A day in the life of... a senior data engineer

What’s your current role and responsibilities?  

I’m a Senior Data Engineer working in the Insights & Analytics team. My key responsibilities are to design and develop data pipelines for our Club Vita proposition, working with the data models and databases.  I also chair the Data Engineering Experts Group. 

What does your average day look like?  

Cliched to say, but really no two days are quite the same. Sometimes I’ll be looking closely at business requirements and working out how to develop a solution, other days I might be looking at some new technology and how it will fit into our landscape. It’s very varied! 

Can you describe the different technologies you’re exposed to?  

I work with a mixture of cloud (Azure) technologies such as Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks and on premise SQL databases. The cloud tools are really exciting and fast-moving meaning there is always something new to learn. 

Do you work alongside any other teams?  

Through the Expert Group, I speak to other propositions about their data needs and how the data engineers can help them.   

What’s your favourite thing about your role?  

I like looking at new technology and Hymans actively encourages everyone to keep their skills up to date and explore what’s out there. 

How do you find the balance between home / office working?   

Home working has been on the horizon for a long time and the pandemic really accelerated the move towards this which I think is a good thing.I really enjoy the balance that hybrid working brings as I can choose not to spend time on a commute on days where I have activities planned outside of work.  As the office is quieter, I’ve actually met more people in the firm who are not in my team when I have worked in the office.  

Have you had any other roles since you joined?  

I joined Hymans 3 years ago so I’ve only worked as a data engineer in that time, however I’m moving to the Pensions market soon to continue working with data.There are lots of opportunities in Hymans and the firm is very open to people moving into new roles.  

What are your hobbies outside of work?  

I love being outside and walk with various groups. I also enjoy a bit of DIY and finding out how things work. 

Any hidden talents we don’t know about?   

I once worked as a distillery tour guide and might go back into guiding when I retire, or work part-time in B&Q giving out advice to other DIY fans.  

And finally, how would you describe working at Hymans Robertson?  

Hymans feels like a very ‘grown-up’ place to work.  You have a lot of freedom and flexibility and are treated like an adult. It’s also a very collaborative and respectful place to work – people help each other out and really pull together as a team.