Lead Data Engineer, Financial Services
Belfast | Permanent | Hybrid
- Senior-level individual contributor / lead role within a growing Belfast practice
- Databricks on Azure at the core of the tech stack
- Financial Services domain: risk, trading, compliance, and regulatory data
- Hybrid working from Belfast city centre
- Salary: competitive, reflecting seniority and market rates
About the Organisation
Our client is a global professional services firm with a dedicated AI and Data practice focused on Financial Services. They work with some of the most complex and heavily regulated institutions in the sector. Their Belfast team is expanding specifically to build a Data Engineering capability, making this an opportunity to shape something from the ground up within a well-resourced, globally connected environment.
The Role
This is a senior, hands-on technical leadership position within the AI and Data team. You will take ownership of Data Engineering capability in Belfast, with an initial focus on Databricks delivery for Financial Services clients. You will lead the design and build of scalable data solutions, guide junior engineers, and act as the technical authority on complex data transformation and migration programmes. You will work closely with both technical and business stakeholders, translating regulatory and commercial requirements into robust data architecture.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and implementation of scalable data architecture solutions using Databricks on Azure
- Architect and optimise data pipelines for structured and unstructured financial data, ensuring performance, reliability, and compliance
- Stand up and operationalise Databricks platforms, including workspace setup, cluster configuration, and CI/CD integration
- Lead large-scale data migrations from legacy platforms to Databricks with minimal disruption and high data fidelity
- Drive adoption of Delta Lake, Apache Spark, and MLflow for analytics and machine learning use cases
- Establish best practices for data governance, lineage, and metadata management within Databricks
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align data architecture with financial regulations (GDPR, Basel III, MiFID II)
- Lead performance tuning, cost optimisation, and security hardening of Databricks on Azure
- Mentor and provide technical leadership to data engineers and analysts across financial domains
- Translate client business needs into data products that support real-time decision-making and predictive modelling
What You'll Need
Essential
- Proven track record delivering large-scale Databricks data transformations in production environments
- Relevant Databricks industry certifications
- Deep understanding of Financial Services data needs across risk, trading, compliance, or regulatory domains
- Experience leading and building high-performing data engineering teams
- Ability to engage confidently with senior stakeholders and manage large cross-functional programmes
- Strong grasp of cloud-based data technologies and emerging trends, with a clear view on market direction
- Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to bridge technical and business audiences
- Degree-level education (2:1 or equivalent preferred); strong candidates from alternative academic paths also considered
Nice to Have
- Experience operating within or alongside regulated financial institutions
- Exposure to Data Science, ML, or AI solution delivery
Why Apply?
- Join a growing Belfast team at the formation stage, with real influence over how the practice is built
- Work on complex, high-stakes data programmes in one of the most technically demanding sectors
- Access to global resources, training, and career development within a large professional services network
- Hybrid working model with a Belfast city centre base
- Competitive salary
- Supportive, high-trust environment with genuine autonomy and senior visibility
How to Apply
If this sounds like the right move, we'd love to hear from you. Connect with us on LinkedIn or submit your CV via the link below. For a confidential conversation before applying, reach out directly to the Ocho team.