At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data engineering tasks and develop secure, scalable data pipelines.
- Company: Join British Airways, a pioneering airline with over 100 years of history.
- Benefits: Enjoy staff travel perks, competitive salary, and opportunities for career growth.
- Other info: Embrace diversity and inclusion in a collaborative workplace.
- Why this job: Make an impact in a dynamic environment while working with cutting-edge data technologies.
- Qualifications: Strong SQL skills and experience with cloud data management tools required.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
A career without limits. As the nation’s flag carrier, we take great pride in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain. This originality has been in our blood since day one. It’s the spirit we share with the people that fly with us, our partners, and our colleagues.
The role: Principal Data Engineer - Finance & Transformation. This role forms part of the data delivery teams. The Principal Data Engineer leads others in the hands-on data engineering tasks, and will also retain close to the technical detail, leading the development, operation, and continuous improvement of data ingestion, storage and processing that underpins data across the organisation. Principal Data Engineers are expected to lead the data lifecycle from development to deployment, monitoring, incident response, performance optimisation, and deprecation in line with modern DevOps principles.
What you’ll do:
- Leading others in the build, test, and deploy data pipelines to support the secure and scalable delivery of data.
- Maintain and operate data products, ensuring their availability, performance, and resilience through monitoring, alerting, patching, and incident resolution.
- Assure code and automation scripts to manage data flows.
- Lead service reviews, health checks, and root cause analyses to improve data processing reliability and reduce operational overhead.
- Set standards for data processing documentation, ensuring changes are tracked and version-controlled.
- Support senior engineers with the delivery of engineering patterns, coding standards, and automated testing practices.
- Actively lead agile ceremonies, delivery planning, and retrospectives to support continuous improvement.
- Define and measure the developer experience by working with data product teams to streamline integration and resolve data processing related issues.
- Will line manage Senior Data Engineers.
- Will be needed to be on call on a rota basis to support data products.
What you’ll bring to British Airways:
- Delivers work reliably and to a high standard.
- Builds trust by being consistent, transparent and accountable in all interactions.
- Seeks to understand the problem behind the ask.
- Actively explores new ways to frame requirements and improve processes through better data use.
- Encourages collaborative problem-solving.
- Supports colleagues by sharing knowledge and enabling others to make informed decisions.
- Raises concerns constructively and challenges ambiguity or assumptions to ensure clarity and value in delivery.
- Works openly across disciplines, connecting stakeholders and delivery teams.
- Builds shared understanding through strong communication and engagement.
Your experience:
- Excellent SQL development experience.
- Highly experienced in data ingestion, processing and storage techniques on cloud native tooling.
- Experience in cloud data management i.e. Snowflake, AWS, DBT, or similar PaaS and SaaS offerings.
- Experience of enterprise data management and security at scale.
- Knowledge of data modelling and optimisation.
- Expert in data processing, testing, and monitoring practices and frameworks.
- Experience supporting production data systems and resolving operational issues in CI/CD processes and agile development workflows.
- Expert in information security principles and access control within data environments.
- Degree or equivalent training in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline is desirable.
What we offer:
We believe that all the people who work with us should feel valued for the part they play. It’s one of the reasons our rewards go far beyond a competitive salary. From the day you join us, you’ll get access to brilliant staff travel benefits including unlimited basic and premium standby tickets on British Airways flights. You’ll also receive up to 30 discounted ‘Hotline’ airfares per year for yourself, friends, and family. At British Airways you’ll have the chance to take on new challenges and move forward in a way that feels right for you. We encourage all those who work for us to consider opportunities right across our business to help you develop and progress. We never stand still, and we don’t expect our people to either.
Inclusion & Diversity: At British Airways we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work. Inclusion and diversity is a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey to become a Better BA as we continue to connect Britain with the world and the world with Britain.
Principal Data Engineer - Finance & Transformation in Feltham employer: British Airways
British Airways is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the heart of the aviation industry. As a Lead Product Data Scientist, you will have access to cutting-edge technology and significant opportunities for professional growth, all while contributing to impactful projects that enhance operational efficiency. With a commitment to employee development and a focus on delivering measurable business value, British Airways provides a rewarding environment for those looking to make a difference in their careers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Engineer - Finance & Transformation in Feltham
✨Get Involved in Data Science Meetups
Tap into local data science meetups or workshops to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. These events are goldmines for networking, and sometimes even lead directly to job openings at companies like British Airways!
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Join professional bodies related to data science, like the Data Science Society or similar organisations. Getting involved can lead to mentorship opportunities and insider knowledge about full-time positions at companies like British Airways.
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When you find a suitable opening like Principal Data Engineer - Finance & Transformation at British Airways, make sure to apply directly through our website. It gives you an edge and shows you're keen to join our team. Plus, who doesn’t love a direct application? It’s easier than navigating through job boards!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Engineer - Finance & Transformation in Feltham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!
Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!
Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at British Airways, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.
Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at British Airways. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!
How to prepare for a job interview at British Airways
✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!
✨Get Comfortable with Python and R
Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at British Airways!
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.
