Job description
Waracle are looking for a Lead Data Engineer for an exciting new role joining our world-class digital technology consultancy and home to a diverse, smart, curious and ambitious community of specialists in technology-driven transformation.
We work with ambitious clients to help them solve their biggest business and customer challenges. We help our clients to innovate and create intelligent digital products and services. We thrive on complex challenges and deliver business-critical IT transformation projects, moving seamlessly from strategy, design and delivery to operations.
This is a Hybrid role working from any of our offices (Glasgow, London, Edinburgh or Dundee) 2 days a week
As a Lead Data Engineer, you will be a critical technical leader, accountable for the technical delivery and overall quality of large-scale data and AI projects. You will act as a consultant, setting the technical direction to meet complex client requirements and translating business priorities into actionable technical strategy. This role requires a strong balance of technical expertise (ensuring performance, cost, and security are balanced in system designs) and leadership (coaching, conflict de-escalation, and driving improvements across multiple teams). You will ensure technical decisions consistently align with client business objectives, making proactive tradeoffs on scope or resources to maintain delivery pace
Key aspects of the role include
- Owning and directing technical delivery for large-scale data projects, maintaining accountability for technical outcomes, solution quality, and proactively making tradeoffs on scope or resources to maintain delivery pace.
- Defining technical strategy by translating client priorities into actionable plans, and ensuring team delivery consistently aligns with business objectives.
- Designing robust data systems while effectively balancing performance, cost, and security requirements.
- Driving best practices by shaping CI/CD and IaC practices across multiple teams, and defining coding, testing, and review standards across the Data & AI practice.
- Resolving complex challenges including sophisticated integration issues across cloud and on-prem systems, and leading root cause analysis and systemic fixes for major incidents.
- Partnering and aligning stakeholders by working with Product/Delivery to align technical decisions with client outcomes, managing expectations on scope and budget, and de-escalating conflicts.
- Leading project execution by facilitating backlog refinement and workshops, guiding the team in tracking delivery metrics (e.g., DORA), and ensuring clear, up-to-date technical documentation is created.
- Leading and coaching the team by ensuring a collaborative, psychologically safe environment, coaching team members regularly, and formally/informally mentoring others in the practice.
- Upholding Waracle’s values on client engagements and driving cross-project improvements in delivery tooling.
What you'll bring
- Proven track record of designing, implementing, and optimising complex, large-scale data pipelines and cloud infrastructure
- Deep expertise in at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP), with working knowledge of a second platform preferred
- Advanced programming skills in Python and SQL, with experience in Scala or Java
- Expert-level knowledge of Infrastructure as Code tooling (Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM templates)
- Comprehensive experience with data processing frameworks (Apache Spark, dbt) and orchestration tools (Apache Airflow, Step Functions)
- Strong command of CI/CD tools and methodologies (GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines, Cloud Build)
- Demonstrable expertise in system design, technical planning, and architectural guidance for distributed data systems
- Exceptional client-facing and consulting abilities, with strong presentation, stakeholder management, and mentoring skills
- Strong understanding and practical application of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)
Recruitment process
The recruitment process you can expect for this role is an initial call with your dedicated Talent Acquisition Partner who will chat with you about Waracle, what you are looking for in a new position, the salary for the role, notice period and benefits (the important stuff!).
After that, you’ll be invited to a two-stage interview process where you have an opportunity to find out more about the role and showcase your skills and experience. Your Talent Acquisition Partner will guide you through the whole process to your first day with us.
Our Benefits
We believe in supporting our team, inside and outside of work. Here's a glimpse of what you can expect:
You'll receive 27 days of annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays, totalling 35 days of holiday to unwind and pursue your passions.
Plan for retirement with our company-matched 5% pension contribution. For added peace of mind, we also offer a Death in Service benefit, providing 2 x your annual salary for your loved ones.
Our Medicash Health Cash Plans help cover everyday healthcare costs, complemented by an Employee Assistance Programme for confidential support, and Group Sickness Cover for peace of mind.
We champion hybrid working, providing a home office setup budget to ensure you're comfortable and productive wherever you are.
Invest in yourself with access to Udemy Business and a dedicated learning and development budget for continuous growth.
Make the most of our Cycle to Work Scheme, and enjoy exclusive gym and retail discounts.
Our enhanced parental leave policies include support for fertility journeys, recognising diverse family needs.
We foster a vibrant culture with regular fun meet-ups and lunch on us in the office once a month. You'll also have the opportunity to make a local impact through Spirit of Waracle, our initiative for getting involved in charitable causes locally, building strong team bonds and giving back.
Our values
To make the world a better place through impactful software
We take pride in delivering high quality work and seeing the impact it has. We are curious, proactive, and always learning; continuously improving ourselves and our skills. We strive for excellence in everything we do. We see every opportunity as a chance to raise the bar - for Waracle, our clients, and for our own professional growth.
We succeed together: whether we’re leading, supporting or learning. We lead with empathy, working as a unified team to understand and appreciate other people’s perspectives and experiences. This commitment to one another empowers everyone to do their best work and reach their full potential. We build trust, celebrate every contribution, and create a space where everyone has the opportunity to shine.
We have big goals, but we don’t try to do everything. We know there are a limited number of hours in a day, so we make every one of them count. We accomplish this by regularly pausing to assess the potential impact of our work, prioritising what matters most and then acting with purpose.
We are transparent in how we think and act. We seek and share context, give and accept feedback, and communicate openly. We take full ownership of what we deliver as individuals and as a team, and hold ourselves accountable. This openness and accountability gives us the clarity and purpose to deliver at our best.
We love what we do and find the fun in each day, celebrating our shared successes and the satisfaction of doing hard work well. We’re in this together, creating space for connection, laughter, and fun. When we look after our clients and each other, and do work we’re proud of, we go home happy.
Frequently-asked questions
Here are some of the things that people tend to ask about working at Waracle.
Absolutely! At Waracle, we welcome both permanent and contract applicants. Each job posting indicates if it's open to contract applications. We offer a diverse range of projects, both within and outside IR35 regulations, catering to various preferences and expertise levels.
We work on a Hybrid working model and offer flexible working hours. We're spread across 4 vibrant UK offices, but our teamwork isn't confined to those spaces, it's all about collaboration! While using the office is encouraged for our teams to work together, each of us has a home office setup, relishing the freedom of hybrid workstyles. As of now, remote work outside the UK isn't part of our standard practice.
As proud sponsors, we're geared up to provide sponsorship for eligible roles. Be sure to view the specific job listing you're interested in to make sure we are accepting applications for sponsorship. If it doesn't quite fit, consider diving into our talent pool for potential future opportunities!
We always want to hear from talented people, join our talent pool 👇 and we'll contact you when a new opportunity becomes available.
Equal Opportunities
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
We are not accepting applications from recruitment agencies.
