Lead Data Engineer

• Business Area: Information Technology (IT)
• Primary Location: United Kingdom-London-London Luton Airport
• Organisation: Information Technology (IT)
• Schedule: Full-time

We are easyJet – a FTSE-250 listed, £multi-billion low-cost airline that serves tens of millions of customers every single year. If you’re reading this, you have probably already been an easyJet customer, and you’ll know that there is no more iconic (or Orange!) travel brand in Europe.

We fly more than 1,207 routes, connecting 38 countries across Europe, and employ more than 18,000 colleagues. We’re on a mission to make low-cost travel easy – and whatever your role here, you’ll connect millions of people to what they love using Europe’s best airline network, great value fares, and friendly service.

What makes us easyJet? Our Promise Behaviours – we are Safe, Bold, Welcoming and Challenging. Four Behaviours. One Spirit. One easyJet.

Job Purpose

This is a senior technical and leadership position, ideal for candidates with strong experience in cloud-based data engineering, team management, and a passion for innovation. The role offers significant responsibility, opportunities for professional growth, and a comprehensive benefits package within a leading European airline.

Job Accountabilities

• Lead technical design, delivery, and implementation of data solutions within easyJet’s IT estate.
• Manage and develop a team of Data Engineers and Analytics Engineers.
• Champion distributed data platforms and drive adoption of data products.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver enterprise-level data solutions.
• Identify and champion new technologies and methods in data engineering.
• Ensure solutions meet technical standards and business requirements.
• Deputise for the Data Engineering technology manager as needed.
• Required skills include leadership, team management, technical expertise in cloud and big data, and strong communication.
• Desirable experience includes airline industry knowledge, AI solution adoption, and cloud-based OLAP.

Requirements of the Role

Key Skills & Behaviours

• Effective team management (onshore and offshore).
• Support for agile delivery and project estimation.
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Complex problem-solving and process-driven approach.
• Passion for technology and hands-on learning.

Technical Skills Required

• Strong understanding of data concepts, modelling, and warehousing.
• Experience with cloud-based, big data distributed systems.
• Proficiency in Python, software development, and release engineering (TDD, CI/CD).
• Experience with Apache Spark or similar frameworks.
• Strong SQL skills.
• Familiarity with cloud-based big data technologies (e.g., HDFS, Spark, Kafka, Delta, Hive).
• Experience with enterprise scheduling tools (e.g., Airflow).
• Linux and containerisation experience.
• Cloud computing (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Understanding of data management, security, and privacy (e.g., GDPR).

Desirable

• Airline industry experience.
• Experience with AI solution adoption and regulatory/data privacy in data lakes.
• Cloud-based OLAP and infra-as-code (e.g., Terraform).
• Experience with modern lakehouse platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake).
• Solution architecture background and data lake migrations

Familiarity with data science and analytics tooling (e.g., MLFlow, Tableau, Power BI).

How to Apply:
If you are a self-starter who can identify opportunities to drive greater success for the team and have a track record of building strong relationships with internal stakeholders, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our dynamic team!

What you’ll get in return:

At easyJet, we pride ourselves on a vibrant and inclusive workplace culture that supports and rewards innovation and excellence.

We offer:

• Competitive base salary
• 20% bonus potential.
• 25 days holiday, pension scheme, life assurance, and a flexible benefits package.
• Discounted staff travel scheme for friends and family
• Annual credit for discount on easyJet holidays
• ‘Work Away’ scheme, allowing you to work abroad for 30 days a year
• Electric vehicle lease salary sacrifice scheme

Location & Hours of Work

We operate a hybrid working policy of 40%-60% of the month spent with colleagues.

We look forward to your application and the possibility of you flying high with our team!

Application Process:
Interested candidates should apply through our careers portal.

Reasonable Adjustments:
At easyJet, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse customers we serve across Europe. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds. If you require specific adjustments or support during the application or recruitment process, such as extra time for assessments or accessible interview locations, please contact us at ma.recruitment@easyjet.com. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure accessibility and accommodation