Senior Data Engineer

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Department: Technology & Data

About WPP Media 

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com 

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com 

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values: 

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity. 

• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust. 

• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise. 

Role Summary and Impact 

We are hiring a hands-on Manager, Data Engineering to lead technical delivery across regional data initiatives. 

This role is best suited for a Lead Data Engineer with strong project delivery experience who enjoys designing scalable architectures, building production-grade pipelines, and guiding a small engineering pod. 

You will: 

• Own end-to-end data engineering workstreams 

• Lead technical solution design and architecture decisions 

• Build and optimize cloud-native data pipelines 

• Provide technical guidance to 1–2 engineers 

• Ensure reliable, scalable, and well-governed data solutions 

This is a builder-first leadership role. You will code, design, review, and deliver. 

The role is part of the APAC Data Solutions Delivery team and is based in Malaysia within our Asia Pacific Centre of Excellence. 

Reporting of the Role 

This role reports to an Associate Director in the APAC Data Solutions [Delivery] team. 

What Makes This Role Interesting 

• Architect and deliver cloud-native data systems across regional markets 

• Lead technical decisions while staying hands-on 

• Shape engineering standards within a growing APAC data ecosystem 

Measures of Success 

In One Month, You Will: 

• Understand existing data architecture, platforms, and engineering workflows 

• Contribute to active pipeline builds and transformations 

• Build strong working relationships with analysts, scientists, and tech stakeholders 

In Three Months, You Will: 

• Design and deploy scalable, reusable ETL/ELT pipelines 

• Establish monitoring, testing, and performance optimization practices 

• Lead small workstreams and manage delivery timelines 

In Six Months, You Will: 

• Own end-to-end technical delivery for regional data initiatives 

• Drive improvements in pipeline reliability, cost efficiency, and documentation 

• Lead architectural discussions and influence engineering standards 

Key Responsibilities 

Technical Architecture & Solution Design 

• Own solution design for data engineering initiatives 

• Define scalable architecture patterns for structured and semi-structured data 

• Ensure performance, cost optimization, and maintainability 

Data Pipeline Engineering 

• Design, build, and maintain batch and streaming ETL/ELT pipelines 

• Use SQL, Python, and orchestration tools such as Airflow or Prefect 

• Implement transformation logic using dbt or similar tools 

Cloud Data Infrastructure 

• Build and manage scalable data workflows on AWS, GCP, or Azure 

• Optimize storage, compute, and processing strategies 

• Apply infrastructure and DevOps best practices 

Delivery & Workstream Leadership 

• Break initiatives into structured engineering milestones 

• Manage timelines, risks, and stakeholder expectations 

• Oversee workload planning for a small engineering pod 

Engineering Excellence 

• Conduct code reviews and enforce best practices 
• Implement monitoring, alerting, and automated testing 
• Uphold data quality, governance, and lineage standards 
• Maintain documentation and version control using Git 

Skills and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field 
• 5–7 years of experience in data engineering or backend data platform roles 
• Strong SQL expertise and deep experience building production pipelines 
• Proficiency in Python for data processing and automation
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)
• Experience with orchestration tools (Airflow, Prefect) and transformation tools (dbt)
• Strong understanding of data modeling and warehousing concepts 
• Experience leading technical delivery across multiple concurrent projects
• Apply project management best practices to manage timelines, resources, and risks effectively 

Nice to Have 

• Experience with Spark, Kafka, or distributed data processing 

• Exposure to Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CloudFormation) 

• Familiarity with CI/CD and DevOps practices 

• Knowledge of cloud security best practices 

• Awareness of enterprise data governance frameworks 

Life at WPP Media & Benefits 

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events.  

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. 
 
We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. 

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide. 

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.  

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