Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
Position
Data Engineering Manager to lead, mentor, and drive forward high-impact data initiatives while fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration.
Summary of the Role
Howden Group Services is growing its data engineering capability and is looking for an experienced Data Engineering Manager to lead a team of highly skilled engineers in designing and delivering scalable, metadata-driven data solutions. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader with deep expertise in Databricks and Azure data services, combined with a strong focus on people leadership, technical mentorship, and stakeholder management.
The role requires an inspiring leader who can drive best practices, shape the data engineering roadmap, and align technical solutions with business objectives. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing a team of engineers, ensuring high-quality delivery, and fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and collaboration.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will:
Lead and manage a team of data engineers, providing mentorship, career development, and performance management.
Define and drive the data engineering strategy, aligning it with business goals and priorities.
Oversee the design and implementation of scalable, metadata-driven data pipelines using Databricks, Azure services, and orchestration frameworks.
Develop and enforce best practices for data engineering, DevOps, CI/CD, and data governance across the organisation.
Collaborate closely with business stakeholders, data scientists, analysts, and IT teams to translate business needs into scalable data solutions.
Champion innovation by evaluating and adopting new technologies, tools, and approaches to enhance data engineering capabilities.
Drive continuous improvement, ensuring high performance, reliability, and efficiency of data pipelines.
Ensure compliance with data security, governance, and regulatory requirements.
Manage team workload, prioritisation, and delivery, ensuring high-quality and timely execution of projects.
Foster a collaborative and high-performing culture, encouraging knowledge sharing and cross-functional engagement.
Requirements
Candidates should have:
7+ years of experience in data engineering, with at least 3+ years in a leadership or management role.
Strong leadership skills, with experience in managing, mentoring, and developing engineering teams.
Deep expertise in Databricks (SQL & PySpark) and Azure data services (ADF, Synapse, ADLS).
Proven ability to drive data engineering strategies, best practices, and architectural decisions.
Experience in building and scaling metadata-driven data solutions.
Strong understanding of CI/CD, DevOps practices, and infrastructure as code (Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates).
Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.
Experience with data governance, security, and compliance frameworks.
Passion for people development, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
Experience in budgeting, resource planning, and vendor management (preferred).
Industry experience in insurance data (not essential, but preferred).
This is a leadership opportunity for an experienced Data Engineering Manager who wants to build and scale a high-performing team, drive strategic impact, and shape the future of data engineering within a modern Azure-based data ecosystem.
What do we offer in return?
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
Reasonable adjustments
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
time left to apply End Date: July 31, 2025 (6 days left to apply)
About Us
Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 17,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $38bn of premiums for our clients.
Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold.
The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.
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