Job Description
Data Platform ManagerUK / Remote Circa £70k per annum + 15% bonus & benefits
Are you ready to take ownership of a data platform and shape how data drives business decisions? This is a rare opportunity to step into a leadership role where you'll combine hands-on data engineering with strategic product management, all while building and mentoring a high-performing team.
You'll play a pivotal role in evolving a modern data platform (Microsoft Fabric / Azure Synapse), ensuring it delivers real business value, scalability, and innovation. If you're passionate about data, leadership, and building robust data solutions-this is one you don't want to miss.
What you'll be doing
* Own the end-to-end lifecycle of a core data platform, from design and build through to release, optimisation, and retirement
* Collaborate closely with product owners and data scientists to align platform capabilities with business needs
* Lead datalake migration initiatives, including consolidation of legacy data, medallion architecture design, schema evolution, and cutover planning
* Provide hands-on data engineering expertise, building and optimising PySpark pipelines
* Ensure data is secure, high-quality, accessible, and structured for maximum business value
* Drive best practice in data governance, cataloguing, lineage, and standards across the organisation
* Promote data re-use and reduce duplication across systems
* Oversee ETL processes, data integration, and BI architecture
* Manage and develop a small, high-performing data team, including mentoring, 1:1s, and continuous improvement initiatives
* Work closely with stakeholders across operations, analytics, and reporting teams
* Ensure compliance with data protection regulations and internal policies
What you'll bring
* Strong hands-on experience in data engineering, including PySpark and production data pipelines
* Experience with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse, or similar platforms (e.g. Databricks, AWS)
* Proven ability to design and manage scalable data pipelines, models, and schemas
* Solid SQL and relational database expertise
* Experience with datalake migration concepts (medallion architecture, incremental loads, backfill, cutover)
* Strong understanding of data governance, quality, and lifecycle management
* Experience with BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau
* Knowledge of DevOps practices (Git, Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines)
* Strong Python skills and experience with APIs/data integration tools
* Understanding of data protection regulations
* Leadership experience with the ability to mentor and develop teams
* Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills
Desirable: Experience with project management methodologies, SDLC tools, and awareness of emerging data trends
If you've held any of these roles or used these technologies/skills, this role could be a great fit: Data Product Manager, Data Engineering Lead, Lead Data Engineer, Azure Data Engineer, Data Platform Manager, Analytics Engineering Manager, Cloud Data Engineer, BI & Data Lead, PySpark Engineer, Databricks Engineer, Head of Data Engineering.
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