Lead Data Engineer

Role - Big Data / Lead Data EngineerWe are seeking an experienced Senior Developer - Big Data / Lead Data Engineer to design, develop, and optimize large-scale data engineering solutions within Emirates' enterprise analytics ecosystem. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in building end-to-end data pipelines, Data Lakes, Data Warehouses, and real-time streaming solutions using modern Azure and Big Data technologies.The candidate will work closely with Data Architects, Data Engineers, BI Developers, and Business Stakeholders to deliver scalable, secure, and high-performing data platforms that support enterprise reporting, analytics, and machine learning initiatives.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines for Data Lake, Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, and Analytics platforms.Translate business and technical requirements into robust data engineering solutions and technical designs.Develop ingestion, transformation, and data modeling frameworks for structured and unstructured data.Build and optimize batch and real-time data processing pipelines.Ensure solutions meet performance, scalability, security, and data governance standards.Troubleshoot complex production issues and provide timely resolutions.Conduct code reviews and enforce coding standards and best practices.Perform unit testing, defect fixing, and deployment activities.Collaborate with architects and cross-functional teams on solution design and implementation.Maintain metadata, data lineage, and data inventory documentation.Contribute to data engineering standards, frameworks, playbooks, and reusable components.Support Agile delivery processes including sprint planning, estimation, and retrospectives.Required Technical SkillsBig Data TechnologiesHadoopSparkScalaHiveHBaseSqoopOozieHDFSApache NiFiAirflowKafkaSpark StreamingElasticsearchCloud & Data EngineeringMicrosoft AzureAzure Data Factory (ADF)Azure DatabricksAzure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2)SnowflakeCloudera Data PlatformIntegration TechnologiesSnapLogicTIBCOData Warehousing & BISQLPower BIMicroStrategyDimensional Data ModelingData Warehouse & Data Lake ArchitectureDevOps & Source ControlGitBitbucketAzure DevOpsCI/CD PipelinesFile Formats & Data ProcessingAVROPARQUETStructured and Unstructured Data ProcessingRequired Experience8+ years of hands-on experience in Data Engineering.Strong experience designing and building enterprise-scale data pipelines.Experience with Data Lakes, Data Warehouses, and Analytics platforms.Expertise in real-time streaming and batch data processing.Strong SQL and data modeling skills.Experience working with large-scale datasets and distributed computing frameworks.Experience supporting production environments and incident resolution.Exposure to Data Governance, Data Lineage, and Data Quality frameworks.Experience working in Agile and Waterfall delivery models.Preferred QualificationsExperience in Airline, Travel, Transportation, Banking, or Enterprise Analytics domains.Azure, Databricks, Snowflake, or Cloudera certifications.Experience supporting Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics platforms.Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.Essential TraitsStrong analytical and problem-solving abilities.Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.Team player with excellent collaboration skills.Adaptable and willing to learn new technologies.Focus on quality, performance optimization, and continuous improvement.