Lead Data Engineer

Our client in the beverage industry is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Data Engineer to head up their data engineering function. This individual will be responsible for driving the design, development, and optimization of data pipelines, ensuring data quality and governance, managing platforms and infrastructure, and enabling business insights through effective collaboration with stakeholders. The role will also require strong leadership to guide and mentor a team while aligning data strategy with business and technology objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Architect, build, and maintain scalable, reliable, and efficient data pipelines using modern frameworks.
  
• Optimize existing processes to improve data ingestion, transformation, and delivery.
  
• Implement and enforce robust data quality, lineage, and governance standards.
  
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, regulations, and industry best practices.
  
• Lead the management and enhancement of data platforms, including Denodo and supporting technologies.
  
• Oversee infrastructure capacity, scalability, and performance optimization.
  
• Partner with cross-functional business and technology teams to deliver data solutions that enable actionable insights.
  
• Translate business needs into technical requirements and ensure alignment with organizational strategy.
  
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of data engineers and analysts.
  
• Drive innovation in data engineering practices to support business and technology strategies.
  
• Champion the adoption of modern tools, methodologies, and automation.
  
• Adhere to and promote Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality (SHEQ) standards.
  
• Ensure compliance with company policies and industry regulations within the data function.
  

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
  
• Proven experience as a Data Engineer, with at least 3+ years in a lead or senior role.
  
• Strong expertise with Denodo and data virtualization concepts.
  
• Advanced proficiency in data pipeline development, ETL/ELT frameworks, and performance optimization.
  
• Solid understanding of data governance, data quality, and data management frameworks.
  
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and on-prem/hybrid data environments.
  
• Hands-on knowledge of SQL, Python, and modern data engineering toolsets.
  
• Demonstrated leadership experience, with the ability to mentor and manage teams.
  
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
  
• Exposure to SHEQ standards and practices is advantageous.