Senior Manager, Data Engineering and Operations in London

Operating within Etc, BT’s innovation unit, this role leads Data Operations and Engineering and is a senior leadership position within the Data and Developer Solutions business area. You will provide authoritative technical leadership to design, build and operate scalable, secure and resilient data and software solutions that deliver measurable business value and meet customer needs. This includes end‑to‑end accountability across architecture, engineering standards, automated testing, deployment, and in‑life service performance.

Leading and developing high‑performing engineering teams, you will set technical direction and make informed trade‑offs that balance near‑term delivery commitments with longer‑term platform strategy, operational excellence and commercial outcomes. You will shape technical recommendations that influence investment decisions in new and emerging areas, ensuring alignment with unit strategy and BT Group priorities. You will collaborate with Data, AI and Digital teams across BT to define and build a multi‑tenant data platform strategy, enabling scalable reuse and the delivery of multiple revenue‑generating solutions.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide senior technical and engineering leadership for data and software engineering, acting as the primary interface between networks, business, product, design and technology to deliver customer‑focused outcomes at pace and scale.
• Own and execute the data and software engineering strategy and technology roadmap, accountable for architecture, platforms, data infrastructure and engineering practices from initial design through delivery and in‑life operation.
• Lead high‑performing engineering teams, setting clear technical direction, developing capability, and fostering a culture of engineering excellence, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the delivery of reliable, secure and scalable platforms and services, overseeing engineering quality, release management, DevOps adoption and operational performance against defined standards and metrics.
• Deliver a shared, multi‑tenant data platform, including accountability for data availability, quality and resilience, enabling multiple revenue‑generating products and solutions in line with BT enterprise architecture.
• Shape investment and commercial decisions through authoritative technical leadership, balancing near‑term delivery commitments with longer‑term platform strategy, operational efficiency and business growth.
• Drive engineering and operational excellence, embedding agile delivery, automation, continuous improvement and best practices across software development, data engineering, security and compliance.
• Identify and manage technology risks and opportunities, ensuring regulatory adherence, architectural compliance and proactive resolution of complex data and engineering challenges.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across BT, including Data, AI, Digital, Product, Sales and Operations, to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions that deliver measurable value.
• Lead supplier and partner engagement, ensuring effective collaboration, clear delivery accountability and alignment to strategic priorities, roadmaps and outcomes.
• Continuously evolve capabilities and ways of working, evaluating emerging technologies, tools and approaches to improve developer productivity, platform performance and time‑to‑market.

Essential Skills / Experience

• You will have a passion for software engineering, data engineering and data science, with a hands‑on approach that enables you to deliver complex work while guiding and supporting your team to deliver the highest value for customers and the business.
• Commercial and risk awareness – Experience identifying, assessing and managing commercial, delivery and operational risks within programmes or projects, and determining appropriate mitigation and commercial responses.
• Software engineering foundations – Practical experience applying core software and data development concepts.
• Portfolio and compliance management – Experience managing technology or data portfolios that include operational performance, data protection, regulatory, legal and environmental considerations.
• People leadership – Experience leading teams in a technical environment across the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, performance management, development and succession planning.

Desirable Skills / Experience

• Business acumen – Knowledge and experience of business strategy and the drivers of organisational performance, including financial literacy, business KPIs and the development of clear, evidence‑based business cases.
• Stakeholder management – Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with senior peers, customers, suppliers and partners, enabling productive collaboration, informed decision‑making and the resolution of complex escalations.
• Technical leadership and judgement – Ability to provide clear, practical and authoritative technical guidance on complex and unfamiliar problems, including emerging technologies. Comfortable drawing on specialist expertise where needed to develop well‑considered solutions.
• Hands‑on problem solving – Confident in diving into technical detail, contributing directly to design and delivery, and supporting teams through complex engineering decisions.
• Agile delivery and ways of working – Detailed understanding and demonstrable experience of agile software delivery practices and their practical application in engineering teams. Able to actively participate in sprint planning, prioritisation, delivery and release management, and to adapt agile approaches to improve flow, quality, predictability and time‑to‑market.
• Accountability and values‑led behaviour – Demonstrates high ethical standards and sets clear expectations, holding self and others to account. Willing and able to address misaligned or poor behaviours constructively and consistently.

Our Package

• Company car scheme (or cash alternative)
• 15% on target annual bonus
• Private healthcare for you and your family
• Access to an online private GP 24/7 for you and your immediate family
• Market‑leading paid carers leave with up to 2 weeks off
• Equalised maternity, paternity, and adoption leave – 18 weeks’ full pay and 8 weeks’ half pay
• Discounted EE and BT products, including mobile and broadband
• Market leading Pension scheme – 5% from you and 10% from us
• Holiday purchase scheme