Platform Engineering Lead( Data)

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

As the Platform Data Lead, your mission is to orchestrate the organisation's data infrastructure, ensuring its resilience, scalability, and agility. You'll lead the design, implementation, and optimisation of data platforms, including databases, data lakes, and cloud-based solutions. Your responsibilities span data technologies, security, and performance tuning. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, you'll drive innovation, streamline data workflows, and empower data scientists, analysts, and engineers. Your impact will be felt in every corner of the organisation, enabling efficient data utilisation and strategic decision-making. This role plays a pivotal part in shaping the organisation's data ecosystem, fostering collaboration, and unlocking the full potential of data-driven initiatives.

This is a hands-on architecture role, where you'll collaborate across multiple disciplines to ensure that the design and implementation of solutions align with architectural standards, security practices, and business objectives. You'll guide technical decision-making across a range of areas including data warehousing, metadata and governance, and the integration of hybrid data environments — contributing to both the technical roadmap and day-to-day delivery of new and enhanced solutions.

Here's what the role looks like:

• Responsible for the day-to-day operation of your function as well as defining and reporting against your KPIs and SLAs.
• Supervisory responsibility for your direct reports, including annual goal setting and ongoing performance review.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to your team to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure your function is adequately resourced through capacity plans aligned to business demand, leveraging as appropriate external vendors to offer capacity and capability.
• Drive cross functional alignment both within Data and Digital and the wider functions.
• Lead the design, development, and implementation of an enterprise-wide data platform strategy.
•  Develop and own the operating model for the data platforms function, setting standards for excellence both in the creation of the platforms and in building on the capabilities.
• Manage the ETL lifecycle, introducing, backfilling, evolving, and deprecating data sources against governance practices.
• Manage and continuously improve our CI/CD pipeline and processes aligned to evolving patterns.
• Manage and report on the performance and cost-efficiency of our data platforms, including recommending and implementing opportunities for savings.
• Drive data quality through monitoring and observability tooling.
•  Ensure database technology roadmaps are aligned to requirements and vendor support timelines.
• Drive data projects to completion in a timely whilst delivering business objectives.

• Experience of database management and engineering practices particularly within the Microsoft stack.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate business objectives into data platform solutions that drive measurable value.
•  Demonstrated ability to adapt, learn new technologies and be passionate about new trends.
•  Understanding value levers and be able to translate KPIs to business activity.
• Exposure and experience with cloud data technologies with a bias towards Azure preferred
•  Experience within the Oil and Gas sector would be advantageous.
• Substantial experience in staff leadership and performance management.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate both nearshore and offshore delivery teams.
•  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively at all levels of the organisation.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving capabilities with experience collaborating with various stakeholders.
• Third-party management, working closely with sourcing and vendor managers.

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success.  

We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.  In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package: 

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth. 
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.  We can't promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can. 
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes, an employee assistance programme, discounted cash plan and more.... 

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don't tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we're looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us. 

If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.