Lead Data Engineer (Platform) at Valtech in Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

Why Valtech? We’retheexperience innovation company - a trusted partner to the world’s most recognized brands. To our people we offer growth opportunities, a values-driven culture, international careers and the chance to shape the future of experience. The opportunity At Valtech, you’ll find an environment designed for continuous learning, meaningful impact, and professional growth. Whether you're pioneering new digital solutions, challenging conventional thinking or building the next generation of customer experiences, your work will help transform industries. We are proud of: The work we do and the innovation we drive Our values of share, care and dare A workplace culture that fosters creativity, diversity and autonomy Our borderless, global framework, which enables seamless collaboration The role As a Lead Data Engineer (Platform), you are passionate about engineering excellence, developer experience, and scalable data platforms. You bring strong technical expertise, a product mindset for platform engineering, and a drive to simplify and accelerate how engineering teams deliver data solutions. You will thrive in this role if you are: A platform-minded engineer who thinks in systems, not just pipelines A strong advocate for automation, standardisation and reusable engineering patterns Excited by improving developer experience across large engineering communities Comfortable balancing hands-on technical work with technical leadership and enablement Motivated by continuous improvement and eliminating manual engineering effort Role responsibilities Design, build, and maintain scalable data engineering frameworks and platform utilities used across engineering teams Develop reusable patterns, templates, and abstractions to standardise and accelerate delivery Define and evolve platform architecture decisions, ensuring scalability, maintainability and consistency Design and implement CI/CD pipelines and automation frameworks to improve engineering velocity Define and enforce engineering standards for testing, code quality, deployment and documentation Identify and eliminate manual or repetitive processes through automation and tooling improvements Integrate AI-assisted development tools into engineering workflows to improve productivity Develop and maintain AI engineering assets such as coding guidelines, prompt frameworks and reusable agent configurations Lead the development and operational support of core data transformation frameworks (including dbt Core at enterprise scale) Investigate and resolve framework-level issues, including deployment failures, dependency conflicts and production incidents Support onboarding and enablement of engineering teams adopting platform tooling Act as the main technical point of contact for platform and framework-related queries Partner with engineering teams to identify pain points and translate them into platform improvements Ensure platform tooling meets security, compliance and operational requirements Conduct and support code and design reviews across platform components Monitor platform health, performance and adoption, iterating based on feedback and metrics Contribute to documentation, developer guides and enablement materials to improve usability and adoption Must have qualifications To be considered for this role, you must meet the following essential qualifications: Strong proficiency in Python for building frameworks, automation tooling and reusable components Hands-on experience with Databricks (including notebooks, workflows, jobs and Unity Catalog) Strong SQL skills and experience with distributed processing frameworks such as Apache Spark Deep experience with dbt Core, including project structure, models, tests, macros and deployment at scale Proven experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps or GitLab CI) Experience with data engineering platform design, including scalable pipeline and workflow architectures Strong understanding of software engineering principles (DRY, SOLID, modular design) Experience working with version control systems and modern Git workflows Experience with cloud platforms (preferably AWS) and infrastructure-as-code concepts (e.g. Terraform) Experience implementing automated testing strategies (unit, integration, data quality) Strong understanding of platform monitoring, logging and alerting practices Experience writing technical documentation and developer-facing guidance Experience working in complex engineering environments with multiple teams Nice to have qualifications Experience with Databricks Asset Bundles (DAB) or similar deployment frameworks Experience integrating AI-assisted development tools (e.g. GitHub Copilot or similar) into engineering workflows Experience defining AI coding standards, agent configurations or prompt engineering frameworks Knowledge of Delta Lake and Lakehouse architecture patterns Experience working on large-scale platform engineering or developer platform teams Understanding of IAM, secrets management and security compliance in cloud environments Experience driving adoption of engineering platforms across multiple teams Strong communication and technical leadership skills If you do not meet all the listed qualifications or have gaps in your experience, we still encourage you to apply. At Valtech, we recognize that talent comes in many forms, and we value diverse perspectives and a willingness to learn. Commitment to reaching all kinds of people We design experiences that work for all kinds of people - and that starts with our own teams. At Valtech, we’re intentional about building an inclusive culture where everyone feels supported to grow, thrive and achieve their goals. No matter your background, you belong here. Explore our Diversity & Inclusion site to see how we’re creating a more equitable Valtech for all. The benefits This is a position based in Portugal. Beyond a competitive compensation package, we offer: Flexibility, with remote and hybrid work options (country-dependent) Career advancement, with international mobility and professional development programs Learning and development, with access to cutting-edge tools, training and industry experts Our benefits are tailored to each location. Your Talent Partner will provide full details during the hiring process. Your application process Once you apply, our Talent Acquisition team will review your application. Your CV should cover key information on relevant experiences and expertise. We do not require information such as age, gender, marital status, or a headshot in your application. We review all candidates based on skills, experience, and potential. ⚠️ Beware of recruitment fraud! We are committed to inclusion and accessibility. If you need reasonable accommodations during the interview process, please either indicate it in your application or let your Talent Partner know. About Valtech Valtech is the experience innovation company that exists to unlock a better way to experience the world. By blending crafts, categories, and cultures, we help brands unlock new value in an increasingly digital world. At the intersection of data, AI, creativity, and technology, we drive transformation for leading organizations, including L’Oréal, Mars, Audi, P&G, Volkswagen Dolby, and more. At Valtech, we don’t just talk about transformation. We make it happen. Our people are the heart of our success, and we foster a workplace where everyone has the support to thrive, grow and innovate. Are you ready to create what’s next? Join us.