Head of Data Engineering

Overview

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Reconomy, an international circular economy specialist. Using a tech-enabled, people powered approach we have been able to support thousands businesses across the globe to achieve their sustainability goals.

Our core values drive everything we do. We believe in promoting a supportive environment for our colleagues, delivering exceptional service to our customers, contributing to the community, and working towards a more sustainable environment. If you share these values and are passionate about making a positive impact, we'd love to have you on our team.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the EVP of Engineering and Technology the Head of Data Engineering will lead and manage a team of engineering managers across multiple product engineering squads focused on delivering innovative data-centric products. You'll be responsible for defining and driving the data platform strategy using Azure Cloud technologies, overseeing the development of data infrastructure, data pipelines, and data products with a strong emphasis on security, scalability, governance, and business impact. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams, align with business goals, and ensure the successful delivery of high-impact data products and systems.

RequirementsLeadership & Team Management

• Lead and mentor a team of 6+ Tech Leads overseeing product engineering squads delivering data-centric products.
• Provide strategic guidance, coaching, and professional development opportunities for engineering managers to empower their teams and deliver results.
• Establish and maintain a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Foster a culture of mentorship and leadership development, identifying and nurturing talents. Drive the recruitment, retention, and development of top-tier engineering talent within the data engineering team.
• Define and drive the overall data platform strategy with a focus on Azure Cloud to ensure that the organization’s data infrastructure is scalable, reliable, and aligned with business objectives.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of the data platform, leveraging Azure technologies such as Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake, and Azure SQL Database.
• Ensure the data platform supports data engineering, analytics, and data science initiatives across squads.
• Ensure the data platform enables easy access to high-quality, secure, and compliant data for all stakeholders, fostering a self-service analytics environment.

Cross-Squad Coordination & Alignment

• Ensure alignment across multiple squads to meet company-wide data objectives and maintain strategic coherence.
• Facilitate collaboration between product management, data science, analytics, and engineering teams to deliver data-driven products and services.
• Define shared goals, success metrics, and timelines for squads to ensure that efforts are aligned with broader business goals.

Data Strategy & Architecture

• Develop and execute the data engineering strategy, ensuring alignment with the company’s overall business objectives.
• Oversee the design and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure data architectures to support various data products and services.
• Ensure adherence to best practices for data governance, security, and compliance across the engineering squads.
• Stay at the forefront of industry trends and emerging technologies, continually improving data engineering capabilities.

Metrics-Driven Impact

• Develop and track success metrics, including data pipeline reliability, availability, and time-to-insight, to evaluate and continuously improve team performance.
• Communicate the impact of data engineering initiatives through clear metrics to stakeholders at all levels.

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Promote operational excellence through the implementation of efficient data engineering workflows, processes, and tools.
• Drive the adoption of best practices for data pipeline development, CI/CD, and data monitoring.
• Identify and implement opportunities for automation and optimization, improving operational efficiencies across squads.

Innovation & Technology Leadership

• Champion the exploration and adoption of new tools, technologies, and frameworks to improve the effectiveness of data engineering processes and product development.
• Influence the evolution of the company’s data architecture to support emerging needs and business growth, including machine learning and AI-based solutions.
• Lead efforts to modernize and scale the data infrastructure, ensuring flexibility for future needs.

Stakeholder Communication & Reporting

• Communicate the status, strategy, and outcomes of data engineering initiatives to senior leadership and other stakeholders.
• Translate complex technical challenges and opportunities into clear business terms for non-technical audiences.
• Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), providing regular updates on the health and impact of data engineering initiatives.

Resource & Project Management

• Oversee financial planning, budgeting and controlling for the data engineering organization (CAPEX, OPEX).
• Lead the prioritization and allocation of resources across engineering squads, ensuring alignment with business priorities and timely delivery of high-impact projects.
• Balance short-term needs with long-term strategic goals, ensuring that data engineering efforts are sustainable and scalable.
• Oversee the management of project timelines, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring successful execution of data product initiatives.
• This is a remote role where you’ll be trusted to work with autonomy and impact.
• Participation in our annual Incentive Plan (VIP) Company bonus scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option to buy and sell up to 9 days annual leave
• Access to voluntary benefits including private medical insurance, cycle to work scheme, subsidised gym membership
• Automatic inclusion in Life Assurance, Critical Illness and Disability Income protection schemes
• Pension scheme up to 8% employer contribution
• Access to reward & discount platform

We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of our job vacancies if we receive a suitable number of high-quality applications from which to make a shortlist. We recommend that you apply for our roles as soon as possible rather than wait until the published closing date

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Engineering and Information Technology

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