Lead Data Engineer
Amwins Global Risks | London | Permanent
The Opportunity
Amwins Global Risks is building their first dedicated Data Engineering team as part of an ambitious new Data Strategy. This is a rare chance to join a top 10 Lloyd's contributor at the ground floor of their data transformation journey.
This role is perfect for a hands-on technical leader who thrives in entrepreneurial environments - someone who wants to own and build a data platform from the ground up rather than inherit established systems.
The Role in Context
- New team creation: Leading 4-5 Data Engineers in a greenfield environment
- Low data maturity starting point: All the challenges and opportunities that come with building from scratch
- High autonomy: You'll own the data platform and have the freedom to establish technical frameworks
- Reporting to: Ben Sutton, Head of Reporting & Analytics (DataIQ Future Leaders 2025 recipient)
- Technology stack: Azure (Data Factory, Data Lake, DevOps) + Databricks
Key Selling Points
✅ Own the entire data platform - not just maintaining someone else's work
✅ Define technical standards from the ground up
✅ Small but mighty team - high impact, collaborative environment
✅ Hands-on leadership - split between coding and team management
✅ Established, stable company with global reach (800+ employees, 150+ countries)
✅ Investment in growth - flat structure that values expertise and relationships
Ideal Candidate Profile
Must-haves:
- Hands-on coding appetite - this isn't a pure management role
- Team leadership experience - comfortable managing and mentoring engineers
- Advanced skills: SQL, Python, PySpark, Databricks, Azure stack
- Enjoys building from scratch - thrives in low-maturity, high-potential environments
Deal-breakers:
- ❌ Candidates who've "moved away" from hands-on engineering
- ❌ Those uncomfortable with people management responsibilities
- ❌ Anyone seeking established, mature data environments
Target Markets & Approach
Sectors to explore:
- Financial Services (beyond insurance)
- Don't limit to Lloyd's/London Market - we're open to strong engineers from any industry
- Technology companies with strong data engineering practices
- Scale-ups where candidates have built teams/platforms from scratch
Ideal background:
- Principal/Lead Data Engineers looking for more ownership
- Senior Data Engineers ready to step into leadership
- Technical leaders who've built data platforms in challenging environments
Logistics
- Hybrid working: 2-3 days in London office (potentially more initially)
- Start date: Flexible - new role allows for proper onboarding
Key Interview Themes
- Hands-on technical skills - expect coding discussions/challenges
- Leadership philosophy - how they'd build and mentor a new team
- Problem-solving in low-maturity environments - comfort with ambiguity
- Ownership mindset - examples of building systems from scratch
