At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of scalable cloud data solutions in a dynamic financial services environment.
- Company: Join a major financial services transformation programme in London with a hybrid work model.
- Benefits: Earn up to £650 per day with potential for contract extension.
- Other info: Collaborate with cross-functional teams and enjoy a fast-paced, transformative work culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping modern data platforms and mentoring future engineers.
- Qualifications: Proven experience as a Principal Data Engineer with strong technical and leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Job Description
- Principal Data Engineer
- London (Hybrid) | Contract | Inside IR35 | Up to £650 per day
- Principal Data Engineer | Financial Services Transformation Programme
We are supporting a major financial services transformation programme and are seeking an experienced
Principal Data Engineer to play a pivotal role in the delivery of a modern cloud-based data platform.
This role is ideal for a senior engineering professional who combines strong technical expertise with a consultative approach.
You will work closely with business stakeholders, Data Architects, Product Owners, and engineering teams to shape solutions, provide technical direction, and remain actively involved in the hands‑on delivery of critical data initiatives.
You will be responsible for designing and building scalable data solutions, establishing engineering best practices, and driving the successful migration of data assets from legacy technologies to a modern cloud‑based architecture.
While this role carries significant influence across the programme, it is not purely strategic and requires someone who enjoys being deeply involved in the technical implementation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and delivery of scalable, cloud‑data solutions across multiple workstreams.
- Work closely with business and technical stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into practical data solutions.
- Provide technical leadership and guidance to Data Engineers and delivery teams.
- Remain hands‑on with the design, development, testing, and deployment of data pipelines and data products.
- Design and implement modern Lakehouse architectures using Databricks and AWS services.
- Establish engineering standards, development practices, and data quality frameworks.
- Collaborate with Data Architects to deliver target‑state platform architecture and technical roadmaps.
- Support and execute the migration of data assets from legacy platforms to modern cloud technologies.
- Drive optimisation, performance tuning, and operational excellence across data platforms.
- Contribute to architecture reviews, governance forums, and technical design discussions.
- Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence across the wider team.
- Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, balancing business objectives with technical best practices.
Essential Experience
- Technical Leadership & Delivery
- Proven experience operating as a Principal Data Engineer, Lead Data Engineer, or Senior Data Engineer within large enterprise environments.
- Experience delivering complex data transformation and cloud modernisation programmes.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Ability to influence technical direction while remaining actively involved in hands‑on delivery.
- Experience working across cross‑functional teams including Architecture, Product, Engineering, and Business stakeholders.
- Data Engineering & Platforms
- Databricks
- Delta Lake
- Unity Catalog
- dbt
- Spark / Py Spark
- Data pipeline development and optimisation
- Lakehouse architecture
- Data integration and ETL/ELT frameworks
- Data platform design and implementation
- Cloud Technologies
- AWS
- Glue
- Airflow
- IAM
- Lambda (desirable)
- Data Modelling & Architecture
- Data Vault
- Kimball
- Data warehousing principles and best practices
- Dimensional modelling
- Enterprise data architecture concepts
- Modernisation Experience
Experience delivering migrations and modernisation initiatives involving technologies such as:
- Teradata
- Hadoop
- Oracle
- SAS
Experience
- Financial Services or Banking sector experience.
- Experience working within regulated environments.
- Large‑scale cloud transformation programmes.
- Agile delivery methodologies.
- Experience working alongside Data Product Owners and Data Architects.
- Exposure to data governance and metadata management frameworks.
- CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and Dev Ops practices within data platforms.
Skills & Attributes
- Strong hands‑on engineering capability.
- Consultative approach with the ability to challenge and guide stakeholders.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Ability to operate effectively across both strategic and technical discussions.
- Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.
- Delivery‑focused mindset with a commitment to engineering quality.
- Passion for mentoring and developing engineering capability.
- Comfortable operating within fast‑paced transformation programmes.
- Contract Details
Day Rate
- Up to
- £650 per day
Contract Type
Inside IR35
Duration
Initial contract through to December, with potential for extension
Location
London (Hybrid, subject to confirmation)
Start Date
- ASAP / Short notice
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Senior Data Engineer in City of London employer: Energy Jobline ZR
Energy Jobline ZR is an excellent employer for Structural Engineers, offering a vibrant work culture in the heart of Shoreditch. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, employees benefit from competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and the chance to work on exciting projects from concept to completion within a supportive team environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Data Engineer in City of London
✨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 Energy Jobline ZR!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Start building a public portfolio showcasing your data science projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites. Highlight unique analyses or models you've developed. This not only demonstrates your skills but also gets your name out there for roles like Senior Data Engineer in City of London at Energy Jobline ZR.
✨Leverage Professional Networks
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 Energy Jobline ZR.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Senior Data Engineer in City of London at Energy Jobline ZR, 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 Senior Data Engineer in City of London
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 Energy Jobline ZR, 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 Energy Jobline ZR. 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 Energy Jobline ZR
✨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 Energy Jobline ZR!
✨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.