Data Modelling & Engineering Lead

About the role

An AI and data consultancy based in the UAE is seeking a Data Modelling & Engineering Lead to take single accountability for enterprise data models, business definitions, pipeline code quality and engineering standards across its major banking engagements in Dubai. The role sits alongside senior data engineers in dedicated project squads and covers Retail Banking Group modernizations, mobile banking backends and real-time digital customer journeys. It is an executive-level, full-time position.

Key responsibilities

• Own, design and maintain canonical data models, schemas and business glossaries, ensuring semantic consistency across projects.
• Establish firm-wide engineering standards for pipeline frameworks, code quality, automated testing, environments and CI/CD.
• Direct senior data engineers in project squads and ensure consistent use of shared components and architecture patterns.
• Review vendor codebases and deliverables, and audit vendor claims of task completion and delivery velocity for Steering Committee packs.
• Test the technical justification of estimates and change requests, and investigate the root cause of project delays.
• Present technical decisions and engineering standards to C-level stakeholders and manage vendor friction constructively.

Required profile

• 10+ years of hands-on data engineering and modelling experience, including 4+ years leading engineering standards or platform teams in consultancies or major banks.
• Solid background in enterprise data solutions for Retail Banking environments.
• Experience building or modelling high-throughput, real-time data backends for mobile banking apps and digital customer journeys.
• Deep expertise in conceptual, logical and physical data modelling (ERD, Data Vault 2.0, Kimball, JSON/Avro) across batch and streaming.
• Strong verbal, written and visual communication, able to explain technical decisions to executives and defend engineering standards.
• Experience leading data initiatives for major banks in the UAE or GCC is an advantage.

Required skills

• SQL, Python, PySpark/Databricks, Snowflake/BigQuery, Kafka/Event Hubs, dbt
• Cloud data platforms (AWS/Azure)

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Gold Level personal health insurance
• Individual visa sponsorship
• Professional development and certification support, subscription reimbursement, monthly employee incentive program
• Career advancement opportunities