X
Head of Data Engineering
Hybrid
Permanent
About CAVU
For airports, for partners, for people. We are CAVU.
At CAVU, our purpose is to find new and better ways to make airport travel seamless and enjoyable for everybodyfrom the smallest ideas to the biggest transformations. Every day is an opportunity to create better travel experiences.
From our revenue-accelerating single-platform technology, Propel, through to our world-class hospitality venues including 1903 and Escape Lounges, our solutions make travel smoother for passengers and more profitable for our clients and partners.
We know that to bring your best ideas, you need the space to think, the support to grow, and the freedom to be your authentic self. Whether youre working from our offices, from home, in our lounges, or on the road, we provide an environment where you can create, innovate, and help transform airport travel.
If youre looking for a career where you can make a real impact, bring new ideas to life, and push boundaries, then CAVU is the place for you.
Together, we can reach new heights. Together, we are CAVU.
Whats the role?
CAVU is well into an exciting digital and data transformation journey. With the acquisition of new brands, the expansion of our product portfolio, and a commitment to best-in-class technology, data has become fundamental to how we operate and grow.
As we progress towards a fully event-based architecture with data quality at the heart of everything we do, were now looking for a Head of Data Engineering to join our Data leadership team.
This role will shape, strengthen, and scale our centralised data engineering functionensuring our platforms, pipelines, and architecture are robust, forward-thinking, and fit for the future. Youll bring deep expertise across modern data engineering practices, strong technical solution-design capability (particularly with Databricks), and the leadership to empower a high-performing engineering team.
Key Responsibilities
1. Team Leadership: Lead, manage and mentor a team of data engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, learning, and innovation.
2. Strategic Ownership: Develop and execute the data engineering strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and long-term data ambitions.
3. Data Architecture: Design, oversee, and continually improve CAVUs data storage, processing, and integration architecture.
4. Pipeline Excellence: Ensure the delivery of scalable, high-quality data pipelines for ingestion, transformation and storage.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with data science, analytics, product, and engineering teams to ensure data is accessible, discoverable, and meets CAVU standards.
6. Data Quality & Governance: Establish and champion best practices for data quality, governance, observability, and security.
7. Technology Evaluation: Stay ahead of data engineering trends and evaluate emerging tools to enhance the teams capabilities.
8. Budget & Resource Management: Own the data engineering budget and ensure efficient use of infrastructure and resources.
9. Stakeholder Management: Anticipate issues, remove blockers, and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
About You
Youre a strategic and hands-on data leader with a passion for building scalable systems, high-performing teams, and exceptional data products. Youre motivated by solving complex problems, enabling others to thrive, and shaping the future of data at CAVU.
Qualifications & Experience
10. Strong experience with medallion architecture and Databricks
11. Proficiency with ETL tools (e.g., Rivery) and ML-Ops frameworks
12. Strong programming skills (Python, Scala or Java)
13. Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
14. Excellent communication skills with the ability to bring clarity to complexity
15. Proven ability to anticipate problems and resolve them with ease
Preferred
16. Experience working in a SaaS environment
17. Exposure to machine learning and AI tooling
The Perks
18. 25 days holiday, increasing with service (up to 28)
19. Option to buy up to 10 extra days + 4 flexible bank holidays
20. 10% company pension
21. Annual bonus scheme
22. On-site gym
23. MediCash scheme
24. A range of flexible benefits and discounts, including up to 50% off CAVU products such as Escape Lounges and Airport Parking
25. Rail and retail discounts
26. 2 paid volunteering days per year
27. Access to health & wellbeing events, ID&E activities, and learning opportunities
28. Formal and informal development options, including mentoring programmes and learning grants
29. Enhanced parental leave (T&Cs apply)
The Interview Process
30. Recruiter Screen (approx. 15 minutes) Well cover your experience, motivations, and role fit
31. Skills & Competency Interview
32. Values Interview