At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and build data platforms, ensuring reliable and scalable data pipelines.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company focused on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, and generous holiday allowance.
- Other info: Be part of a vibrant culture with opportunities for community involvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in data engineering while growing your skills and career.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in data engineering with strong leadership and problem-solving skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
We’re looking for a Principal Data Engineer with extensive commercial experience building, supporting and leading data platforms and pipelines. You’ll work hands‑on across our cloud data stack, partnering with engineers, analysts and senior stakeholders to deliver reliable, well‑modelled data that supports analytics and downstream use cases. This role is focused on practical delivery and technical leadership, designing, building and improving data pipelines, setting engineering standards, and helping shape how we approach data engineering as a discipline. You’ll bring depth across modern data engineering practices and play a key role in growing the capability of the team around you.
Essential Skills
- 8+ years' commercial experience in a data engineering or data‑focused software engineering role, including experience operating at a senior or lead level.
- Experience owning data platforms end‑to‑end, including considerations around reliability, scalability, cost and governance.
- A track record of setting technical direction, establishing standards and leading architectural decisions across data workstreams.
- Experience mentoring and growing engineers, and contributing to how the team works as well as what it builds.
- Strong problem‑solving skills and an ability to navigate ambiguity, shaping solutions from incomplete or evolving requirements.
- Clear communication skills and experience collaborating with both technical teams and senior non‑technical stakeholders.
- Commercial experience including a combination of the following:
- Python for data processing, transformation, pipeline development and the design of reusable frameworks or shared tooling.
- AWS data services such as S3, Lambda, Glue (or comparable cloud services), including platform design and cost‑aware architecture.
- Designing, building and maintaining ETL/ELT pipelines in production environments at scale.
- Expert SQL skills, including complex queries, performance tuning and warehouse optimisation.
- Deep experience with a cloud data warehouse such as Snowflake (or similar), covering data models, pipelines, warehouse objects and governance.
- Handling semi‑structured data (e.g. JSON, Parquet) alongside structured datasets.
Desirable Skills
- Experience with data orchestration or scheduling tools, including patterns for reliability and observability.
- Exposure to CI/CD practices for data pipelines, including testing strategies and deployment automation.
- Familiarity with analytics or BI use cases and the consumers of data.
- Experience with data governance, access control, lineage or security concepts at a platform level.
- Exposure to streaming or event‑driven data architectures.
- Experience working in agile, delivery‑focused teams and influencing how those teams operate.
Benefits
- Recognition That Matters: A discretionary annual performance bonus that rewards your impact and contribution to our success.
- Flexibility Built In: Flexible working arrangements and summer hours, because life isn’t 9 to 5, and balance matters.
- Financial Security: A highly competitive pension scheme with generous employer contributions, private healthcare, and life assurance for peace of mind.
- Health & Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, mental health support, cycle‑to‑work scheme, and regular social events to keep our culture vibrant.
- Time to Recharge: 35 days holiday, enhanced maternity pay, and family‑first policies so you can focus on what matters most.
- Learning Never Stops: From courses to certifications, we’ll invest in your development so you can keep growing and shaping what’s next.
- Community & Culture: Opportunities to volunteer, give back, and be part of initiatives that make Instil a truly inclusive and connected workplace.
Principal Data Engineer in Belfast employer: Instil Software Ltd
At Instil, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that values flexibility and employee well-being. As a Principal Data Engineer, you'll not only lead innovative data projects but also benefit from extensive professional development opportunities, a competitive pension scheme, and a generous holiday allowance, all while contributing to a community-focused environment that champions inclusivity and collaboration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Engineer in Belfast
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with folks in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who’s already in a data engineering role. You never know when a casual chat might lead to your next big opportunity.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just talk about your experience; demonstrate it! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those involving Python, AWS, or ETL pipelines. This will give potential employers a clear view of what you can bring to the table.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your SQL skills and data pipeline design. Practice explaining your thought process clearly, as communication is key when working with both technical teams and stakeholders. We want to see how you tackle problems!
✨Apply Through Us
If you’re keen on joining our team, make sure to apply through our website! It’s the best way to get noticed and show us you’re serious about the role. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Engineer in Belfast
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences mentioned in the job description. Highlight your extensive experience in data engineering, especially any hands-on work with cloud data stacks and data pipelines.
Showcase Your Leadership:Since this role is all about technical leadership, don’t forget to mention any experience you have in mentoring or leading teams. We want to see how you've shaped data engineering practices in your previous roles.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, clarity is key! Use straightforward language to explain your experiences and achievements. Remember, we’re looking for strong communication skills, so make it easy for us to understand your journey.
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!
How to prepare for a job interview at Instil Software Ltd
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the data engineering practices mentioned in the job description. Brush up on your experience with Python, AWS services, and SQL. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you’ve built or improved data pipelines, as this will show your hands-on experience.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves technical leadership, prepare examples of how you've set engineering standards or mentored other engineers. Think about times when you influenced architectural decisions or shaped team processes, as these stories will highlight your capability to lead and grow a team.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
You’ll need to collaborate with both technical teams and senior stakeholders, so practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Prepare to discuss how you’ve navigated ambiguity in past projects and how you communicated solutions effectively to non-technical audiences.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios
Expect to face some problem-solving questions during the interview. Think through scenarios where you had to tackle incomplete requirements or unexpected challenges. Be ready to outline your thought process and the steps you took to arrive at a solution, showcasing your analytical skills.
