Lead Data / Software Engineer (£90k–£120k) – FinTech
We’re looking for a Lead Data Engineer with a strong software engineering background to help build and scale a modern, configuration-led data platform using Databricks and Snowflake. This role is ideal for someone who started as a software engineer and has moved into data platforms / distributed systems, and now wants to combine hands-on engineering with team leadership and ownership.
You’ll play a key role in shaping both the technical direction and team growth, as the business transitions from legacy Python workflows and MySQL databases to a cloud-native, engineering-led architecture.
The Role
This is a hands-on leadership position with both technical and managerial responsibilities.
You’ll:
* Act as a technical leader for the data platform
* Lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineers
* Remain hands-on in system design and development
* Drive engineering standards, delivery, and best practices
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
* Design and build scalable backend systems and data-intensive applications
* Define and drive architecture decisions across the data platform
* Develop and optimise data pipelines and services (Python, PySpark)
* Ensure systems are robust, testable, observable, and production-grade
* Own performance, scalability, and reliability across Databricks and Snowflake
* Contribute to long-term platform strategy and technical roadmap
Team Leadership & Management
* Lead and manage a team of engineers (including juniors and mid-levels)
* Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance
* Support hiring and onboarding as the team scales
* Conduct code reviews and promote high engineering standards
* Foster a strong engineering culture and collaborative environment
* Balance delivery with team development and wellbeing
Delivery & Collaboration
* Work closely with product, DevOps, and domain stakeholders
* Translate complex regulatory and business requirements into scalable solutions
* Take ownership of key systems and ensure high-quality delivery
Required Experience
Essential
* Background in software engineering, with progression into data engineering or data platforms
* Experience acting as a Lead Engineer, Tech Lead, or Engineering Manager
* Strong programming skills in Python (or similar backend language)
* Experience building distributed systems or data-intensive platforms
* Strong experience with Spark / PySpark or similar frameworks
* Advanced SQL and experience with large-scale datasets
* Strong grounding in software engineering best practices:
* Clean code, testing, CI/CD
* System design and architecture
* Observability and monitoring
* Proven experience mentoring and developing engineers
* Comfortable balancing hands-on work with leadership responsibilities
Desirable
* Experience with Databricks, Snowflake, or modern data platforms
* Exposure to event-driven architectures (Kafka, etc.)
* Experience with AWS or cloud-native environments
* Background in FinTech or regulated environments
* Experience scaling teams or building functions from early stages
* Track record of modernising legacy systems into cloud-native architectures
Summary
This is a high-impact leadership role for an engineer who:
* Is a software engineer at heart, working in data
* Enjoys building scalable systems and platforms
* Wants to lead a team while staying hands-on
* Is excited to shape both technology and people