Job Description
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Alderley Park (Wilmslow)
Working Style: Hybrid - 50% from home / 50% office based
We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineer to join our evolving Data & AI Operations team within our Group Data & AI Office. This is an opportunity to combine hands-on engineering expertise with operational leadership, helping us strengthen the platforms and practices that support data, AI and automation across Royal London.
You’ll play an important role in shaping standards, improving services and supporting emerging capabilities across Data-Ops, AI-Ops and MLOps. Alongside solving complex technical challenges, you’ll help colleagues grow through coaching, mentoring and clear technical direction.
What you’ll do
- Set standards and promote best practice across Data & AI Operations.
- Lead continuous improvement, including optimising long-running data pipelines and operational processes.
- Support DataOps, AIOps and MLOps activities across the team.
- Oversee the operational monitoring and governance of AI solutions, including emerging agentic AI capabilities.
- Support the implementation and ongoing optimisation of Databricks Genie and wider AI tooling.
- Lead service and incident management activities and contribute to change impact forums.
- Support sprint planning and workload management in an Agile environment.
- Coach and mentor junior colleagues and associate-level engineers.
About you
You’ll be an established Senior Data Engineer who is comfortable providing technical leadership, influencing standards and helping to shape a developing operational capability. You’ll also bring:
- Strong experience with SQL, Python and PySpark.
- Experience across on-premises and cloud-based data environments.
- Knowledge of SQL Server technologies and CI/CD best practice.
- Experience of service management and incident management.
- Experience working in Agile delivery environments.
- A collaborative approach to coaching, mentoring and supporting others.
- An inquisitive mindset and enthusiasm for emerging AI technologies.
It would be great if you also had
- Experience with Databricks.
- Experience with Azure or AWS.
- Exposure to MLOps or AI Operations.
- Experience with Power Apps or the wider Power Platform.
- Experience in financial services.
At Royal London, you’ll be part of a mutual organisation with a strong, people-focused culture. You’ll have the opportunity to influence the direction of a growing Data & AI Operations capability while working with a modern Microsoft and Databricks technology stack. We’re committed to helping you develop, with opportunities including Databricks certifications, Data Academy learning and protected time for growth. You’ll also gain valuable exposure to AI, AIOps, MLOps and emerging agentic AI capabilities.
If you’re excited by the opportunity but don’t meet every requirement, we’d still encourage you to apply. We value different perspectives and experiences, and we’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute and thrive.
About Royal London
We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.
Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.
We've always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance.
Inclusion, diversity and belonging
We’re an inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected – whatever their background.
We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.
Royal London is a purpose-driven mutual. Our Purpose, ‘Protecting today, investing in tomorrow. Together we are mutually responsible’, defines the impact we want to have. It shapes what we do on behalf of our members and customers, financial advisers, our colleagues and the communities in which we operate. Our People Promise is our collective commitment that our workplace will be inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling where all colleagues can thrive and experience a sense of belonging. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.
Our inclusive values and people promise are core to who we are and how we work. It’s good for our people, and good for our customers too, because with an inclusive workplace and a diverse workforce we will reflect our members, customers and communities to deliver the best outcomes.
We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across our organisation. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected– whatever their background.
Workplace Initiatives
Program for parents returning to work after Parental Leave? |
No |
Leadership development programmes? |
Yes |
Mentoring programmes? |
Yes |
Coaching programmes? |
Yes |
Employee-led diversity networks? |
Yes |
Internal women’s networking groups? |
Yes |
Open to discussing flexible work arrangements at interview stage? |
Yes |
No. of weeks paid maternity leave at full salary: |
26 weeks (followed by 13 weeks half pay) |
Minimum weeks tenure required to be eligible for paid maternity leave: |
Open to all regardless of length of service |
No. of weeks paid paternity leave at full salary: |
4 weeks |
Minimum tenure required to be eligible for paid paternity leave: |
Open to all regardless of length of service |
Gender pay gap reporting information 2022: |
|
Mean pay gap: |
35.3% |
Median pay gap: |
33.9% |
Mean bonus gap: |
70.4% |
Median bonus gap: |
48.5% |
Signatory of the UK Women in Finance Charter? |
Yes |
Targets to raise the number of women in leadership? |
Yes |
Targets to raise the number of BAME individuals in leadership? |
No |
Listed in the Bloomberg Diversity & Inclusion Index? |
No |
Graduate Programmes
We have a number of graduate programmes designed to deliver technical experts and future leaders.
Royal London Career Confidence programme
Our hybrid programme focuses on equipping you to feel empowered in your career and supported to explore new opportunities as they arise.
Apprenticeships
We offer a wide range of Apprenticeships that are targeted at both new joiners and existing colleagues.
Inclusion
We promote an inclusive culture at Royal London and have a range of inclusion networks for our colleagues to get involved with.
Our Women's Network is a community that celebrates and supports its members, helps everyone to learn more and inspires all of us to aim higher. Confidence and development are strong themes here and our events focus on three key areas of team working, finance, and wellbeing. There are two sub-groups to the Women’s Network – Women in Technology and our Periods and Menopause Group – focused on actions such as supporting over 20 new Periods and Menopause champions and launching guidance and training for leaders.