Head Of Data Engineering

N Brown – who we are and why work for us?

At N Brown, we’re committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that values equality for all. Our vision is that by ‘championing inclusion, we’ll become the most loved and trusted fashion retailer’. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are, therefore, at the heart of our culture.

We’re a forward-thinking digital retailer with a financial services proposition to be proud of. We’re customer-obsessed, serving them through three core brands: JD Williams, Simply Be, and Jacamo. We’re experienced, with over 160 years of trading under our belt. We’re inclusive, as we believe in fashion without boundaries; and we’re sustainable, striving to make as little impact on the planet as possible.

The role

We are in search of a forward-thinking and accomplished Head of Data Engineering to spearhead our efforts at N Brown. The ideal candidate will be a harmonious blend of technical proficiency and strategic leadership, balancing the management and growth of a high-performing Data Engineering team, with the build of a cloud-native secure, flexible, and scalable Analytics Platform to help outpace competition.

We value a leader who recognises what excellence entails and can guide our team towards realising it. This role demands a combination of thought leadership, effective management and mentoring, and occasional hands-on technical work across an on-prem and hybrid-cloud estate 

What’s in it for you?

• Hybrid working  
• 24 days holiday (+ 8 bank holidays) with the option to buy an additional 10 days
• Annual bonus scheme
• Enhanced maternity and adoption leave
• Access to Apricity, a self-funding IVF benefit at a reduced rate
• Company pension with up to 8% N Brown contribution
• Mental Health support both internally and externally, including access to our wellbeing champions and counselling services
• A range of financial wellbeing support
• Colleague discount across all N Brown brands
• Onsite café with subsidised rates and local restaurant discounts!
• Life Assurance and Private Medical Insurance
• Paid volunteer time – all our colleagues can take a full day paid to volunteer for a charity of their choice

What will you do as an Head of Data Engineeringat N Brown?

• Lead and engage in Data Engineering tasks, with a focus on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) technologies to create robust data solutions.
• Work closely with both internal and external stakeholders to comprehend and fulfil data requirements, while effectively communicating complex technical concepts.
• Propel the advancement of a state-of-the-art Analytics Platform, ensuring it addresses current demands and foresees future trends.
• Ensure the continuous and efficient operation of existing data systems and infrastructure, identifying and resolving issues promptly to maintain system integrity and performance.
• Cultivate, lead, and mentor a top-performing Data Engineering team, encouraging a culture of continuous learning and professional advancement.
• Ensure adherence to data governance and security requirements, with a focus on the integrity and trustworthiness of Data.
• Champion the transition from traditional analytics to a data-driven methodology, endorsing innovation and best practices in data management.
• Collaborate with the Director of Data and other key figures to formulate data strategy and convert business needs into technical solutions.
• Oversee key contracts with third-party vendors and service providers, ensuring value for money and alignment with organisational goals.

What skills and experience will you have?

• Proven experience with cloud-native Analytics/Data Platforms.
• A solid understanding of modern cloud data stack architectures and solutions, headless BI, analytics engineering, data meshes and lake-houses.
• Experience with Google Cloud products (BigQuery, GCS, Cloud Composer, Dataflow etc.) or similar products from other cloud platforms
• Agile development methodologies.
• Proven capability in leading and nurturing high-performing teams.
• Ability to effectively bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Capacity to innovate, integrate analytics into business workflows, and a comprehensive understanding of Data governance, quality, and security.
• Experience with data visualisation tools such as PowerBI, Tableau and/or Looker.
• Experience with legacy on-prem data estates such as Teradata and Mainframe.
• Appreciation of Data management, analytics, science, and visualisation workflows and data needs.

What Technical Experience are we looking for?

• Data orchestration platforms, e.g., Airflow, Mage.
• Application lifecycle management: Jira, Confluence.
• Source control: Git, GitLab.
• Database management - SQL Queries, DDL/DML.
• Scripting languages, e.g. Python, Shell script, Perl, etc.
• Data Transformation e.g., DBT.

Ways of Working

We offer hybrid working which varies across the business depending on the role you’re in. For this role, the expectation would be 1 day per week Our Head Office is located in the Northern Quarter in Manchester City Centre. So if you are travelling by train, tram or bus we’re perfectly located, plus we’re surrounded by cool cafes, trendy bars and the best places to eat!

Our working hours are 36.17 per week and our core working hours are between 10am - 4pm. Given we don’t have strict working hours you can find the working pattern that’s right for you.

Our promise to you:

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

What happens when you apply to a role at N Brown?

As soon as we receive your application, we’ll send you an email to let you know. We always aim to come back to you as soon as possible with an update and we really appreciate you taking the time to apply for a role with us. Good luck!