Head of Data Platforms & Engineering

Our client is seeking an experienced Data Platforms & Engineering leader to drive the growth of its commercial data and AI capability.

You will lead the design and delivery of modern cloud data platforms using technologies including Snowflake and Databricks, supporting analytics, AI and customer intelligence use cases.

The role combines technical leadership, commercial strategy and senior client engagement. You will shape strategic opportunities, lead presales and POCs, develop partner relationships and provide leadership across multidisciplinary engineering and delivery teams., * Own the commercial data platform proposition across modern cloud technologies, including Snowflake and Databricks.

• Lead client discovery, assessments and POCs, creating clear routes from proof of value through to production.
• Shape target architectures, governance frameworks, operating models and delivery roadmaps.
• Advise clients on data governance, ownership, controls and operating models.
• Develop reusable accelerators covering ingestion, data quality, modelling and orchestration.
• Build relationships with key cloud and data-platform partners to develop joint propositions and pipeline.
• Strengthen bids through platform expertise, client outcomes and relevant accelerators., * Lead presales for strategic opportunities from qualification through solution design, proposals and executive presentations.
• Connect data-platform investment to measurable business outcomes, including analytics, marketing activation, operational efficiency and cost reduction.
• Ensure solutions are technically credible, commercially viable and deliverable.
• Develop clear propositions and roadmaps from POC through implementation and optimisation.

People & Delivery Leadership

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects and delivery professionals.
• Own recruitment, capability development, utilisation and team deployment.
• Provide senior leadership across major programmes and proactively manage delivery risks.
• Build a culture focused on engineering quality, accountability and continuous improvement.

• Proven senior leadership experience within data platforms, data engineering, consulting, systems integration or technology services.
• Experience building and leading large teams of engineers, architects and delivery leaders.
• Strong technical expertise across modern cloud data platforms, including Snowflake and Databricks.
• Experience taking clients from discovery and POC through architecture, platform implementation, adoption and optimisation.
• Strong understanding of data ingestion, orchestration, batch and streaming, data modelling, quality, governance, security and observability.
• Experience establishing data governance frameworks and operating models.
• Track record delivering platforms supporting analytics, data science, customer intelligence or marketing use cases.
• Strong presales experience, including solution shaping, proposal development and executive presentations.
• Proven ability to create pipeline and win work through partnerships, POCs and reusable propositions.
• Credibility engaging with CDO, CIO, CTO and senior commercial stakeholders.