Head of Engineering

Vacancy Type: Permanent
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon (Hybrid)
Salary: Competitive + up to 10% bonus & benefits

Valpak has created a friendly and supportive working environment that enables our team to perform to the best of their abilities, with flexible hours, hybrid working options, access to training and opportunities to get involved in various groups to nurture key interests.

With social value at the heart of our business ethos, employees can take a day on us to volunteer for an organisation of their choice, and our Charity Committee organises fundraising events for the employee nominated charity of the year.

Valpak endorses wellbeing and healthy lifestyles, offering subsidised gym membership, optional healthy living seminars and social events, encouraging cross team integration. Plus the "After Work" social group organises regular gatherings - an opportunity to get to know friendly faces.

Our team is passionate, friendly, approachable and dedicated to the business mission - to inspire businesses to do all they can to reduce their environmental impact. If you have an interest in sustainability and like the sound of all Valpak offers, we would love to hear from you!

How will I make a difference?

As the UK's leading provider of environmental compliance, Valpak strives to work together towards a profitable, sustainable, waste-free world. To date, our teams work in partnership with more than 400 customers, in nearly every corner of the globe.

As Senior IT Analyst, and working alongside the IT Support Analyst your primary role is to provide first-class end-user support to up to 400 staff and ensure the smooth running of IT services to allow them to successfully carry out their roles efficiently.

What will I be doing?

As the Head of Engineering, your key responsibilities will be:

1. Managing a portfolio of accounts and being the dedicated point of contact. You will:

• Lead and mentor a team of 6+ Tech Leads overseeing product engineering squads delivering data-centric products
• Provide strategic guidance, coaching, and professional development opportunities for engineering managers to empower their teams and deliver results
• Establish and maintain a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Foster a culture of mentorship and leadership development, identifying and nurturing talents
• Drive the recruitment, retention, and development of top-tier engineering talent within the data engineering team
• Define and drive the overall data platform strategy with a focus on Azure Cloud to ensure that the organisation's data infrastructure is scalable, reliable, and aligned with business objectives
• Oversee the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of the data platform, leveraging Azure technologies such as Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake, and Azure SQL Database
• Ensure the data platform supports data engineering, analytics, and data science initiatives across squads
• Ensure the data platform enables easy access to high-quality, secure, and compliant data for all stakeholders, fostering a self-service analytics environment

Cross-Squad Coordination & Alignment:

• Ensure alignment across multiple squads to meet company-wide data objectives and maintain strategic coherence
• Facilitate collaboration between product management, data science, analytics, and engineering teams to deliver data-driven products and services
• Define shared goals, success metrics, and timelines for squads to ensure that efforts are aligned with broader business goals

Data Strategy & Architecture:

• Develop and execute the data engineering strategy, ensuring alignment with the company's overall business objectives
• Oversee the design and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure data architectures to support various data products and services
• Ensure adherence to best practices for data governance, security, and compliance across the engineering squads
• Stay at the forefront of industry trends and emerging technologies, continually improving data engineering capabilities

Metrics-Driven Impact:

• Develop and track success metrics, including data pipeline reliability, availability, and time-to-insight, to evaluate and continuously improve team performance
• Communicate the impact of data engineering initiatives through clear metrics to stakeholders at all levels

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement:

• Promote operational excellence through the implementation of efficient data engineering workflows, processes, and tools
• Drive the adoption of best practices for data pipeline development, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and data monitoring
• Identify and implement opportunities for automation and optimization, improving operational efficiencies across squads

Innovation & Technology Leadership:

• Champion the exploration and adoption of new tools, technologies, and frameworks to improve the effectiveness of data engineering processes and product development
• Influence the evolution of the company's data architecture to support emerging needs and business growth, including machine learning and AI-based solutions
• Lead efforts to modernise and scale the data infrastructure, ensuring flexibility for future needs

Stakeholder Communication & Reporting:

• Communicate the status, strategy, and outcomes of data engineering initiatives to senior leadership and other stakeholders
• Translate complex technical challenges and opportunities into clear business terms for non-technical audiences
• Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), providing regular updates on the health and impact of data engineering initiatives

Resource & Project Management:

• Oversee financial planning, budgeting and controlling for the data engineering organization (CAPEX, OPEX)
• Lead the prioritisation and allocation of resources across engineering squads, ensuring alignment with business priorities and timely delivery of high-impact projects
• Balance short-term needs with long-term strategic goals, ensuring that data engineering efforts are sustainable and scalable
• Oversee the management of project timelines, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring successful execution of data product initiatives

What kind of businesses will I be working with? What benefits will I receive?

We strive to make Valpak an employer of choice. Whether it's achieving work-life balance, helping towards a healthier lifestyle, or saving money. We have a range of benefits to help support you, including:

• Hybrid working and flexi Friday early finish
• Company annual bonus - up to 10%
• Enhanced pension scheme with Aviva (doubled up to 8%)
• Access to voluntary benefits such as private medical insurance, cycle to work scheme and subsidised gym membership
• Enhanced maternity pay
• 25 days annual leave and option to buy/sell additional days
• Annual volunteering day
• An extra day off for your birthday
• Access to a savings platform that includes discounts and money-off promotions from 800+ retailers
• Wellbeing initiatives

If you would like to be considered for more than one role, or any future roles, please send your CV to .

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