At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and evolution of robust data pipelines and platforms for analytics and reporting.
- Company: Join Graphcore, a leading innovator in AI compute, part of the SoftBank Group.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with a focus on collaboration and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI by shaping data solutions that drive decision-making.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in Python, AWS data services, and building production-grade data systems.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry. As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies.
Job Summary
Reporting to the Head of Data & Analytics, the Lead Data Engineer is a senior individual contributor responsible for leading a key area of Graphcore’s data platform and engineering practices. This role combines hands-on technical delivery with technical leadership across data pipelines, platform capabilities and data products that support analytics, reporting and operational decision-making.
The Team
The Data & Analytics team enables better decision-making across Graphcore by building trusted data foundations, scalable platforms and high-quality data products. The team works across a broad range of business and technical domains, partnering with colleagues throughout the company to improve access to reliable information, strengthen operational insight and support efficient, data-informed ways of working.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Lead the design, build and evolution of robust data pipelines and platform services that support analytics, reporting and operational use cases across Graphcore.
- Own the data engineering stack, planning and delivering improvements to reliability, scalability, maintainability, performance and security.
- Build and operate Python-based batch and streaming workloads, with clear approaches to orchestration, testing, deployment, monitoring and incident resolution.
- Design and implement data solutions on AWS using services such as S3, Lambda, Aurora PostgreSQL, Athena, Glue and Redshift, ensuring they are secure, resilient and cost-conscious.
- Define and apply engineering standards for data quality, observability, documentation, release processes and operational support.
- Partner with analysts, engineers and business stakeholders to translate requirements into trusted datasets, well-structured data models and reusable data products.
- Drive improvements to platform resilience through approaches such as idempotent processing, retry and recovery mechanisms, buffering strategies and backfill or replay capabilities.
- Lead technical decision-making in your area by reviewing designs and code, sharing expertise and helping to raise the quality bar for data engineering across the team.
- Build and maintain CI/CD workflows and development practices that enable safe, repeatable and efficient delivery of data infrastructure and workflows.
- Ensure appropriate data protection and access controls are in place, including least-privilege access, secure secrets handling and suitable database permissions.
- Contribute to the development of internal tools and lightweight applications that improve access to data and support self-serve workflows.
- Work across teams to identify opportunities for platform and process improvements, helping shape the direction of data engineering within the wider Data & Analytics function.
Candidate Profile
- Strong experience designing, building and operating production-grade data pipelines and data platforms in Python.
- Strong hands-on experience with modern data orchestration, testing, deployment and monitoring practices in a production environment.
- Experience building solutions on AWS data services, including storage, processing and query technologies.
- Strong understanding of data modelling, data quality, schema design and performance optimisation across relational and analytical systems.
- Experience designing reliable data systems that recover gracefully from failure and operate effectively in real-world production conditions.
- Experience working with batch and streaming data pipelines, including operational support, troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
- Strong knowledge of security and access control principles for data platforms, including IAM, database permissions and secure handling of credentials and secrets.
- Experience providing technical leadership as a senior individual contributor through design reviews, code reviews, standards-setting and mentoring of others.
- Ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, turning business needs into practical, scalable data solutions.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical decisions clearly and influence outcomes across teams.
- Experience with Prefect or a similar workflow orchestration platform.
- Experience with streaming or data collection technologies.
- Experience with PostgreSQL, Redshift, ClickHouse or similar database and warehouse technologies.
- Experience with CI/CD tooling and Infrastructure as Code approaches.
- Experience building lightweight internal tools or data applications using Python frameworks such as Streamlit or Flask.
- Familiarity with dbt and working models that combine data engineering and analytics engineering.
- Understanding of operational best practices for cloud-based data platforms, including cost optimisation and observability.
- Experience working in a fast-moving product, technology or engineering-led environment.
Principal Data Engineer Bristol, UK; Cambridge, UK; London, UK employer: graphcore
Graphcore is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of the UK's tech hubs like Bristol, Cambridge, and London. With a strong focus on innovation in Artificial Intelligence, employees benefit from a culture that encourages collaboration, diversity, and continuous learning, alongside opportunities for professional growth within a leading-edge technology firm. The company’s commitment to employee well-being and its position as part of the prestigious SoftBank Group further enhance its appeal as a place where meaningful contributions are valued and rewarded.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Engineer Bristol, UK; Cambridge, UK; London, UK
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at local meetups. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Graphcore and its projects, and think about how your skills can contribute. Show them you’re not just another candidate, but the one they need.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online platforms. The more comfortable you are talking about your experience, the better you'll perform.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Engineer Bristol, UK; Cambridge, UK; London, UK
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Lead Data Engineer. Highlight your experience with data pipelines, AWS services, and any relevant projects that showcase your skills in Python and data orchestration.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about AI and how your background aligns with Graphcore's mission. Don’t forget to mention specific experiences that demonstrate your technical leadership.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:In your application, be sure to highlight your hands-on experience with data engineering practices, especially around building and operating production-grade data systems. Mention any tools or technologies you’ve used that are relevant to the job description.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply 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 graphcore
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the data engineering stack, especially Python and AWS services like S3 and Redshift. Be ready to discuss your past experiences with building data pipelines and how you’ve tackled challenges in production environments.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share specific examples of how you've designed reliable data systems that recover from failures. Highlight your experience with batch and streaming data pipelines, and be ready to explain your approach to incident resolution and continuous improvement.
✨Communicate Clearly with Stakeholders
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to work with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, so think of examples where you successfully translated business needs into practical data solutions.
✨Demonstrate Leadership and Collaboration
Be prepared to discuss your experience in providing technical leadership, such as conducting design reviews or mentoring others. Show how you’ve collaborated across teams to identify opportunities for improvements in data engineering practices.
