Head of Data Engineering & AI (London)

Job Description

We’re seeking a leader to drive AI innovation and data engineering transformation for a Financial Services firm. You will be responsible for shaping and delivering enterprise-wide strategies that power personalized, intelligent, and scalable digital experiences through data and AI.

Responsibilities:

• Define and execute a multi-year vision for enterprise data and AI capabilities, with a focus on personalization, automation, and digital transformation.
• Lead the design of modern data architectures, including real-time streaming, MDM, and unified customer views.
• Spearhead the development of AI-enabled applications, integrating technologies such as LLMs, agent-based frameworks, and vector databases.
• Partner closely with business and technology leaders to align solutions with strategic priorities and customer outcomes.
• Optimize engineering practices through automation, developer productivity tooling, and data governance frameworks.
• Build, mentor, and inspire cross-functional teams while promoting a culture of experimentation, agility, and continuous learning.

Required Experience:

• 12+ years in data engineering and architecture, with 5+ years in senior leadership roles managing large teams and strategic programs.
• Proven success in launching and scaling data and AI platforms within complex enterprise environments.
• Deep expertise with cloud-based tools and services (GCP, AWS, Azure), data lakes, and ML operations.
• Familiarity with emerging AI technologies including generative models, retrieval-augmented (RAG), and multimodal architectures.
• Strong track record of influencing senior stakeholders and leading through change.
• Exceptional communication and strategic thinking abilities