Senior Data Engineer (f/m/d)

Next Kraftwerke GmbH; Köln; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Flexitime

Vacation days carryover

Language courses

Job bike

Germany ticket

Sports offers

Company events

Daycare support

Job summary

Next Kraftwerke GmbH is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to shape the data infrastructure behind Europe’s largest Virtual Power Plant. You will design scalable data platforms, guide long-term architecture decisions, and enable teams to leverage data effectively.

We offer hybrid work with flexible hours across full- or part-time arrangements. You will work with Python, Airflow, various databases and Azure cloud services, collaborating across the business in an agile setting to deliver real value.

Qualifications

• A degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field.
• Several years of experience as a Data Engineer or Platform Engineer.
• Hands-on with Airflow, Azure EventHubs, Apache Kafka, DBT or comparable tools and cloud platforms (Azure).
• Strong software engineering skills and proficiency in at least two programming languages.
• Understand modern Data Engineering principles and systems thinking.
• Able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly in English; German is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop a cloud platform enabling teams to set up ETL/ELT pipelines or streaming processes.
• Define and implement concepts for a modern, decentralized data architecture and guide adoption.
• Translate business requirements into pragmatic, sustainable technical solutions for stakeholders.
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle from design through production and operations.
• Collaborate in an agile environment with Scrum, code reviews, pair programming, and retrospectives.
• Partner with stakeholders across the business to deliver tangible impact.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Data Engineering / Software Engineering

Tools

Python

Java

Go

Django

FastAPI

Airflow

Pandas

Pytest

Pydantic

InfluxDB

Postgres

MySQL

GitHub

Jenkins

Ansible

Terraform

Azure

Docker Swarm

EventHub

RabbitMQ

Kafka

Graylog

Prometheus

Grafana

Splunk

Job description

As a Senior Data Engineer, you will be a key contributor within a team of eight experts, shaping up the data infrastructure behind one of Europe's largest Virtual Power Plants. You will design scalable data platforms, drive architectural decisions with long-term impact, and enable teams across the organization to leverage data effectively. Beyond building solutions, you will take ownership of critical data infrastructure, collaborate closely with technical and business stakeholders, and drive the evolution of our data architecture.

Flexible working hours are not just an empty phrase for us, but an everyday reality. Whether full-time or part-time - let us know what works best for you.

We work with

You don't need to know everything. What's more important to us is your motivation and willingness to learn.

• Python, Java, Go
• Django, FastAPI, Airflow
• Pandas, Pytest, Pydantic
• InfluxDB, Postgres, MySQL
• Github, Jenkins, Ansible, Terraform
• Azure, Docker Swarm
• EventHub, RabbitMQ, Kafka
• Graylog, Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk

This is what you like

• You develop a cloud platform that enables our different stakeholders to independently set up ETL/ELT pipelines or streaming processes for their business units.
• You define and implement concepts for a modern, decentralized data architecture while enabling and guiding other teams in adopting those concepts.
• You translate business requirements into pragmatic and sustainable technical solutions, empowering stakeholders with intuitive tools that allow them to use and observe data quickly and easily.
• You are involved in the entire software development lifecycle, from design through to production and operations always balancing scalability, maintainability, and business value.
• You work in a highly collaborative environment using agile methodologies such as Scrum, code reviews, pair programming, and regular retrospectives, to continuously improve both our solutions and the way we work.
• You partner closely with stakeholders across the business to understand their needs and deliver solutions that create tangible business impact.

These are your qualifications and skills

• You have completed a degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field, or you bring an equivalent combination of skills and experience.
• You have several years of experience as a Data Engineer or Platform Engineer, designing, building, and operating distributed, data-driven systems or other business-critical infrastructure.
• You have hands-on experience with different Data Engineering tools such as Apache Airflow, Azure EventHubs, Apache Kafka, DBT or comparable tools as well as practical experience with cloud platforms (ideally Azure).
• You have strong software engineering skills and are proficient in at least two programming languages.
• You understand modern Data Engineering principles, think in systems and architectures rather than individual components.
• You are creative, curious, and know how to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• You use English confidently as your working language. German is a plus but not required.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid and flexible working including home office equipment
• The opportunity to save up additional vacation days and use them flexibly with our Flextime working model
• Comprehensive further development opportunities such as language courses, coaching and training
• Job bike and Germany ticket
• Sports offers e.g (Urban Sports Club, Yoga courses)
• Regular events: summer party, Christmas party, LAN party, after-work pizza & drinks
• External support in finding daycare places as well as other private and professional challenges

We adhere to non-disclosure guidelines and guarantee that your answers will be anonymous.