£80,000 to 110,000 GBP Bonus Hybrid WORKING Location: Central London, Greater London - United Kingdom Type: Permanent Lead Data Engineer (Consulting / Public Sector) Salary: Up to £110,000 Bonus We are seeking an experienced Lead Data Engineer with a strong consulting and public sector background to join a high-performing team delivering data-intensive solutions at scale. You will play a key role in designing, developing, and optimising data processing pipelines and software components, while providing technical leadership and coaching to engineers. Key Responsibilities: Lead the development of complex data components and subsystems, taking ownership from design through to testing and defect resolution. Provide hands-on design and development using open source and commercial platforms. Define and enforce development best practices, coaching team members to maintain high-quality code and consistency. Collaborate with architects and stakeholders to ensure non-functional requirements such as performance, robustness, and security are met. Ensure operational readiness in collaboration with Operations teams, including deployment automation and monitoring. Advise clients and managers on technical implications, estimates, and solutions. Contribute to technical proposals and solution design during client engagements. Manage, mentor, and develop a small team of engineers, supporting performance management and career growth. Essential Requirements: Experience leading teams of engineers in implementing data-intensive systems. Proficient in Java, Scala, or Python for software development. Experience with ETL/data-processing platforms (e.g., Informatica, Azure Databricks) and advanced SQL. Strong understanding of distributed data stores, frameworks, and data modelling for analytical and operational use cases. Ability to communicate complex technical designs clearly, both written and verbally. Proven track record in consulting or public sector projects. Interest in emerging technologies, including AI. Desirable Skills: Familiarity with data warehouse methodologies. Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP) in data services. Experience contributing to technology communities or driving continuous improvement initiatives. Practical exposure to AI tools, processes, or delivery. Who You Are: You are a collaborative, determined, and creative engineer who thrives on solving complex problems. You take pride in mentoring your team and delivering high-quality solutions that make a tangible impact for clients.