At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of large-scale data solutions in genomics.
- Company: Genomics England, a leader in genomic medicine and research.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, flexible working, and family-friendly policies.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence critical data platforms in a mission-driven organisation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on healthcare by shaping data engineering at a national scale.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in data engineering and strong programming skills in Python and SQL.
The predicted salary is between 103400 - 103400 £ per year.
Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world-first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future. Our mission is to provide the evidence and digital systems so that by 2035 genomics could play a role in up to half of all healthcare interactions, whilst securing the UK’s position as the best place to discover, prove and benefit from genomic innovations.
We are accelerating our impact and working with patients, doctors, scientists, government and industry to improve genomic testing, and help researchers access the health data and technology they need to make new medical discoveries and create more effective, targeted medicines for everybody. Behind the Healthcare and Research outcomes, Genomics England delivers through designing, developing and operating complex healthcare software systems. We're on the cusp of big changes with the real prospect of genomics becoming the fabric of everyday healthcare through the lifetime - from birth to old age.
About the role
We’re looking for an experienced Principal Data Engineer with a proven track record of senior technical leadership across Genomics England’s data engineering capability. This is a senior individual contributor role operating at Principal level, where you will set technical direction and influence data engineering strategy across complex, regulated, national scale clinical and research platforms. You will shape how we design, build and operate scalable, secure and highly reliable data platforms. This includes defining standards, patterns and data engineering approaches that multiple teams will align to and deliver against. This is a hands‑on leadership role. You will stay close to data engineering, code and delivery where it matters, while also operating at architectural and strategic level to guide direction, influence technical decisions, raise data engineering maturity, and build capability across the organisation.
Working across data engineering, data architecture, product and governance, you will ensure our data platforms are robust, interoperable and aligned to organisational and national priorities, including highly sensitive clinical and research data.
What you will be doing
- Setting technical direction and influencing data engineering standards across data platforms, pipelines and data products used by multiple teams
- Leading the design and delivery of complex, large scale data solutions across cloud and hybrid environments
- Influencing architectural direction for enterprise data platforms, including Lakehouse, distributed and event‑driven systems
- Acting as a technical authority across squads, influencing alignment to data engineering standards and data architectural principles
- Working closely with senior engineers, architects, bioinformaticians, data colleagues and product teams to influence delivery and technical decision making
- Ensuring all data engineering approaches meet strict governance, privacy, security and regulatory requirements
- Driving adoption and influencing use of modern engineering practices including DataOps, DevOps, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, automation and observability
- Improving platform resilience, performance and operational maturity across critical data systems
- Evaluating and influencing adoption of new tools, technologies and data engineering approaches where appropriate
- Mentoring experienced data engineers and influencing capability uplift across teams
- Contributing to organisation wide technical communities, standards and design governance
What we are looking for
- Proven experience operating at senior or Principal level in data engineering
- Strong track record of designing and successfully delivering enterprise scale data platforms and systems
- Deep experience with modern data architecture, cloud infrastructure and scalable data processing systems
- Strong hands‑on programming experience, i.e. Python and SQL
- Strong expertise in data modelling, data lifecycle management, metadata and governance
- Experience working in complex regulated environments such as healthcare, genomics or research
- Strong understanding of security by design and handling highly sensitive data
- Proven ability to influence architectural and data engineering direction across multiple teams or domains
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing senior technical and non‑technical stakeholder in matrix environments
- Experience with genomics, bioinformatics or clinical data platforms
- Familiarity with GA4GH, OMOP or FHIR standards
- Experience with orchestration tools such as Airflow, Prefect or AWS Glue
- Experience with modern data architecture patterns such as data mesh or Lakehouse approaches
This is a rare opportunity to define how data engineering operates at national scale in a regulated, mission driven organisation. As an experienced Principal Data Engineer with a strong and demonstrable track record, you will help set direction, shape standards others build to, and directly influence the maturity and reliability of critical data platforms, while staying close enough to the engineering to make a real hands‑on impact.
Qualifications
- Degree in Computer Science, IT or equivalent practical industry experience
- Architecture or data related certifications are beneficial, TOGAF especially valued
Additional Information
- Salary From: £103,400 pa
- Closing Date: Tuesday 12th May @ 23:00 (UK time)
- Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, plus additional leave for long service, and also the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
- Family‑Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
- Pension
Principal Data Engineer (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London) London employer: Genomics England Limited
Genomics England is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of genomic medicine in London. With a strong commitment to employee growth, generous leave policies, and a supportive work culture that values diversity and inclusion, you will be part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to solving complex healthcare challenges. The blended working model allows for flexibility, ensuring a healthy work-life balance while contributing to meaningful advancements in healthcare.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Engineer (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London) London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects and contributions. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to data engineering. Get comfortable discussing your past experiences and how they relate to the role at Genomics England.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our mission at Genomics England.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Engineer (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London) London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Principal Data Engineer role. Highlight your leadership in data engineering and any relevant projects you've worked on, especially those in regulated environments like healthcare.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about genomics and how your experience can contribute to our mission. Be specific about your technical expertise and how it relates to the job description.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t shy away from detailing your programming skills, especially in Python and SQL. Mention any experience with modern data architecture patterns or tools like Airflow or AWS Glue that you’ve used in past projects.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it reaches the right people!
How to prepare for a job interview at Genomics England Limited
✨Know Your Data Engineering Fundamentals
Make sure you brush up on your data engineering principles, especially around cloud infrastructure and scalable data processing systems. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with programming languages like Python and SQL, as well as your familiarity with data architecture patterns such as Lakehouse or data mesh.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Principal Data Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and influence teams. Prepare examples of how you've set technical direction in previous roles, influenced architectural decisions, and mentored other engineers. Highlight your experience in complex regulated environments like healthcare or genomics.
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Genomics England is all about connecting research and clinical care. Familiarise yourself with their mission and how data engineering plays a role in achieving it. Be prepared to discuss how your work can contribute to improving genomic testing and healthcare outcomes.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect to face technical questions that assess your problem-solving skills and understanding of data governance, privacy, and security. Brush up on your knowledge of orchestration tools like Airflow or AWS Glue, and be ready to discuss how you ensure compliance with strict regulatory requirements in your projects.
