At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data engineering projects, mentor teams, and deliver high-quality data solutions.
- Company: Join UST, a forward-thinking tech company in Leeds with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth opportunities, and a focus on work-life balance.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a strong emphasis on innovation and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of data engineering while making a real impact on business outcomes.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in data engineering, leadership skills, and expertise in Azure technologies.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
UST is seeking an accomplished Lead Data Engineer to join our Data Team in Leeds. This senior, hands‑on leadership role is responsible for shaping data engineering capability across multiple delivery squads. You will combine deep technical expertise with visible leadership, driving engineering excellence, mentoring talent, and delivering high‑quality data products that directly support business and strategic outcomes. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, architecture, and product, requiring close collaboration with Product Managers, Data Architects, Analysts, and Visualisation Engineers. You will also play an active role in championing best practices across our Agile and engineering communities.
The Role
- Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and career guidance to data engineers, raising engineering standards while enabling individual and team growth.
- Champion a DevOps‑led culture built on ownership, accountability, and operational excellence “you build it, you run it, you own it.”
- Set and uphold best practices in data engineering, including design, development, code reviews, testing, and release management.
- Actively contribute to Lead Engineer and Agile communities of practice, driving continuous improvement across teams.
- Design and deliver robust data pipelines handling structured and semi‑structured data, across batch and real‑time processing scenarios.
- Ensure all engineering solutions align with enterprise data architecture principles and standards defined by Data Architects.
- Partner closely with Product Managers and Data Analysts to translate business requirements into scalable, performant, and secure data solutions.
- Evaluate, influence, and adopt new technologies and tooling to strengthen data engineering capability.
- Balance hands‑on engineering delivery with strategic technical leadership to ensure consistent, high‑quality outcomes.
About You
You are a senior data engineer with a strong leadership mindset and a track record of delivering at scale. You bring both technical depth and collaborative influence, and you are comfortable operating in complex, production‑critical environments.
Experience & Expertise
- Proven experience designing, building, and operating secure, high‑quality data platforms in production.
- Strong background delivering scalable, high‑performance data solutions with a focus on reliability and resilience.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring and leading data engineers in Agile environments.
- Solid understanding of modern data architectures, including data lakes, data warehouses, and data vaults.
- Hands‑on experience with Microsoft Azure, including services such as Azure Databricks and Azure Data Factory.
- Advanced skills in Python, SQL, and ideally PySpark.
- Strong software engineering discipline, including version control and collaborative workflows using GitHub.
- Experience working within Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, or Lean.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly to non‑technical stakeholders.
Core Skills & Technologies
- Azure Data Factory
- Databricks
- Data integration & data flow design
- Azure‑based data platforms
- Python, SQL, PySpark
- Agile delivery models
Lead Data Engineer_ ADF & Databricks (Lead II - Software Engineering) in Leeds employer: UST
UST is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture in Leeds, where innovation and collaboration thrive. As a Lead Data Engineer, you will benefit from extensive mentorship opportunities, a commitment to professional growth, and the chance to shape cutting-edge data solutions that drive strategic outcomes. With a strong focus on a DevOps-led culture and best practices, UST empowers its employees to take ownership of their work while enjoying a supportive environment that values continuous improvement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Data Engineer_ ADF & Databricks (Lead II - Software Engineering) in Leeds
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or even local tech events. The more you engage with others, the better your chances of hearing about job openings that might not even be advertised.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just tell them what you can do; show them! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those involving Azure Databricks or Data Factory. This gives potential employers a tangible sense of your capabilities and experience.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on both technical and soft skills. Be ready to discuss your experience with data pipelines and Agile methodologies. Remember, they want to see how you think and solve problems, so don’t hold back!
✨Apply Through Our Website
We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Data Engineer_ ADF & Databricks (Lead II - Software Engineering) in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Lead Data Engineer role. Highlight your experience with Azure, Databricks, and any leadership roles you've held. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about data engineering and how your background aligns with our mission at StudySmarter. Be genuine and let your personality come through!
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t shy away from detailing your technical expertise in Python, SQL, and Azure services. We love seeing specific examples of projects where you've implemented these skills, especially in Agile environments. It helps us understand your hands-on experience!
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 us you’re keen on joining the StudySmarter family!
How to prepare for a job interview at UST
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Azure Data Factory, Databricks, and the programming languages mentioned in the job description. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with these technologies and how you've used them to build scalable data solutions.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves mentoring and leading a team, prepare examples of how you've successfully guided others in previous positions. Think about specific instances where you raised engineering standards or contributed to a DevOps culture.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with how data engineering supports business outcomes. Be prepared to discuss how you've translated business requirements into technical solutions in the past, and how you can do that for UST.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You’ll need to convey your ideas effectively to non-technical stakeholders, so think about how you can make your points clear and engaging during the interview.
