Job Description
Full-time - Freelance
About the Role
They are seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Engineering Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of enterprise data platforms and analytics capabilities. This position combines hands-on technical leadership with strategic influence, helping to define engineering standards, guide architectural decisions, and accelerate the delivery of modern data solutions.
Working within a fast-paced, product-focused environment, you will collaborate with engineering teams, architects, product stakeholders, and business leaders to build scalable, cloud-based platforms that support advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision making.
This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on technology direction while mentoring engineers and driving engineering excellence across multiple teams.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
- Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineering teams operating within agile delivery models.
- Serve as a senior technical authority, supporting complex solution design and resolving challenging engineering problems.
- Promote engineering best practices and elevate technical capability across the organisation.
Architecture & Platform Strategy
- Partner with architecture teams to define scalable, resilient, and future-ready data platforms.
- Ensure alignment between engineering implementation and long-term technology strategy.
- Lead discussions around platform evolution, integration approaches, and cloud-native design patterns.
Engineering Standards
- Establish and maintain development frameworks, coding principles, review practices, and operational standards.
- Drive consistency across teams through reusable patterns, governance models, and technical guidelines.
- Advocate for automation, reliability, and maintainability in all engineering activities.
Solution Design & Innovation
- Transform complex business requirements into robust technical solutions.
- Champion modern engineering practices including infrastructure automation, CI/CD, observability, and platform scalability.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities to improve performance, efficiency, and future capabilities.
- Support the adoption of data and AI technologies across the organisation.
Quality & Operational Excellence
- Implement comprehensive testing, validation, monitoring, and performance optimisation processes.
- Ensure data products meet high standards of reliability, security, and accuracy.
- Promote proactive management of platform health, availability, and operational risk.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Work closely with senior leaders, product managers, architects, and engineering teams to define priorities and roadmaps.
- Translate complex technical concepts into clear business language for non-technical audiences.
- Influence strategic decisions through technical expertise and evidence-based recommendations.
Required Experience & Skills
Data Engineering Expertise
- Extensive experience designing and delivering large-scale data platforms in cloud environments.
- Deep understanding of distributed data processing, enterprise data architecture, and modern data engineering practices.
- Strong software engineering skills using Python and/or JavaScript-based technologies.
- Experience implementing automated deployment pipelines and DevOps practices.
Advanced Data Management
- Expert-level SQL skills, including query optimisation and performance tuning.
- Experience developing scalable data models, semantic layers, and analytical datasets.
- Strong understanding of data quality management, validation frameworks, and governance principles.
- Knowledge of data profiling, anomaly detection, and analytical methodologies.
Leadership & Communication
- Proven ability to lead technical initiatives across multiple teams.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Ability to simplify highly technical concepts for a wide range of audiences.
- Experience mentoring engineers and supporting professional development.
Strategic Thinking
- Capable of balancing immediate delivery needs with long-term platform objectives.
- Strong understanding of how technology investments support broader business outcomes.
- Ability to identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.
Team & Environment
You will join a technology organisation focused on leveraging data, analytics, and intelligent automation to improve customer experiences, operational performance, and commercial outcomes.
The engineering function is organised around product domains, bringing together specialists from data engineering, architecture, product management, and analytics. Principal-level engineers provide technical leadership, define standards, and ensure alignment across teams while helping shape future platform capabilities.
The role sits within a customer-focused domain responsible for developing and maintaining critical data products that support digital services, subscription offerings, connected technologies, and customer engagement initiatives. Teams work collaboratively on strategic programmes while continuously enhancing the underlying data ecosystem.
They provide a comprehensive rewards package designed to support your professional and personal wellbeing, including:
- Competitive salary and performance-based incentives
- Company pension scheme
- Private medical coverage
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Employee discounts across a range of products and services
- Professional development and learning opportunities
- Wellbeing programmes and employee support services
- Recognition and reward initiatives
- Access to exclusive events and employee experiences
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute and succeed. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and actively support diversity, equity, and belonging across our organisation.
Working Arrangement
This role operates within a hybrid model, combining remote work with regular collaboration at a modern office location. The workplace offers a range of facilities, social spaces, dining options, fitness amenities, and collaborative environments designed to support innovation and teamwork.
Additional Information
Successful candidates may be required to complete pre-employment screening, including background checks where appropriate for the role. Any employment offer will be subject to satisfactory completion of these checks.