Head of Data Engineering

RWS Group; Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm seeks a Head of Data Engineering to lead the data infrastructure design and development. You will manage a global team of Data Engineers, partner with product managers, and drive the adoption of modern cloud technologies like GCP. Ideal candidates have over 3 years of experience in engineering teams focused on data and a strong architectural understanding of distributed data systems.

Qualifications

• 3+ years leading engineering teams focused on data infrastructure.
• Strong architectural understanding of data systems and warehousing.
• Significant hands-on proficiency with GCP services.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and oversight of core data platform infrastructure.
• Manage and mentor a diverse global team of Data Engineers.
• Define and execute technical strategy and architecture decisions.

Skills

Leading engineering teams

Distributed data systems

GCP services

Coaching and developing teams

Agile methodologies

Data platform feature delivery

Data Mesh operating model

Tools

BigQuery

Microsoft Data Stack

Azure cloud services

Job description

Head of Data Engineering at RWS Group

The Head of Data Engineering at RWS Group will lead the design, development, and maintenance of the core data infrastructure powering our enterprise data products and analytics capabilities. This role is crucial for enabling a modern Data Mesh operating model, empowering domain teams across the organization to own and serve high‑quality data products independently.

You will manage and mentor a diverse global team of Data Engineers (UK, Czechia, India, Poland), partner with Product Management and business SMEs, and drive the adoption of modern cloud technologies such as GCP, DataOps, and FinOps practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical design and oversight for development of core data platform infrastructure, supporting the shift to a Data Mesh operating model.
• Directly manage, coach, and mentor a global team of Data Engineers, fostering technical ownership, collaboration, and quality.
• Define and execute the technical strategy and architecture decisions across on‑premise and cloud‑based implementations, evaluating new technologies (GCP, BigQuery, Dataform) through PoCs.
• Champion Data Mesh principles by building robust, self‑service data infrastructure enabling domain teams to independently own and serve their data products.
• Partner effectively with Product Managers, Engineering Managers, and business teams to refine and execute the data platform roadmap.
• Contribute as a core member of the Data Governance working group to establish standards, protocols, and discovery mechanisms for secure, reliable data‑as‑product exchange.
• Oversee project execution using Agile methodologies, managing technical risks and dependencies while ensuring adoption of DataOps and FinOps practices for automation and cost efficiency.

Qualifications & Skills

• 3+ years leading engineering teams focused on data infrastructure or platform development.
• Strong architectural understanding of distributed data systems, data warehousing, and modern data architecture patterns.
• Significant hands‑on proficiency with GCP services, including BigQuery and related data ecosystem tools.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop technical teams, drive engineering best practices (Agile, testing, CI/CD, documentation) and manage technical quality.
• Experience delivering major data platform features, managing technical risks, and ensuring stability and performance of production data systems.
• Preferred: experience with Data Mesh operating model, federated governance, and building shared platform components such as automated provisioning, data product scaffolding, or discovery portals.
• Familiarity with data contracts and APIs for exposing data products, and proficiency with Microsoft Data Stack and Azure cloud services.

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at RWS Group by 2x.

RWS embraces DEI and promotes equal opportunity, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. RWS is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at RWS are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation. RWS will not tolerate discrimination based on any of these characteristics.