Lead Data Engineer

Department: [SBISL] Data Engineering

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Bristol

Compensation: £82,500 - £90,000 / year

Description

What you'll be responsible for:

• Lead the design, development and continuous improvement of scalable data pipelines, platforms and analytical frameworks that support underwriting models, pricing engines, trading performance and portfolio risk analytics.
• Architect and oversee the integration of complex, high-volume data sources, including telematics, claims, policy and third-party datasets, into governed, enterprise-wide analytics solutions.
• Own and manage the pricing data environment within the cloud-based data platform, ensuring optimal performance, reliability, scalability and cost efficiency.
• Partner closely with Pricing, Underwriting, Actuarial and Data Science teams to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that enhance risk selection, pricing strategy and commercial outcomes.
• Champion best practice in data governance, data lineage, security and regulatory compliance, embedding appropriate controls and standards throughout the data ecosystem.
• Drive continuous improvements in platform performance, operational resilience and engineering efficiency, proactively identifying opportunities to optimise processes and technologies.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to Data Engineers, establishing engineering standards, conducting code reviews and fostering a culture of continuous learning and excellence.
• Coordinate and prioritise team activities across multiple pricing and data initiatives, ensuring resources are effectively aligned to business priorities and delivery objectives.
• Lead strategic data initiatives, including platform modernisation, cloud migration activities, tooling evaluations and proof-of-concept projects that strengthen the organisation's analytical capabilities.
• Oversee the development, maintenance and support of pricing data products within the Enterprise Data Platform, ensuring solutions remain reliable, scalable and aligned to business requirements.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders across the business to translate complex requirements into practical, scalable data solutions that deliver measurable value.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the broader data strategy, ensuring data engineering capabilities continue to support business growth, innovation and regulatory obligations.

What you'll need:

• Expert-level proficiency in SQL and Python, with extensive experience developing scalable, production-grade data solutions, data pipelines and automation frameworks within complex data environments.
• Strong expertise in query optimisation, data processing performance tuning and cost-efficient engineering practices across large-scale and high-volume datasets.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Databricks and enterprise data warehousing technologies, such as Snowflake, PostgreSQL or similar platforms.
• Advanced knowledge of data architecture, data modelling and data warehousing principles, including dimensional modelling, medallion architecture design and slowly changing dimensions.
• Proven ability to design and implement scalable Lakehouse and data warehouse solutions that support operational reporting, advanced analytics and machine learning workloads.
• Significant experience building and managing data orchestration frameworks using tools such as Azure Data Factory or equivalent technologies, with a focus on reliability, observability, testing and operational excellence.
• Strong understanding of DevOps and CI/CD practices, including version control, automated testing and deployment pipelines, enabling efficient and secure software delivery.
• Extensive knowledge of data governance, metadata management, data lineage and regulatory compliance requirements, including GDPR, Solvency II and other relevant frameworks.
• Experience embedding governance controls, auditability, security and access management into data platform and solution design.
• Strong understanding of insurance data, particularly within motor underwriting, pricing and claims environments, and the role data plays in supporting risk selection, rating and portfolio performance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Underwriting, Pricing, Actuarial and Data Science teams, translating complex technical concepts into meaningful business outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across technical and non-technical teams.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring, coaching and developing engineers, providing technical leadership, architectural guidance and constructive feedback to support individual and team growth.
• Previous people management experience, including performance management, objective setting, workload planning, resource allocation and career development support.
• Strategic mindset with a passion for innovation, continuous improvement and emerging technologies, driving enhancements to data platforms, engineering practices and analytical capabilities.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to balance technical excellence, business priorities and operational requirements in a fast-paced environment.

Our Benefits

• Hybrid working – 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days over 2 years’ service and 30 days after 5 years’ service. Plus bank holidays!
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Pension scheme – 5% employee, 6% employer
• Flexible working – we will always consider applications for those who require less than the advertised hours
• Flexi-time
• Healthcare Cash Plan – claim cashback on a variety of everyday healthcare costs
• Electric vehicle – salary sacrifice scheme
• 100’s of exclusive retailer discounts
• Professional wellbeing, health & fitness app - Wrkit
• Enhanced parental leave, including time off for IVF appointments
• Religious bank holidays – if you don’t celebrate Christmas and Easter, you can use these annual leave days on other occasions throughout the year.
• Life Assurance - 4 times your salary
• 25% Car Insurance Discount
• 20% Travel Insurance Discount
• Cycle to Work Scheme   
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Community support day