At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of secure, scalable data solutions for critical operations.
- Company: Join Leonardo, a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous leave, and access to 4,000+ online courses.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team driving innovation and enhancing global safety.
- Why this job: Shape data strategy and make a real impact in an innovative environment.
- Qualifications: Strong Python and SQL skills, with experience in data engineering and team leadership.
The predicted salary is between 53269 - 68000 £ per year.
hackajob is collaborating with Leonardo to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.
Salary Range: £53,269 - £68,000
Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.
Your impact
At Leonardo, our Principal Data Engineers lead the design and delivery of secure, scalable data solutions that underpin critical defence, government, and commercial operations. As a technical authority and people manager, you’ll guide engineering teams through the full data lifecycle—transforming raw data into actionable insight across hybrid and cloud environments. This role blends technical leadership, stakeholder engagement, and team development, offering the opportunity to shape data strategy and capability across multiple programmes.
Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers.
What you will do as a Principal Data Engineer:
- Provide technical leadership and oversight for data engineering delivery within your team.
- Lead the design, implementation and maintenance of end-to-end data solutions: acquisition, integration, storage, processing, and analysis.
- Implement scalable data solutions using big data architectures and workflow management systems.
- Guide the development of tools for data-driven insights and task automation.
- Continuously test and monitor systems to improve performance and reliability.
- Research and adopt emerging technologies.
- Work with cloud platforms and diverse operating systems.
- Support development and deployment of machine learning models.
- Collaborate with DevOps Engineers, Data Scientists, Analysts and Cyber Consultants.
- Mentor and coach junior data engineers to build team capability, while managing project tasks across your own and their workloads.
- Support technology assessments, feasibility studies, and roadmap development.
- Engage with stakeholders and customers, presenting and defending technical solutions.
- Manage a small team of direct reports, providing guidance, mentorship and support for their career development.
- Support the effective operation of the wider team through utilisation tracking, chairing team meetings and resource management.
What you’ll bring:
- Demonstrated leadership in data engineering, with experience managing and mentoring others.
- Ability to take ownership of engineering delivery and drive team performance.
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- A proactive mindset with a commitment to continuous learning and capability development.
- Proven ability to work across disciplines and collaborate effectively in multi-functional teams.
- A strategic approach to problem-solving and technical decision-making.
Core Areas (must have):
- Strong Python and SQL skills.
- Experience with ETL flows, data pipelines, and orchestration tools.
- Understanding of database architecture (SQL and NoSQL).
- Experience with cloud technologies.
- Experience with cloud platforms.
- Experience with CI/CD practices.
- Experience with big data tools e.g. Spark, Hadoop, NiFi.
- Experience managing direct reports, providing regular guidance and performance feedback.
- Ability to create delivery plans with estimated timelines for personal and team workloads.
- Experience supporting ML model deployment and DevOps collaboration.
Desirable:
- Degree in STEM, Data, AI, or Programming-related field.
- Awareness of data security best practices.
- Experience with designing data architecture.
- Experience with scaling infrastructure and code, (e.g. Kubernetes).
- Exposure to Ansible and Terraform.
- Understanding of ML algorithms and deployment.
This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.
Security Clearance
This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).
Why join us
At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you’re looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.
- Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
- Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
- Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
- Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
- Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
- Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
- Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
- Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options.
For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.
Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.
At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.
Be part of something bigger - apply now!
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Engineer (Bristol)
✨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 Leonardo!
✨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 Principal Data Engineer (Bristol) at Leonardo.
✨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 Leonardo.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Principal Data Engineer (Bristol) at Leonardo, 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 Principal Data Engineer (Bristol)
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 Leonardo, 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 Leonardo. 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 Leonardo
✨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 Leonardo!
✨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.
