Lead Data Engineer

About The Role

Contract type:
Permanent

Hours:

Full-time, 35 hours

Location:

Head Office, Nottingham (Hybrid working, minimum 2 days per week)

Salary:
Up to £90,000 depending on experience.

Application process:

Please apply via the application button which will direct you to our careers site. If you require any adjustments to assist you in applying, please contact

We’re on an exciting journey to build a brand-new greenfield Data Platform using Microsoft Fabric in Azure, unlocking next generation insights, innovation and personalised experiences for our members.

As our Lead Data Engineer, you’ll take a hands-on role in designing, building and running this capability from the ground up. Partnering with our Head of Data, you’ll set the technical foundations, create engineering standards and develop reusable frameworks that power enterprise grade integration, analytics, AI and regulatory reporting.

This is a unique chance to influence the entire data ecosystem, from architecture and ingestion through to consumption and innovation, in a forward-thinking organisation that champions curiosity, inclusivity and positive change.

Here’s a taste of what you will be doing as Lead Data Engineer Nottingham Building Society -

• Build a Cutting-Edge Data Platform
  :
  Design, develop and operate a scalable, secure and high-performing Data Platform using Microsoft Fabric technologies such as One Lake, Lakehouse/Warehouse, Data Factory, Synapse, Power BI and Fabric pipelines.

• Create Robust Data Integration Frameworks
  :
  Develop and maintain ingestion and transformation processes connecting multiple internal and external sources including Sopra Banking Services, Salesforce, CACI and Experian.

• Select the Right Tools for Every Challenge
  :
  Choose the most suitable Fabric workloads for each use case, from Data Engineering and Spark to Real-Time Analytics, Data Science and Power BI.

• Define Models and Structures for Insight
  :
  Implement data models, Lakehouse structures and orchestration patterns that enable self-service BI, single customer view, regulatory reporting and AI/ML capabilities.

• Champion Data Security and Governance
  :
  Establish role-based security patterns, ensure data quality, lineage and observability using Microsoft Purview and other governance tools.

• Embed Modern Engineering Practices
  :
  Lead the adoption of Data Ops and Dev Ops principles with Azure Dev Ops, Git integration, infrastructure-as-code and automated CI/CD pipelines.

• Mentor and Inspire Engineering Excellence
  :
  Guide and support a growing team of Data Engineers, promoting best practices, code reviews and continuous improvement.

• Drive Innovation and Strategic Thinking
  :
  Act as the technical authority for Microsoft Fabric, stay ahead of emerging features and help shape the Society’s long-term data strategy.

About you

Extensive Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of Microsoft Fabric components including One Lake, Lakehouse/Warehouse, Delta Lake, Direct Lake, Data Factory, Spark (PySpark/Scala) and Power BI (DAX and semantic modelling).

Advanced Programming and Data Engineering

Skills:

Proficient in Python, SQL and T-SQL with experience in PySpark; familiarity with KQL for real-time analytics and robust ELT design using medallion architectures.

Proven Experience in Modern Data Platforms: Track record of building and operating Azure-based data platforms, ideally in greenfield or transformational contexts, with integration across on-premise, cloud and third-party sources.

Strong Cloud and Governance Knowledge: Hands-on experience with Azure services (ADLS Gen2, Event Hubs, Key Vault, Purview) and governance tools for data quality, lineage and compliance; awareness of AWS/GCP is a plus.

Expertise in Engineering Best Practices: Skilled in CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code and automation using Azure Dev Ops; experienced in setting coding standards, reviewing designs and embedding reusable frameworks.

Leadership and Mentoring Ability: Proven capability to lead or mentor small technical teams, fostering collaboration, code quality and continuous improvement across multi-workstream deliveries.

Inclusive and Purpose-Led Approach: Collaborative, curious and quality-driven, with strong…