Data Platform Engineer

We're looking for an experienced Data Platform Engineer to help lead the evolution of our data platform as we transition from existing SQL Server environments to a modern, cloud-first Azure ecosystem.

This is a hands-on engineering role with significant influence. You'll own the reliability, security, performance and continuous improvement of our data platforms while helping shape the architecture, tooling and operational practices that support the next generation of data and analytics capabilities across the business.

Working closely with engineering, architecture, operations and data teams, you'll play a key role in our adoption of Azure-native services and Microsoft Fabric, helping to build a resilient, scalable and secure platform that supports business growth and innovation.

Why This Role Matters Data is at the heart of our business. As our Data Platform Engineer, you'll ensure our platforms are robust, secure and high-performing while driving modernisation initiatives that improve developer experience, operational efficiency and business outcomes.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Lead the transformation of our data platform towards Azure and Microsoft Fabric.
• Influence engineering standards, platform strategy and best practices.
• Solve complex performance, scalability and resilience challenges.
• Drive automation, observability and operational excellence.
• Work with modern cloud technologies in a highly regulated environment where reliability and security genuinely matter.

What You'll Own

• The performance, availability, security and operational health of our SQL Server and Azure SQL environments.
• Database performance optimisation, capacity planning and resilience engineering.
• Monitoring, alerting and observability across the data platform using Azure-native tooling.
• Backup, recovery, business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Security and governance controls, including Entra ID integration, RBAC, auditing, encryption and access management.
• Support for cloud migration and modernisation initiatives, helping move legacy workloads towards Azure-native architectures.
• Technical guidance and collaboration with engineering teams to improve database design, data access patterns and application performance.
• Continuous improvement activities, including incident response, root cause analysis and platform automation.

You're an engineer who enjoys ownership, values continuous improvement and takes pride in building reliable, secure and scalable platforms. You're equally comfortable solving deep technical challenges, driving automation and collaborating with others to improve the way technology is delivered.

Experience in financial services or mortgages would be advantageous, but it's not essential. We're more interested in your technical expertise, engineering mindset and ability to make a meaningful impact.

Essential

• Strong experience administering and optimising SQL Server environments, including high availability, disaster recovery, replication, patching and maintenance.
• Expertise with Azure SQL Database, including performance tuning, geo-replication, backup and recovery, scalability and cost optimisation.
• Advanced SQL, T-SQL and database design skills, including data modelling and query optimisation.
• Deep experience troubleshooting performance issues using execution plans, indexing strategies, Query Store, Extended Events and workload analysis.
• Strong PowerShell and Python scripting skills.
• Experience implementing monitoring, observability and alerting solutions using Azure-native services.
• Strong knowledge of Azure security and governance, including Entra ID, RBAC, PIM, managed identities and Defender for SQL.
• Experience working within regulated, security-conscious or highly governed environments.
• Knowledge of Azure networking and secure connectivity patterns.
• Experience supporting cloud migration, platform modernisation or transformation initiatives.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, sound judgement and a proactive engineering mindset.

Desirable

• Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, Bicep or Azure automation tools.
• Experience with Microsoft Fabric and wider Azure data services.
• Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices, operational resilience and SLA/SLO frameworks.
• Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines and database DevOps practices.
• Experience with NoSQL technologies such as Cosmos DB or MongoDB.
• Familiarity with Redgate tooling., 1. You must act with integrity

2. You must act with due care, skill, and diligence
3. You must be open and cooperative with the FCA, the PRA and other regulators
4. You must pay due regard to the interests of customers and treat them fairly
5. You must observe proper standards of market conduct
6. You must act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers

Why Join L&C? We care about our customers, but our employees are what make the magic happen. We're always ready to listen and do what we can to make L&C even better for those receiving and providing our services, supporting the day to day running of the business, so working with us means being part of an environment of respect and equity with some great benefits to boot. We're entering a dynamic period and it's a great time to join us, we're already the UK's No.1 online mortgage broker but we don't want to stop there. Joining L&C means: * 25 days starting annual leave, plus your birthday & bank holidays off non inclusive of your holiday allowance * Perkbox benefits hub (comprehensive discounts, perks & wellbeing support) * Buy Holiday scheme * Electric Car Scheme * Employee assistance & wellbeing programmes * Annual Summer & Winter parties and team led social events * …and much more! This is an opportunity to play a key role in a major cloud transformation programme while helping shape the future of data at one of the UK's leading mortgage brokers. If you're excited by modern data platforms, cloud engineering and the chance to influence technology direction, we'd love to hear from you! At London & Country Mortgages, we are committed to fostering a recruitment and selection process that is inherently diverse and inclusive. We believe in the strength that comes from a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively seek to create an environment where individuals from all walks of life feel welcome and valued. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is not just a goal; it is a fundamental part of our organisational culture, driving us to continuously enhance our practices to ensure that every candidate has an equal opportunity to contribute and thrive within our community., L&C Mortgages - Voted the UK's best mortgage broker. Founded in 1999 as a fee free telephone based mortgage broker - free to call and free to use our advice and service. We moved into our office in Bath and launched our first website in 2001. Winning our first award for best mortgage broker in 2002, we've gone from strength to strength, with a further office in Newcastle Upon Tyne, and over 2 million people coming to us for advice on the best mortgage for them. Today we have received over 160 awards and offer both online and telephone support. And we remain proudly fee free.