Lead Data Engineer (Fintech)

TL;DR

Lead Data Engineer (Cloud/AI): Leading the data engineering capability for the Security Data and AI lab to build intelligent, proactive defence systems with an accent on scalable data pipelines and secure-by-design principles. Focus on defining the data engineering strategy, owning production-grade foundations for AI/ML, and mentoring a high-performing engineering culture.

Location: Hybrid (minimum 2 days per week in office) in Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds, or Manchester, UK

Salary: £92,701 - £109,060

Company

A pioneering financial institution transforming the future of finance and security through AI-driven capabilities.

What you will do

• Shape and lead the lab’s data engineering capability, defining the strategy and technical roadmap.
• Design, build, and operate scalable data platforms and pipelines within a complex enterprise environment.
• Enable production-grade data foundations for AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics.
• Embed secure-by-design principles and engineering best practices including CI/CD, automated testing, and observability.
• Partner with Security, Cloud, Architecture, and Product teams to deliver high-impact outcomes.
• Mentor engineers and foster a high-performing engineering culture.

Requirements

• Proven experience leading technical delivery and mentoring engineers in a senior or lead capacity.
• Strong experience designing and operating scalable data platforms in complex environments.
• Experience with cloud-native data platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP).
• Deep understanding of data modelling, quality, metadata, lineage, and governance principles.
• Proficiency in engineering best practices such as CI/CD and version control.
• Must be based in the UK and able to work hybridly from the specified office locations.

Nice to have

• Exposure to MLOps or SMLOps tooling and model lifecycle management.
• Experience supporting AI/ML pipelines and feature engineering.
• Knowledge of AI governance and secure adoption of generative or agentic AI.
• Experience working in security-focused or regulated environments.
• Familiarity with event-driven or streaming data architectures.

Culture & Benefits

• Generous pension contribution of up to 15%.
• Annual performance-based bonus and share schemes.
• 30 days of holiday plus bank holidays.
• Flexible working options and extensive wellbeing initiatives.
• Inclusive environment with strong commitments to diversity, equity, and disability support.