Data Engineering Manager
Summary
Hands-on Data Engineering Manager at WPP/Wunderman (VML MAP) in Barcelona who leads the data engineering practice: setting architecture standards, building cloud data pipelines with GCP/Snowflake/Azure, dbt, Airflow and Terraform, advising marketing clients, and mentoring engineers.
May 11, 2026
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit.
We are seeking a Data Engineering Manager to lead our Data Engineering practice. This is a role for a hands-on technical expert who can contribute to shape data solutions for world-renowned brands while leading a team of talented engineers. As a leader, you will set the vision and standards for how VML MAP delivers data infrastructure, integrations, governance& orchestration. You willinfluence outcomes through your expertise and strategic guidance.
What will your day look like?
This is a hands-on technical leadership role where you will both build solutions and shape the practice. This role will have direct people management.
- Architecture : Collaborate with architects to define standards for data pipelines, transformations, and integrations across cloud platforms (GCP, Snowflake, Azure) and CRM platforms (Salesforce DataCloud, Adobe Experience Platform, etc.), spanning both traditional data engineering and marketing technology ecosystems.
- Implementation : Ensure correct adoption of modern data stacks using dbt, orchestration tools (Airflow), infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and ELT/ETL frameworks, with a focus on analytics-ready data models. Serve as the final technical escalation resource when projects face complex implementation challenges.
- Client Advisory : Act as the trusted technical advisor for clients, providing strategic guidance on their data architecture and identifying opportunities where data infrastructure can drive business value.
- Practice Innovation & Acceleration : Pioneer emerging capabilities—including agentic automation and AI-driven engineering—while building repeatable solution frameworks and service offerings that reduce time-to-value and enable consistency across client engagements.
- Mentor & Coach : Develop engineers through hands-on mentorship, code reviews, and technical guidance, empowering them to solve complex challenges.
- Practice Leadership : Work closely with the Global Data Practice Lead and domain practice peers to shape practice direction, standards, and growth.
- Collaborate : Partner with Architects, Strategy Consultants, and client services teams to deliver integrated, winning solutions.
Who are you going to work with?
You will join a team of hands-on Data Engineers who are passionate about building reliable, scalable data infrastructure. They're technically strong but need someone who can provide architectural direction and help them taking their Data Practice to the next level. Although not direct people management, you'll lead through coaching, and setting the technical vision. Beside your team, you will collaborate with a wide array of stakeholders across our organization (strategy leads,