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Join professional bodies related to data science, like the Data Science Society or similar organisations. Getting involved can lead to mentorship opportunities and insider knowledge about full-time positions at companies like Digital Extremes.
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We think you need these skills to ace Lead Data Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!
Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!
Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at Digital Extremes, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.
Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Digital Extremes. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!
How to prepare for a job interview at Digital Extremes
✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!
✨Get Comfortable with Python and R
Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at Digital Extremes!
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.
