Senior Data Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne

Senior Data Platform Engineer (Azure | Terraform Expert)

Location: Remote / London Office if preferred

Type: Contract £750 a day (Inside IR35) – Initial 3 month

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Data Platform Engineer with deep, hands-on Terraform expertise to design and build enterprise-grade Azure infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code as a core discipline.

This role is not a generalist cloud engineering position — it requires someone who can lead Terraform design, create highly reusable modules, manage complex state and environments, and embed security, governance, and observability directly into code. You will be a key technical authority for Terraform across our Azure Data and AI platforms.

What You'll Be Doing

In this role, you will:

• Own and lead Terraform-based infrastructure design for Azure, ensuring scalability, security, and compliance by default.
• Develop and maintain advanced Terraform modules, standards, and patterns used across multiple teams and environments.
• Automate Azure platform deployments using Terraform, including:
• Azure Data Factory
• Synapse Analytics
• Data Lake & Storage
• Key Vault
• Azure networking and AI/ML services
• Implement and manage Terraform state, backends, workspaces, and strategies for drift detection and remediation.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions) with Terraform plan/apply workflows, approvals, and policy enforcement.
• Embed observability (monitoring, logging, alerting) directly into infrastructure code.
• Design and implement secure-by-design architectures, including:
• Private Endpoints and private networking
• Managed identities and Key Vault integration
• Application Gateways and network security controls
• Act as a Terraform subject-matter expert, supporting and mentoring engineers and influencing platform standards.
• Work closely with data engineers, architects, and stakeholders to enable reliable Azure data and AI platforms.

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience (Must-Have):

• 5+ years in Platform or Cloud Engineering, with a strong focus on Azure.
• Expert-level Terraform experience, including:
• Advanced HCL usage and module authoring
• Remote state management and backends
• Environment and workspace strategy
• Lifecycle management and dependency orchestration
• Handling large, multi-environment Terraform estates
• Proven experience deploying Azure Data Platform services using Terraform:
• Azure Data Factory
• Data Lake / Storage
• Synapse Analytics
• AI / ML services
• Strong experience building Terraform-driven CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar.
• Proficiency in PowerShell, Bash, or Python for automation and tooling.
• Deep understanding of Azure networking, IAM, and security, including private endpoints and app gateways.
• Experience implementing governance, security controls, and observability through code.
• Strong communication skills and confidence operating in a senior, stakeholder-facing role.

Desirable Certifications

• HashiCorp Terraform Associate (004) or Terraform Professional
• AZ-400 (Azure DevOps Engineer)
• Azure certifications such as:
• Azure Solutions Architect
• Azure Administrator

For more information on this role, please apply online with your CV.