Cancer Research UK
Data Engineering Manager
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Data Engineering Manager
£81,000–£85,000 (+ Benefits) Stratford, London (Office-based with high flexibility – 1–2 days/week in the office)
Join Cancer Research UK, a mission-driven organisation where everyone’s skills and potential are valued. We’re scaling to beat cancer faster, and we need a visionary Data Engineering Manager to propel our data-led future.
About the Role
The Data Engineering Manager will lead our evolving data engineering strategy, driving innovation in Snowflake, dbt, AWS, and Python while fostering a culture of DataOps excellence, observability, and AI adoption. This hybrid position blends technical leadership with people management, ensuring our data platform scales efficiently, securely, and collaboratively.
What Will You Be Doing?
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Technical Leadership & Architecture
- Own the design, performance tuning, and cost optimisation of scalable Snowflake-based data pipelines.
- Advocate for best-practice dimensional modelling (star schema, Kimball/Inmon) and data warehousing efficiencies.
- Build and maintain high-performance data products using dbt, AWS, and Python, ensuring governance, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
- Implement DataOps principles to automate workflows, improve data quality, and accelerate delivery.
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DataOps & Observability
- Establish observability frameworks (monitoring, logging, alerting) aligned with Data Product maturity criteria.
- Enhance metadata and catalog discoverability, ensuring data governance and inheritance.
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Team Leadership & Growth
- Lead and mentor a team of data engineers, fostering agility, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
- Champion AI tools and agentic work within the team, upskilling engineers for the AI era.
- Coach on software engineering best practices (testing, CI/CD, documentation) and embed design thinking.
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- Stakeholder Collaboration
- Partner with Data, Technology (Engineering/Architecture), and cross-functional teams to deliver impactful insights.
- Translate technical complexity for non-technical stakeholders (e.g., business/RI teams).
Requirements & Qualities
- Experience: Proven leadership (management role) in data engineering with hands-on expertise in:
- Snowflake (performance tuning, cost optimisation, Horizon Catalog, Cortex)
- dbt (modular analytics engineering, transformations, testing)
- AWS (orchestration, serverless, security)
- Python/Orchestration (Airflow, MCP Servers)
- Technical Depth:
- Mastery of data governance, security, compliance (GDPR), and data discovery tools.
- Familiarity with AI copilots, agentic AI, and machine-learning pipelines.
- Strong grasp of observability, CI/CD, and Git for data workflows.
- Soft Skills:
- Inclusive leadership: ability to mentor, empower, and foster a culturally aligned team.
- Translation skills: bridge gaps between technical jargon and business-driven outcomes.
- Problem-solving with a cost-performance balance mindset.
Why This Role Matters
Cancer Research UK is poised to end 75% of cancers by 2034—and this role is pivotal in ensuring our data drives faster, smarter decision-making. You’ll shape tech at a global scale, influence policy, and accelerate personalised medicine.
Salary & Benefits
- Competitive salary: £81,000–£85,000 (+ extensive benefits).
- Flexibility: Up to 2 days/week hybrid working upon oil of arrival.
- Growth: Access to career development, mentorship, and Fuse—a custom learning hub.
- Impact: Contribute to grounded breakthroughs against cancer.
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Organisational Values
We seek candidates who embody:
- Bold: ACT with ambition and courage.
- Credible: DELIVER with rigour and excellence.
- Human: CARE for people and community.
- Together: FOSTER inclusivity and collaboration.
At CRUK, diversity is our strength. Practices from underrepresented groups and those with less traditional qualifications are encouraged to apply—we value potential growth as much as existing knowledge.
How to Apply
- Apply by: 5 July 2026 (external) / 10 July 2026 (internal).
- Anonymised shortlisting: Submit your online application form (no CV until invited to interview).
- Tuesday, 11 July 2024: Tuesday minimum close for advertisements. For urgent queries, contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk.
Need Support?
- Request reasonable adjustments (e.g., extended application time) via the same email link.
- View benefits/policies on our [careers website].
Our Promise
We make flexibility and wellbeing central. Whether parental leave, continuing professional development (CPD), or flexible work arrangements, we tailor support to enable you to thrive in your role.
Join Us
Cancer Research UK unlocks inscredible impact—and the team driving it is at the heart of our success. We invite you to design, lead, and scale with purpose.
“Let’s change lives together.”
Learn more: cancerresearchuk.org/careers | Contact: recruitment@cancer.org.uk | Follow: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
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