Data Engineering & AI BI Lead

Job Description: Job Title: Data Engineering and AI/BI Lead Work Level: 2C Location: United Kingdom Background Data is the most critical asset for any organization, serving as the fuel for both operational excellence and competitive differentiation. However, the value of data is only realized when it is governed, modelled, and accessible. To remain agile, an organization must transition from traditional reporting to an AI-augmented intelligence model. This requires a sophisticated data architecture that prioritizes granular control, autonomy. By integrating AI directly into the data engineering lifecycle and the BI consumption layer, organization moves from "what happened" to "what will happen," providing stakeholders with clarity and speed to action. This role is designed to lead convergence of data and AI, ensuring our data foundations are not only robust but also "AI-ready." Purpose of the Job As part of data foundation architecture and engineering COE, Data Engineering and AI/BI Lead is a high-impact lead role responsible for the strategic direction of data engineering, modelling and AI/BI ecosystem. You will bridge the gap between complex data engineering and business-facing AI/BI solutions. Your primary goal is to codify and automate data excellence working alongside Data and AI solution architecture lead to ensure that every byte of data follows enterprise best practices through AI-driven automation. You will also be the visionary for our BI landscape, evolving it from static dashboards to generative, self-service AI assistants. Key Responsibilities • Strategic Leadership in Data Engineering o Define and document enterprise-wide data engineering and modelling standards in partnership with Solution Architecture. o Establish "Golden Rules" for data contracts and lineage to ensure the organization maintains full control of data at a granular level. • AI-Driven Automation & Governance o Implement AI-based tools to automate code reviews, data quality checks, and documentation within the engineering pipeline. o Ensure adherence to best practices across the organization by leveraging automated "guardrails" within the CI/CD process. • BI Innovation & Tooling Strategy o Lead the evolution of the enterprise BI roadmap, evaluating the tooling landscape (e.g., Power BI, looker, sigma, databricks dashboards) for business fitment and technical longevity. o Partner with Enterprise Architecture (EA) to phase out legacy debt and adopt modern, high-performance visualization frameworks. • AI Foundation Engagement & Integration o Champion the adoption of the internal AI and agentic AI foundation, promoting the reusability of models and responsible AI usage. o Build and deploy AI Assistants integrated with BI tools to allow non-technical users to query data using natural language. • Strategic Roadmap for Self-Service o Develop a multi-year plan for GenAI-powered self-service BI, reducing the dependency on central IT for ad-hoc reporting. o Educate business units on "Responsible AI" to ensure data is used ethically and effectively across the firm. About You • 15 years of experience with 8 years in data & analytics • Experience working with senior stakeholders • Strong communication and influencing skills • Effective team management and proven competency in managing and developing teams • Deep expertise in the Databricks intelligence platform, including orchestration, optimization and delta lake. • Proven experience implementing Unity Catalog for unified governance, discovery, and access control across the data estate. • Working experience with generative AI and embedding gen AI in products • Expert-level knowledge of data modelling techniques (e.g. star schema, SCD) and the ability to apply them to modern cloud warehouses. • Strong proficiency in Python/SQL and building robust ETL/ELT pipelines that are scalable and maintainable. • You have understanding of Power BI’s capabilities, DAX, and its integration with the wider data ecosystem. Leadership & Innovation • Strategic Vision: Ability to translate complex technical needs into a multi-year roadmap that aligns with business outcomes. • CARE DEEPLY: Cares about growth and development of people. Emphasize the importance of performance and care, moving from ambiguity about success to fairness and transparency. • FOCUS ON WHAT COUNTS: Prioritize what truly matters, setting clear and stretching goals. • STAY THREE STEPS AHEAD: Bold and creative thinking to make breakthroughs in performance. • DELIVER WITH EXCELLENCE: Emphasis on delivering everything with excellence while taking ownership and holding each other accountable.