At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the future of data engineering and solve complex challenges with innovative solutions.
- Company: Join Very, a digital retailer focused on helping families thrive.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, 30 days holiday, and a £1000 benefits allowance.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with excellent career growth opportunities and a commitment to diversity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while mentoring others and shaping data engineering practices.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in data platforms and a passion for coaching and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 87100 £ per year.
About us
We’re the team behind digital retailer Very. Our purpose, helping families get more out of life, powers everything we do. And we want our people to get more out of life too! If you’re high-performing, ambitious and make the most of every opportunity, we want to hear from you. In return, you’ll enjoy heaps of flexibility, great perks and benefits, and the freedom to be yourself, keep learning and take your career wherever you want it to go. If you love making a difference, you’ll love making it sparkle for millions of Very customers.
About the Role
As a Principal Data Engineer, you'll be one of the most influential technical voices within our Data Science and Engineering team. You'll help define the future direction of our data platforms and engineering practices while remaining close to the technology that powers them. Working alongside Architects, Engineering leaders and cross-functional squads, you'll help ensure we're building scalable, resilient and modern data solutions that support our ambitious goals. This role offers a unique balance of technical leadership, innovation and hands-on engineering influence.
You will help drive the future of data engineering at Very by:
- Shaping the technical direction of our data platforms and helping define the roadmap for future growth
- Solving complex engineering challenges that unlock greater scale, reliability and performance
- Acting as a trusted technical leader across multiple squads, helping teams make confident architectural and engineering decisions
- Raising engineering standards through best practice, code quality and modern development approaches
- Coaching and mentoring engineers, helping them grow their skills and careers
- Creating automated, reliable and observable data solutions that support faster and safer delivery
- Collaborating with Architects and Engineering leaders to introduce new technologies and drive innovation
- Helping teams remove blockers, overcome technical challenges and maintain delivery momentum
- Championing a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing and engineering excellence
- Representing Very within the wider technology community and helping us stay close to emerging trends and innovations
About you
You will be an experienced Data Engineer who enjoys tackling difficult problems and influencing technical direction beyond your own team. You combine deep technical expertise with a genuine passion for helping others succeed. You're someone people naturally turn to for guidance, whether that's solving a complex engineering problem, reviewing an architecture decision or supporting career development.
You will likely bring:
- Strong experience designing and building modern data platforms and engineering solutions at scale
- A passion for engineering excellence, automation and continuous improvement
- The ability to influence technical decisions across multiple teams and stakeholders
- A collaborative mindset and a natural coaching approach
- Curiosity about emerging technologies and how they can create value
- Strong problem-solving skills and the confidence to navigate ambiguity
- A desire to stay hands-on while operating as a technical leader
Most importantly, you'll be excited by the opportunity to shape the future of data engineering while helping others grow alongside you.
Some of our benefits:
- Flexible, hybrid working model
- Inclusive culture and environment
- £1000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
- 30 days holiday + bank holidays
- LinkedIn Learning access
- Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
- Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk
- Matched pension up to 6%
How to apply
Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.
What happens next?
Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely. You can expect a two stage interview process for this position:
- 1st Stage - 30 Minutes Teams call - likely with our Data Engineering Manager, we will then share a Take Home Task.
- 2nd Stage - A one hour technical interview to discuss your take home test in more detail.
As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.
Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities
We’re building a culture of everyday inclusion, and welcome applications from anyone who believes they can do the job. We don’t discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you need reasonable adjustments to apply, interview, or perform a role, let us know via talentacquisition@theverygroup.com. We’ll be happy to support you. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer and have nine brilliant colleague networks - including DAWN (Disability Awareness at Very) and Think (Neurodiversity at Very) - that are helping us make Very an even more inclusive place to work.
Principal Data Engineer in Liverpool employer: The Very Group
The Very Group is an exceptional employer located in the vibrant city of Liverpool, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters creativity and collaboration. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, you will have access to flexible working arrangements, a competitive bonus structure, and a range of additional benefits that enhance your overall well-being. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team where your contributions to knowledge management will make a meaningful impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Engineer in Liverpool
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We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Engineer in Liverpool
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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How to prepare for a job interview at The Very Group
✨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!
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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.
