Lead Azure Data Engineer - Madrid (Remote) - 12 months

We are seeking an experienced Lead Industrial Data Engineering Consultant to support the delivery of a strategic data modernisation programme within a manufacturing-focused environment. The successful consultant will be responsible for designing scalable Azure-based data solutions and enabling the organisation to leverage operational, production, and supply chain data more effectively.

Please note: Candidates must already be based within the European Union. Applications from candidates located outside the EU cannot be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable data ingestion and transformation solutions within the Azure ecosystem.
• Build enterprise-grade data pipelines that support analytics, reporting, and operational decision-making.
• Integrate and harmonise data from manufacturing and business systems, including production, quality, supply chain, ERP, MES, and IoT platforms.
• Optimise data processing, storage, and performance across cloud-based data environments.
• Establish and promote best practices for data engineering, governance, and quality management.
• Support the implementation of CI/CD standards and deployment automation for data solutions.
• Work closely with business, operations, and technical stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into scalable solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to data engineering teams.

Required Experience & Skills

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Data Engineering.
• Strong expertise in Azure Data Lake, Azure Databricks, Azure Synapse Analytics, and/or Microsoft Fabric.
• Extensive experience delivering enterprise ETL/ELT solutions.
• Strong understanding of data architecture and large-scale data transformation initiatives.
• Proven track record in data quality, governance, monitoring, and performance optimisation.
• Experience with DevOps and CI/CD principles within data engineering environments.
• Previous technical leadership experience within enterprise data teams.
• Must be based within the European Union.

Manufacturing Data Experience

Candidates must demonstrate hands-on experience working with manufacturing and operational datasets, including one or more of the following:

• Production and operational reporting
• Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Supply chain and inventory management data
• Quality management and traceability data
• Industrial IoT and sensor-generated data
• Plant performance and operational analytics
• ERP-to-manufacturing data integrations

Experience gained in manufacturing, industrial production, chemicals, mining, metals, building materials, or other asset-intensive industries is highly desirable.

Candidate Profile

• Strong hands-on technical leader with excellent problem-solving abilities.
• Able to bridge the gap between business requirements and technical delivery.
• Comfortable working with both operational and IT stakeholders.
• Experienced in delivering large-scale cloud and data transformation initiatives.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.