Lead Data Engineer

About The Role

Hippo is a rapidly growing digital consultancy passionate about building and delivering transformative digital solutions for a diverse range of Public and Private sector clients. We are recruiting for a Lead Data Engineer to join our Hippo Herd. We work at the intersection of strategy, design, and technology to solve complex problems and create lasting value. Our collaborative and agile culture empowers our teams to make a genuine impact.

As a Lead Data Engineer, you will play an important role in making Hippo the best Consultancy out there. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team combining data, design, product, delivery, analysis and engineering to deliver bespoke digital services that make a positive and meaningful impact on organisations and society. We're confident in our abilities, authentic in our approach, and passionate about what we do.

You will act as a Lead Consultant providing technical expertise in data engineering practices both internally and to our clients. Lead Data Engineers at Hippo are experts in their field, leaders of people and teams, who drive strategic technical deliverables while maintaining high-level client relationships.

Our solutions empower our customers to build and support secure, scalable, and well-engineered systems beyond traditional boundaries. We leverage deep data insights and continuous innovation to deliver awesome platforms that allow our customers to understand and get the most from their data and digital services. The Lead Data Engineer will be a key player and implementer in this mission.

• Act as a technical SME within the Hippo engineering community to ensure user‑centred software is developed based on business requirements and best practice.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to explore, design and deliver solutions to complex client problems.
• Design and manage software development and deployment pipelines, resolving issues and potential bottlenecks before they occur.
• Continuously review and prioritise the delivery team's workload and anticipate the need for realignment with evolving priorities.
• Be a strong communicator and presenter, presenting solutions and progress to internal and external stakeholders in a clear, concise manner.
• Build great relationships with your team and stakeholders, identifying and ensuring that challenges are overcome.
• Lead in the recruitment and on‑boarding of other engineers, and support consultants in their professional development.
• Lead on new business opportunities, writing technical bids and proposals.
• Promote Hippo’s Data Herd externally through writing blogs, workshops, or speaking at conferences.

• Excellent experience delivering in Python and experience with at least one other core language.
• Excellent experience of SQL and relational databases.
• Solid experience of Cloud providers such as AWS, Azure or GCP.
• Solid experience of working with Snowflake and dbt.
• Strong experience of working with different data formats, e.g., CSV, JSON and XML.
• Expertise in building reliable Data Pipelines.
• Experience operating as a technical leader on complex projects and able to manage stakeholder expectations.
• Expertise in coaching and guiding others on the best way to achieve an optimal solution.
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills, able to articulate in both technical/non‑technical terms depending on the audience.
• Mastery of working in an Agile Environment and CI/CD practices.
• Ability to define working procedures and methodologies for the team.

• Knowledge of No
  
  SQL databases.
• Experience in Data Modelling is highly desirable.
• Broader knowledge of IT — e.g., Security and Networking.

• Contributory Pension Scheme (Hippo 6% & Employee 2%)
• 25 Days Holiday plus UK Public Holidays
• Perkbox access for a wide range of discounts
• Critical illness cover
• Life assurance and death in service cover
• Volunteer days
• Cycle-to-work scheme for the avid cyclists
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme
• Season ticket loans
• Financial and general wellbeing sessions
• Flexible benefits scheme with options of:
• Private health cover
• Private dental cover
• Additional…