Lead Data Engineer Jobs

Lead Data Engineer jobs are open across fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, and enterprise technology, from mid-level to staff and principal, with specializations in data platform architecture, pipeline engineering, and cloud data infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles265+
Top stateTexas
Top employerJPMorganChase
Top cityHouston, TX
Work type40% Hybrid
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 265+ Lead Data Engineer jobs

Lead Principal Data Center Low Voltage Engineer
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Lead Principal Data Center Low Voltage Engineer
Oracle
New Mexico
Data Analytics
Data Science
10,000+

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Lead Principal Data Systems Software Engineer
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Lead Principal Data Systems Software Engineer
Oracle
Redwood City, California
Software Engineering
Systems Administration
Technical Product & Program Management
Technical Program Management
10,000+

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Lead Data Engineer
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Lead Data Engineer
EXL Service
New Hampshire
Engineering (Non-Software)
Mechanical Engineering
Specialized Engineering
$110k - $140k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's degree in engineering

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Cleared Experienced RD Systems Engineer - ISA Data Management Lead, Onsite
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Cleared Experienced RD Systems Engineer - ISA Data Management Lead, Onsite
Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Automation QA
Cloud & DevOps
DevOps
$118k - $236k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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Lead Data Engineer
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Lead Data Engineer
Honeywell
Atlanta, Georgia
Compliance & Risk
Cybersecurity
Security Engineering
Hybrid
10,000+

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Lead Data Engineer Job Market

Who's Hiring

  • JPMorganChase28
  • Oracle10
  • WSP8
  • Encore Semi8
  • Deloitte6

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software15
  • Insurance3
  • Manufacturing3
  • Banking & Financial Services2
  • Artificial Intelligence1

What Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in lead data engineer jobs.

  • Five or more years of experience designing and building large-scale data pipelines
  • Proficiency in SQL and at least one of Python, Scala, or Java for data engineering
  • Hands-on experience with a major cloud data platform such as AWS, GCP, or Azure
  • Experience with distributed processing frameworks such as Apache Spark or Apache Flink
  • Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow or Prefect
  • Experience with data warehousing solutions such as Snowflake, BigQuery, or Redshift

Tips for Your Lead Data Engineer Job Search

Quantify your pipeline scale on your resume

Hiring managers for lead roles want to see scope, not just tools. Replace phrases like 'built data pipelines' with the data volumes you processed, the number of downstream consumers, and the latency or reliability improvements you delivered.

Highlight cross-functional leadership without a title

Lead data engineer roles expect you to have influenced decisions across data science, analytics, and engineering teams. Call out specific instances where you drove architectural decisions or unblocked other teams, even if you weren't a formal manager.

Apply early to roles that fit

Migrate Mate lists lead data engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.

Filter openings by your primary cloud stack

Lead data engineer job descriptions are often written around a specific cloud provider and orchestration tool. Target roles that match your deepest experience first, whether that's AWS Glue and Airflow, Google Dataflow, or Azure Data Factory, to clear technical screens faster.

Prepare a system design answer for your data platform

Most lead data engineer interviews include at least one open-ended system design question. Practice walking through a full data platform design out loud, covering ingestion, transformation, storage layer choices, and how you'd handle schema evolution or upstream changes.

Negotiate scope alongside compensation

At the lead level, the team size you'll own, the infrastructure budget you'll influence, and whether you'll have a seat in architectural decisions vary widely between companies. Clarify these before accepting an offer so you're not stepping into a mid-level role with a lead title.

Lead Data Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are hiring the most lead data engineers?

The most active employers for lead data engineers right now are JPMorganChase, Oracle, and WSP, and the most openings are in Texas, California, and New Jersey, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially concentrated in fintech, healthtech, and enterprise software companies scaling their data platforms.

How many lead data engineer jobs are remote?

About 72% of lead data engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong remote flexibility at this seniority level. Data platform and cloud infrastructure specializations tend to be the most remote-friendly, while roles requiring close collaboration with on-site data science or analytics teams are more likely to require hybrid schedules.

How do you become a lead data engineer?

Start by building deep expertise in pipeline development, data modeling, and at least one major cloud platform. Progress through mid-level data engineering roles where you own end-to-end pipeline delivery. Take on cross-functional work, mentor junior engineers, and drive architectural decisions. Lead roles reward engineers who demonstrate technical depth alongside the ability to align data infrastructure with broader business goals.

Can you get hired as a lead data engineer without direct lead experience?

You can, but you need to make informal leadership visible in your application. Document instances where you owned a system end to end, mentored teammates, or drove a technical decision that affected other teams. Strong principal or senior engineers who have acted as a de facto tech lead on a data platform project are regularly hired into lead titles when they frame that experience clearly.

What does the lead data engineer interview process look like?

Most lead data engineer interview processes include a recruiter screen, a technical phone screen covering SQL and Python or Scala, a system design round focused on data platform architecture, and a final loop with engineering managers and cross-functional stakeholders. Some companies add a take-home component or a data modeling exercise. Expect at least one conversation about how you've influenced technical direction or resolved conflicts between data consumers.

Where can I find and apply to lead data engineer jobs?

You can find and apply to lead data engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States in one place. Find roles that match your experience, cloud stack, and preferred location or remote preference, then apply directly to each listing from the page.

See All 265+ Lead Data Engineer Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Lead Data Engineer Jobs