Table of Contents
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Job Overview
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About the Company
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Available Jobs
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Job Description
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Job Responsibilities
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Why This Role?
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Requirements
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How to Apply
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Job Overview
Job Title: Data Engineering Lead
Company Name: Jacobs
Location: Bur Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Employment Type: Hybrid (office + remote)
Employment Type (role): Full-time (typical for this level)
Start Date: ASAP (based on project timelines and hiring needs)
Job ID: #33819
If you’re targeting Data Engineering Lead jobs in Dubai 2025, this Jacobs role sits in a sweet spot: it blends hands-on technical authority with leadership and project delivery, inside a growing Digital and Data capability supporting ambitious urban and infrastructure programs.
This isn’t a narrow “pipeline builder” role. Jacobs is looking for a lead who can shape data strategy, drive AI adoption, manage end-to-end delivery, and mentor teams—while aligning projects to business goals and regional priorities.
About the Company
Jacobs is known globally for delivering solutions that shape cities, environments, and critical infrastructure. The company’s work spans complex, high-stakes projects where digital and data capabilities are increasingly central—everything from smart city platforms and operational technology to cybersecurity and network deployment.
What’s particularly relevant about this role is the context: Jacobs is actively expanding its Digital and Data practice, applying digital expertise to major developments worldwide. That signals ongoing investment, cross-functional collaboration, and a pipeline of meaningful work—ideal for a data leader who wants to build capability, not just maintain systems.
Available Jobs
If you’re exploring Jacobs opportunities or similar Dubai-based roles in engineering consulting and smart infrastructure, here are related job paths that typically sit near a Data Engineering Lead role:
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Senior Data Engineer (Azure / Fabric / Synapse)
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Data & AI Delivery Manager (Engineering Consulting)
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Power Platform Lead (Power BI / Power Apps / Governance)
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Data Governance Manager (Security, Compliance, Data Quality)
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Smart City / Digital Infrastructure Consultant (Platforms & OT Data)
These roles are highly adjacent and often share skills like stakeholder management, delivery leadership, and cloud data platform expertise.
Job Description
The Data Engineering Lead role at Jacobs is designed for an experienced professional who can design scalable data solutions—and also lead teams and projects with confidence.
You’ll oversee data and AI initiatives across engineering consultation projects, aligning delivery with business outcomes. The ideal profile is a hybrid of technical depth and leadership maturity: someone comfortable building and governing modern data architectures, while also translating business needs into a practical roadmap and getting work shipped on time.
This position is especially well-suited to candidates who have experience in at least one of these areas:
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AEC industry (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) data workflows and project realities
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The Power Platform ecosystem (Power BI, Power Apps) and enterprise analytics adoption
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Enterprise data management practices (governance, security, compliance, operating models)
Job Responsibilities
Below are the core responsibilities, written to reflect how the work will actually feel day-to-day:
Leadership & Team Management
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Lead and mentor a team of data engineers and analysts, raising quality and delivery velocity.
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Manage resourcing, allocate work effectively, and support team performance and development.
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Build team habits that improve reliability: documentation, code reviews, testing discipline, and delivery rituals.
Project Delivery and Execution
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Oversee end-to-end delivery of data and AI projects, ensuring timelines, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction.
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Drive clarity on scope, dependencies, and risk—especially where data, security, and operations intersect.
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Maintain strong delivery governance whether projects use Agile, Waterfall, or a hybrid approach.
Strategic Alignment and Roadmapping
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Collaborate with senior leadership to define a data strategy and AI adoption roadmap for engineering consultation projects.
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Align technical decisions to business priorities and regional needs, not just “best practice” in isolation.
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Identify which initiatives unlock the highest value (operational efficiency, better decisions, new digital services).
Technical Oversight and Architecture
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Design and maintain scalable pipelines and data architectures across modern cloud platforms.
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Ensure data governance, security, and compliance are embedded across projects—not bolted on later.
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Improve engineering standards across ETL/ELT development, orchestration, monitoring, and reliability.
Innovation and AI Integration
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Identify opportunities to leverage AI and automation to improve project efficiency and client outcomes.
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Champion practical AI adoption: measurable wins, strong governance, clear use-cases, and responsible implementation.
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Help teams move from “AI curiosity” to “AI delivery” while keeping risk managed.
Stakeholder Engagement
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Act as a bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders, translating requirements into actionable solutions.
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Present data strategy, progress, and outcomes in a way that earns trust from non-technical decision makers.
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Manage expectations and align deliverables with real project constraints and timelines.
Why This Role?
There are many senior data engineering jobs in the market, but fewer that combine leadership, real-world impact, and a mission-driven project environment. This one is compelling for several reasons:
Work That Matters Beyond Dashboards
You’ll support ambitious urban and infrastructure developments—projects where digital systems can improve safety, sustainability, and operational performance. If you’re motivated by meaningful outcomes, this environment tends to be more satisfying than generic internal analytics work.
Leadership Scope With Technical Authority
This role expects you to lead a team and deliver complex programs while remaining close to architecture and engineering decisions. If you’re tired of roles that force a choice between management or technical depth, this one is balanced.
Strong Platform Exposure
The job mentions modern tools and platforms like Azure Data Factory, Synapse, and potential exposure to Fabric or other ecosystems. That keeps your profile current and valuable.
Hybrid Setup
Hybrid working can be a real quality-of-life advantage, especially for senior professionals balancing deep focus work with stakeholder engagement.
Career Growth Inside a Growing Capability
Jacobs is building out Digital and Data. Joining during capability growth typically offers faster progression, more ownership, and better opportunity to shape standards and direction.
Requirements
Here’s what you’ll generally need to qualify strongly:
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8+ years of experience in data engineering or closely related data platform roles
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3+ years in leadership and/or project management capacity
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Advanced proficiency with ETL/ELT tools such as Azure Data Factory and Synapse
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Strong hands-on skills in SQL and Python (Scala is a plus where relevant)
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Proven track record delivering complex projects and coordinating stakeholders
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Experience with Power Platform (Power BI / Power Apps) OR familiarity with AEC workflows and industry-specific data challenges
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Solid understanding of Agile and/or Waterfall delivery methods, plus tools like Jira or MS Project
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Working knowledge of data governance, security, and compliance practices
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Strong communication skills—able to translate technical decisions into business outcomes
Preferred (nice-to-have):
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Experience with cloud and data ecosystems like Fabric, Azure, or platforms such as Palantir Foundry
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Strong stakeholder management and client-facing confidence
Language/visa notes:
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The listing doesn’t specify language requirements or visa sponsorship. If you’re applying internationally, position your eligibility clearly on your CV and application.
How to Apply
To apply for this role:
Click Here to Apply!
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1) Is this a hands-on data engineering job or a management role?
It’s both. You’ll lead teams and projects while also providing technical oversight on architecture, pipelines, and governance.
2) What tools are most important for this Data Engineering Lead role in Dubai?
Strong experience with Azure Data Factory, Synapse, SQL, and Python is central. Familiarity with Fabric, Azure ecosystem tools, or other enterprise platforms is a plus.
3) Do I need AEC (engineering/construction) experience to apply?
Not strictly—but it can be a strong advantage. The role also welcomes candidates with Power Platform experience or broader enterprise data management expertise.
4) Is the role hybrid or fully on-site?
It’s listed as Hybrid, meaning you’ll split your week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote work.
5) What should I highlight to stand out in the application?
Focus on measurable leadership and delivery: successful project outcomes, stakeholder satisfaction, scalable architecture decisions, governance/security wins, and how you drove AI/data initiatives aligned to business goals.