At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions.
- Company: Join a dynamic consultancy focused on Data & AI transformation.
- Benefits: Flexible remote work, training opportunities, and a collaborative culture.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and influence engineering standards.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on high-profile client programmes and drive innovation.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in data engineering and strong consulting skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
We are looking for an experienced Principal Data Engineer to join us on a contract basis, supporting complex client engagements across Data & AI transformation programmes. This is a highly client-facing consultancy role, suited to someone who is comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on technical levels. You will work directly with senior client stakeholders, delivery teams and architects to design and deliver scalable modern data platforms. We are specifically looking for someone with deep expertise in Databricks, either operating at Architect level or leading high-performing engineering teams within enterprise environments. The successful candidate will bring strong consulting capability, commercial awareness and stakeholder management skills alongside exceptional technical depth.
Key Responsibilities
- Client Engagement & Stakeholder Management
- Act as a trusted technical advisor across client engagements.
- Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, delivery leads and engineering teams.
- Translate complex technical concepts into clear business value and delivery outcomes.
- Support clients through technical decision-making, platform strategy and roadmap planning.
- Databricks Leadership & Solution Architecture
- Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions and modern data platforms.
- Provide architectural leadership across cloud-native data engineering initiatives.
- Define engineering standards, best practices and scalable delivery approaches.
- Drive platform optimisation, resilience and performance improvements.
- Delivery & Consultancy
- Lead technical delivery across multiple client engagements within a consultancy environment.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams including Data Engineers, Architects, Product Owners and client stakeholders.
- Support project planning, technical governance and delivery execution.
- Ensure high-quality, scalable and maintainable engineering solutions.
- Technical Leadership
- Mentor and guide engineering teams across modern data engineering practices.
- Lead technical problem-solving and incident resolution where required.
- Drive adoption of engineering best practices, automation and DevOps principles.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Proven experience operating as a Principal Data Engineer, Lead Data Engineer or Data Architect within enterprise environments.
- Strong consultancy and client-facing experience, ideally across multiple customer engagements.
- Deep expertise in Databricks, including architecture, optimisation and leading delivery teams.
- Strong experience designing and delivering cloud-native data platforms within Azure and/or AWS environments.
- Advanced experience with PySpark, SparkSQL and large-scale distributed data processing.
- Strong understanding of modern data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks and data modelling.
- Excellent SQL skills and experience working with large-scale datasets.
- Strong understanding of data governance, security and platform reliability principles.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management and consulting skills.
- Ability to operate confidently in fast-paced, delivery-focused environments.
Benefits
- Opportunity to work on complex, high-impact client programmes.
- Exposure to enterprise-scale Data & AI transformation initiatives.
- Flexible remote-first working model aligned to client requirements.
- Access to AWS & Databricks partner training and certifications.
- Collaborative culture focused on technical excellence and innovation.
- Opportunity to influence engineering standards, delivery capability and client success across Colibri Digital.
Contract Principal Data Engineer in London employer: Nasstar
Colibri Digital is an excellent employer for those seeking to make a significant impact in the field of Identity and Access Management. With a strong focus on employee growth, we offer opportunities for professional development and a collaborative work culture that embraces innovation and flexibility. Working remotely in the UK, you'll enjoy the benefits of a supportive environment that values your contributions while allowing you to apply cutting-edge technologies in a dynamic client setting.
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We think you need these skills to ace Contract Principal Data Engineer in London
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!
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Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Nasstar. 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!
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✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
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✨Get Comfortable with Python and R
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✨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.
