Head of data engineering

Head of Data Engineering

Remote (Netherlands) | £150,000 + Benefits

This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of a growing data platform within a globally distributed organisation operating at the intersection of healthcare, life sciences, and commercial consulting. You will help shape the long-term data strategy, establish engineering best practices, and build a scalable platform that delivers measurable business impact across the organisation.

The Company

They are a global services organisation supporting pharmaceutical and healthcare clients with data, analytics, and commercial operations solutions. With teams located across North America, Europe, and Asia, they operate within a highly collaborative and fully remote environment.

The business is investing significantly in its data capabilities and has already begun building a modern cloud-based data platform. They are now looking for an experienced data leader to take ownership of the platform, drive technical excellence, and help scale both the technology and the team.

The Role

You will lead the evolution of a modern data platform while partnering closely with engineering, business stakeholders, and leadership teams across multiple regions.

Key responsibilities include:

• Own and develop the organisation's centralised data platform and analytics capabilities
• Define the long-term data engineering roadmap aligned to business objectives
• Drive architectural decisions in partnership with senior engineering leadership
• Establish engineering best practices across delivery, quality, governance, and scalability
• Introduce and embed Agile, Scrum, DevOps, and modern software development ways of working
• Lead and mentor a team of Data Engineers based in India, while supporting future team growth
• Work closely with stakeholders across the US, Europe, and Asia to prioritise delivery and maximise business value
• Improve data accessibility, reduce duplication, and create a scalable foundation for analytics and reporting
• Support the processing and management of high-volume datasets at enterprise scale
• Promote the effective use of AI-enabled development tools and engineering productivity improvements
• Act as the senior data engineering voice within the business, influencing both technology and operating models

Your Skills & Experience

Strong leadership experience within Data Engineering, Data Platform, or Analytics Engineering environments

• Proven ownership of cloud-based data platforms from strategy through to delivery
• Strong commercial experience with Snowflake and dbt
• Experience working with Python and SQL within modern data ecosystems
• Exposure to cloud technologies including AWS and Azure
• Knowledge of orchestration and pipeline tools such as Airflow
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with technical decision making
• Experience mentoring and developing high-performing engineering teams
• Strong stakeholder management skills across business and technical audiences
• Comfortable working within distributed teams and multiple time zones
• Experience operating within both fast-paced, lean organisations and larger enterprise environments
• Passion for building data cultures, improving engineering standards, and delivering business impact through data

What They Offer

Competitive base salary

Fully remote working from Netherlands

Opportunity to own and shape a business-critical data platform

Exposure to executive stakeholders and strategic technology decisions

Chance to build and scale a high-performing data engineering function

Collaborative international environment with significant growth plans

Strong focus on innovation, AI adoption, and modern engineering practices

How to Apply

If you are looking for an opportunity to combine data platform ownership, people leadership, architecture, and business impact in a growing international organisation, please apply with your latest CV.