Head of Data Engineering

The Head of Data Engineering will deliver robust data products and services for all SFC, in support of its priorities and needs of our partners.

As a leader, you'll need to be experienced, humble and highly skilled. And whatever the problem, you'll find the solution by inspiring your team to work as one, getting them to perform with clear technical direction. You’ll guide your team to build robust, creative products, providing support and occasionally hands on development. Though you'll be accountable for your own projects and trusted to deliver, you'll also form part of a broader team that takes collective responsibility for making success happen across SFC’s Data & Analytics function.

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• Co-create the SFC data vision and roadmap with the Head of Analytics and Head of Cloud Technology, aligning to Azure Well-Architected Framework and Cloud Adoption Framework governance principles.
  
• Define technical data strategy to build sustainable data infrastructure and guide product strategy through data.
  
• Act as design authority for SFC's data architecture across Microsoft Fabric, Azure data services, and Power BI semantic models, with responsibility for Lakehouse and Delta Lake implementations.
  
• Develop roadmaps for both product related data engineering work and SFC's overall data maturity.
  
• Lead the Data Engineering workstream for SFC's Reform programme, delivering the technical integration of apprenticeship funding systems and data assets.
  
• Design and oversee data migration from legacy systems, ensuring data quality, lineage, and continuity throughout transition.
  
• Establish data governance frameworks that support both existing SFC operations and incoming apprenticeship functions.
  
• Work with leads and senior management across SFC to identify and build data products that deliver efficient data models and integrations, driving data democratisation and an evidence based culture.
  
• Lead the design and build of data products and services, establishing and enforcing standards for quality, documentation, and maintainability.
  
• Define the processes needed to achieve operational data excellence, including analytics and integration of processes and systems to deliver efficiencies.
  
• Establish and maintain metadata management practices that ensure data assets are discoverable, documented, and understood across SFC.
  
• Define data governance policies and standards, working with information governance colleagues to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
  
• Implement data cataloguing and lineage tracking to support audit, accountability, and operational resilience.
  
• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of data engineers, providing technical guidance on data product and service development.
  
• Build data engineering capability through technical leadership, skills development, and career progression.
  
• Provide appropriate advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
  

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• Substantial experience delivering data products and solutions using Microsoft Azure data technologies, with demonstrable expertise in modern Lakehouse architecture (e.g. Microsoft Fabric, Delta Lake).
  
• Strong programming capability in Python and T-SQL, with experience of test-driven development practices.
  
• Demonstrable experience in data architecture design, including data modelling, integration patterns, and platform migration.
  
• Strong experience with distributed data processing frameworks (Apache Spark or equivalent).
  
• Understanding of CI/CD principles and their application to data engineering workflows.
  
• Experience leading and developing data engineering teams, with a track record of building capability and establishing standards.
  
• At least two substantial data migration projects delivered end-to-end, ideally involving system integration or platform consolidation.
  
• Experience managing cost, schedule, quality, and risk across technical delivery, whether with internal teams or third-party suppliers.
  
• Track record of leading cultural or capability change within a data, analytics, or technology function.
  
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and influence at senior levels.
  
• Experience establishing or significantly improving data governance practices within an organisation.
  
• Strong organisational abilities to manage diverse and changing workloads while maintaining quality standards.