At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data engineering projects and design scalable solutions across multi-cloud platforms.
- Company: Join Serco, a global leader in delivering essential public services.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, company car, private medical insurance, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to improving community services.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while innovating in data engineering and mentoring future talent.
- Qualifications: Expertise in data engineering, PySpark, SQL, and Databricks required.
The predicted salary is between 25147 - 27596 £ per year.
- Lead Data Engineer
- Hybrid – Attached to our Solihull, London or Hook office
- Full Time, Permanent
- Band 3 / £75,000 - £85,000 (dependent on experience)
Here at Serco, we’re looking for a Lead Data Engineer to act as the technical authority for data engineering, driving architecture, standards, and delivery across a modern multi-cloud ecosystem spanning Azure, AWS, and Databricks.
You’ll spend around 80% of your time hands-on, designing and building complex, enterprise-scale data solutions.
The remaining 20% is just as critical: leading people, influencing stakeholders, and shaping how data engineering operates across the organisation.
Databricks sits at the heart of our platform - this role requires someone who can deeply leverage the Databricks to enable scalable analytics, data science, and AI use cases across the business.
As part of this you’ll
- Define and enforce data engineering standards, patterns, and best practices across the organisation.
- Architect and deliver scalable, resilient data solutions across Azure, AWS, and Databricks, ensuring enterprise-grade performance and reliability.
- Lead complex engineering workstreams - unblocking teams, guiding technical decisions, and ensuring high-quality delivery outcomes.
- Design and govern enterprise data models (conceptual, logical, and physical), including lakehouse zone strategies and schema evolution approaches.
- Champion Databricks as the core data platform, leveraging lakehouse architecture, Unity Catalog, Delta Live Tables, Structured Streaming, and MLflow.
- Drive a consistent multi-cloud Databricks strategy, enabling scalable and interoperable data platforms across environments.
- Optimise performance across pipelines, compute, storage, and orchestration frameworks, embedding cost-efficiency and scalability.
- Define and implement CI/CD for data platforms, supporting automated testing, secure deployments, and multi-environment promotion.
- Embed robust data governance, security, and lifecycle controls, ensuring compliance through classification, encryption, access management, and lineage frameworks (e. g., Unity Catalog, Purview, Lake Formation).
- Act as a senior SME for troubleshooting complex issues, leading root-cause analysis and long-term remediation of data quality and platform challenges.
- Lead, mentor, and grow a community of Data Engineers, driving technical excellence through coaching, reviews, and knowledge sharing.
- Operate effectively across a matrix organisation, influencing architecture, cyber, product, and senior stakeholders.
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly, articulating trade-offs, risks, and strategic decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
What you’ll need to do the role
- Expert-level experience in enterprise-scale data engineering, including defining standards, patterns, and overseeing complex delivery.
- Advanced proficiency in Py Spark and SQL, with deep expertise in performance optimisation and scalable data processing.
- Strong experience in data modelling and large-scale data integration design, with the ability to build robust, maintainable, and testable pipelines.
- Proven ability to embed testing frameworks, observability, and data quality controls across engineering workflows.
- Deep hands-on experience with Databricks (essential), including lakehouse architecture, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, and streaming technologies.
- Broad cloud expertise across Azure (Synapse, ADF, Event Hub, ADLS Gen2, Purview, Key Vault) and AWS (S3, Glue, EMR, Kinesis, Athena, Lake Formation, IAM), with strong multi-cloud experience.
- Strong understanding of modern engineering practices, including CI/CD for data platforms, automated deployment pipelines, and environment promotion strategies.
- Experience designing monitoring, observability, and cost optimisation frameworks, alongside governance, lineage, cataloguing, and compliance at scale.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and work effectively across matrixed organisations.
- Proven leadership capability, including mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering teams.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business value.
- 8+ years’ experience in data engineering within enterprise environments.
- Relevant certifications (desirable), such as Azure Data Engineer Associate, AWS Data Analytics Specialty, or Databricks Data Engineer (Associate/Professional).
- SC clearance (or willingness to obtain it)
What we offer
- Company car
- 5% on target bonus scheme
- Private medical insurance
- Flexible working considered
- Pension – 6%
- Chance to contribute to innovation in the public services
- A company passionate about diversity and inclusion
- Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
- A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
- A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations.
These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
- A safe and supportive culture.
A little bit about us
At Serco, everyone plays a vital part in delivering essential public services that make a real difference.
As a global team of 50,000 people across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare, Leisure and Citizen Services, we’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the services that communities rely on.
Guided by our values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride, our people make meaningful impact, every single day.
Our inclusive recruitment commitment
We prioritise your skills and potential.
As a Disability Confident Leader, the Top Great British Employer of Veterans 2026, and a Gold Inclusive Employer Standard holder, we champion equal opportunities for all.
We offer flexible and hybrid working where possible and make reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment and employment.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
Applicants with disabilities, veterans and people with convictions, who meet the minimum job criteria, are guaranteed an interview.
Simply opt into the relevant scheme on the application form.
Ban The Box
We also support fair access for those with unspent criminal convictions through our ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some roles may have security exemptions).
For support with your application, please contact recruitmentuk@serco. com.
ddatjobs
Lead Data Engineer employer: Serco
Serco is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and development. As a Ward Host Assistant at University Hospital Southampton, you will enjoy flexible shift options and the chance to make a meaningful impact on patient care, all while being part of a team that values hospitality and customer service excellence.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Data Engineer
✨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 Serco!
✨Show Off Your Projects
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 Serco.
✨Leverage Professional Networks
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 Serco.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Lead Data Engineer at Serco, make sure to apply directly through our website. It gives you an edge and shows you're keen to join our team. Plus, who doesn’t love a direct application? It’s easier than navigating through job boards!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Data Engineer
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 Serco, 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 Serco. 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 Serco
✨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 Serco!
✨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.
