At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of frameworks to enhance data quality and governance at Depop.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking team at Depop, focused on data reliability and compliance.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by ensuring data is accurate, observable, and compliant.
- Qualifications: Experience in data engineering and strong knowledge of data governance principles.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We're building a Data Quality, Observability & Governance Team to improve the reliability, trust, and compliance of Depop's data ecosystem. As a Staff Data Engineer in this team, you'll lead the design and implementation of frameworks, tools, and processes that strengthen our data foundations - ensuring our data is accurate, observable, and compliant.
Your mission will be to reduce the mean time to detection and resolution of data incidents, by establishing data contracts between producers and consumers, developing robust data observability systems, and embedding governance and GDPR compliance principles across the data lifecycle. You'll collaborate with product engineering, data platform, analytics, and legal teams to build confidence in data as a product - one that's reliable, auditable, and actionable.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute the vision for Depop's data quality, observability, and governance frameworks.
- Establish data contracts between producers and consumers to ensure schema integrity and data reliability.
- Develop and maintain systems that detect, alert, and resolve data quality issues with minimal latency.
- Build automation and tooling to reduce MTTD (Mean Time to Detection) and MTTR (Mean Time to Resolution) for data incidents.
- Partner with data platform engineers to integrate observability at every layer - ingestion, transformation, and consumption.
- Lead GDPR and privacy‐by‐design initiatives, ensuring compliance and traceability across all datasets.
- Define standards for metadata management, lineage tracking, and access control.
- Collaborate with analytics and product teams to ensure data definitions and quality metrics are consistent across domains.
- Mentor engineers and analysts, fostering a culture of data stewardship and accountability.
- Continuously improve data governance maturity through automation, documentation, and measurable quality KPIs.
Qualifications
- Proven experience as a Staff Data Engineer or in an equivalent technical leadership role in data quality, observability, or governance.
- Deep knowledge of data observability frameworks (Monte Carlo, Soda, or equivalent) and data validation tools (Great Expectations, DBT tests, etc.).
- Deep understanding of data‐as‐a‐product principles and experience applying them to improve data reliability and ownership.
- Experience designing and enforcing data contracts and quality SLAs in distributed data ecosystems.
- Proficiency in Python, Java, or Scala, and experience building pipelines with Databricks, Spark, or Kafka.
- Strong understanding of data governance principles, privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA), and secure data handling practices.
- Familiarity with metadata management and data catalog tools (e.g. DataHub, Collibra, etc.).
- Demonstrated success improving data reliability and observability in large‐scale data platforms.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; you can bridge technical depth with operational impact.
Bonus Points
- Experience implementing automated compliance monitoring or policy‐as‐code systems.
- Familiarity with real‐time anomaly detection for data pipelines.
- Experience contributing to or leading cross‐functional data reliability initiatives.
- Prior experience in consumer or marketplace platforms.
- Passion for data as a product - building reliable, observable, and compliant data systems that teams love to use.
Staff Data Engineer – Data Quality & Governance in London employer: Depop
Contact Detail:
Depop Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Data Engineer – Data Quality & Governance in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repo showcasing your projects related to data quality and governance. It’s a great way to demonstrate your expertise beyond the application.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on common data engineering scenarios. Think about how you’d tackle data quality issues or implement observability frameworks – be ready to share your thought process!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining our team and contributing to our mission of building reliable data systems.
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Data Engineer – Data Quality & Governance in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Staff Data Engineer role. Highlight your experience in data quality, observability, and governance, and don’t forget to mention any relevant tools or frameworks you've worked with.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about data as a product and how your background makes you a perfect fit for our team. Be sure to mention specific projects or achievements that demonstrate your expertise.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Since this role requires deep technical knowledge, make sure to include any relevant programming languages and tools you’re proficient in. If you've implemented data contracts or worked with data observability frameworks, shout about it!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Depop
✨Know Your Data Governance Principles
Make sure you brush up on data governance principles and GDPR regulations before the interview. Being able to discuss how you've applied these in past roles will show that you understand the importance of compliance and can lead initiatives effectively.
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Be prepared to talk about your experience with data observability frameworks and validation tools. Highlight specific projects where you've used Python, Java, or Scala to build data pipelines, and be ready to discuss the impact of your work on data reliability.
✨Demonstrate Collaboration Skills
Since this role involves working closely with various teams, think of examples where you've successfully collaborated with product engineering, analytics, or legal teams. Share how you’ve built confidence in data as a product through teamwork and communication.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills in data quality incidents. Prepare to explain how you would establish data contracts or develop systems to reduce MTTD and MTTR, showcasing your strategic thinking and technical expertise.