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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Head of Data Engineering - **Company:** Hays plc - **Location:** Manchester, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Data Analysis, Data as a Services, Data Architecture, Information Engineering, Data Infrastructure, Data Integration, Extract Transform Load (ETL), Metadata, Oracle Databases, Power BI, Sql Optimization, Data Management, Data Pipelines, Databricks - **Published:** September 2, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.hays.co.uk/job-detail/head-of-data-engineering-manchester_4824373 ## About the Role * Proven experience leading enterprise-scale Data Engineering teams * Strong background in Data Architecture, Governance and Data Modelling * Advanced SQL expertise * Databricks, Power BI and Oracle platform experience * ETL / ELT development and data integration * Data Quality, Metadata, Master Data & Lineage Management * Service ownership, roadmap planning and technical leadership * Stakeholder engagement across technical and business functions * Experience working with Finance, ERP or Corporate Services data environments is highly desirable ## Description We're supporting a major digital transformation programme seeking an experienced Head of Data Engineering to lead the design, governance and delivery of enterprise-scale finance data services. This is a senior technical leadership role responsible for shaping data engineering strategy, architecture standards and the development of secure, scalable and reusable data products that support analytics, AI, automation and digital services. Working across Finance, Digital and Technology teams, you'll drive the adoption of modern data platforms, improve data quality and governance, and lead the migration away from legacy solutions. You'll oversee the design and delivery of complex data models, ETL/ELT pipelines and integrations, while ensuring compliance with organisational standards, finance controls and governance requirements. The role also carries responsibility for service ownership, roadmap planning, technical standards, continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement at all levels. Key Skills & Experience * Proven experience leading enterprise-scale Data Engineering teams * Strong background in Data Architecture, Governance and Data Modelling * Advanced SQL expertise * Databricks, Power BI and Oracle platform experience * ETL / ELT development and data integration * Data Quality, Metadata, Master Data & Lineage Management * Service ownership, roadmap planning and technical leadership * Stakeholder engagement across technical and business functions * Experience working with Finance, ERP or Corporate Services data environments is highly desirable This opportunity would suit a Head of Data Engineering, Principal Data Engineer, Data Engineering Manager, Lead Data Architect or Data Platform Lead looking to play a key role in a large-scale transformation programme and influence the future direction of data services across the organisation. If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career. #4824373 - Chris ## Related Videos - [Beyond Dashboards: Fixing Text-to-SQL with Semantic RAG](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2036-beyond-dashboards-fixing-text-to-sql-with-semantic-rag) - [Fully Orchestrating Databricks from Airflow](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/336-fully-orchestrating-databricks-from-airflow) - [A Data Mesh needs Open Metadata](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/505-a-data-mesh-needs-open-metadata) - [From Messy Queries to Scalable Systems - How Data Engineering actually works](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100203-from-messy-queries-to-scalable-systems-how-data-engineering-actually-works) - [Enjoying SQL data pipelines with dbt](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/823-enjoying-sql-data-pipelines-with-dbt) - [The CHRO Agenda: Navigating AI Regulation and Organizational Change](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1879-the-chro-agenda-navigating-ai-regulation-and-organizational-change) ## Related Articles - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Data Analyst Salary in the UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/278-data-analyst-salary-in-the-uk) - [Coffee with Developers - Maria Apazoglou - Making AI understandable for all in production](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/475-coffee-with-developers-maria-apazoglou-making-ai-understandable-for-all-in-production) - [Making Data Warehouses Fast: A Developer’s Story](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/107-making-data-warehouses-fast-a-developer-s-story) - [Top Big Data Technologies That You Need to Know](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/108-top-big-data-technologies-that-you-need-to-know) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london)