Lead Data Engineer, AFC tribe, System -team (Helsinki/Oulu)

Join us as a Lead Data Engineer and help shape the future of OP Pohjola’s Anti‑Financial Crime (AFC) technology landscape. In this role, you will drive our transition from on‑premises systems to modern, cloud‑native solutions while ensuring high‑quality, trusted data for business‑critical use cases. If you enjoy leading technical development, influencing architecture, and working with a motivated engineering team, this is an excellent opportunity to make a real impact.

 

The position is based in Helsinki or Oulu, based on your preference. We combine on-site and remote work flexibly in our daily routines.

What is the role about?

 

As a Lead Data Engineer, you’ll play a central role within the AFC tribe, guiding the design and delivery of Azure-based integration and data solutions. You’ll work closely with developers, architects, and business stakeholders to ensure our systems meet the needs of data consumers while remaining reliable and resilient in production.

 

Within the System Team, your focus will be on building strong data foundations, enabling secure and scalable services, and supporting the tribe’s mission to prevent financial crime across OP Pohjola.

 

Your day-to-day work combines hands-on engineering with architectural guidance and coordination across development and production. You’ll also play a key role in advancing our cloud transformation, ensuring our solutions meet both current demands and future ambitions.

 

In a nutshell, you will:

 

• Lead and design Azure‑based integration and data solutions
• Guide and mentor other developers while partnering with stakeholders on requirements
• Ensure smooth and secure production operations and approve production code changes
• Contribute to the end‑to‑end architecture of the AFC tribe and enable its continuous improvement

 

What are we looking for?

 

We’re seeking a Lead Data Engineer who combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership and a collaborative mindset. You excel in cloud environments, have a solid grasp of modern data architectures, and take pride in enabling others through clear guidance and effective communication.

 

What kind of skills and experience we are looking for:

 

• Solid competence in integration development (this is strongly emphasized)
• Strong Azure expertise, especially Azure Data Factory
• Experience with Azure administration and infrastructure management
• Proficiency in version control and CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions
• Experience with Terraform for infrastructure‑as‑code
• Strong knowledge of databases and excellent overall system understanding
• Experience with Databricks
• API and interface development skills
• Understanding of SaaS transitions and cloud‑native architecture

 

You work comfortably in an agile environment and look for practical ways to improve how things are done. You manage dependencies in a clear and structured way, keeping work coordinated across teams. You communicate confidently with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, and you handle production‑related changes with a steady, solution‑oriented approach. In this role, fluent English is essential, and Finnish skills are considered an advantage.

 

Why OP Pohjola?

 

In internal surveys at OP Pohjola, our employees often cite the work community and their highly skilled colleagues as the most rewarding aspects of their work. We take great pride in this. As a member of OP Pohjola, you will join a company that is dedicated to developing the best products and services in the industry.

 

As an employer OP Pohjola offers you a stable environment where people come first. Our people value good work-life balance and opportunities to learn and grow in their role. Our 70-20-10 model gives you a chance to focus on your professional development on your work time – by utilizing our very own OP Tech Academy, for instance.

 

When you work for OP Pohjola, you work with the best products and services in the field. In everyday life, it is, of course, very nice to work in an architecturally beautiful environment, in a location easily accessible from basically anywhere. As an OP Pohjola employee, you are entitled to:

 

• Structured model for professional career advancement
• Possibility to enhance your own skillset while working with highly talented teams
• Comprehensive occupational healthcare
• Sport and cultural benefits
• Benefits and discounts on OP Pohjola's own products