Data Engineer | Hybrid Birmingham

Korn Ferry Group; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry in Birmingham is seeking a Data Engineer for a hybrid role, with 3 days on site weekly. You will design and maintain high-throughput data pipelines via Spark and cloud-native AWS tools, enabling AI-ready data platforms for advanced analytics.

You will develop ETL/ELT workflows, optimize SQL in Java/Scala, and collaborate with AI/ML teams to support Generative AI analytics while ensuring data quality, governance, and security across integrations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years data engineering experience in large-scale pipelines.
• Proficiency with Spark in Java/Scala; Python acceptable.
• Strong AWS (S3, EMR, Glue, IAM) skills.
• Advanced SQL for complex transformations.
• ETL/ELT, data modeling and lakehouse design.
• Familiar with Generative AI / AI/ML data workflows.
• Understanding data governance and security.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain high-throughput data pipelines using Apache Spark and cloud-native tools.
• Develop ETL/ELT workflows for managing structured and unstructured data in AWS cloud environments.
• Collaborate with AI/ML teams to enable data platforms for Generative AI and advanced analytics use cases.
• Ensure compliance with data quality, governance, and monitoring best practices across all integrations.
• Enable data lakehouse architectures that support scalability, resilience, and flexible analytics.
• Write optimized SQL queries and scalable code in Java or Scala, ensuring performance efficiency in large datasets.
• Apply security principles and operational guidelines to deliver secure, highly available solutions.
• Partner with cross-functional engineering teams to improve automation, data observability, and platform reliability.
• Troubleshoot complex data processing issues within distributed systems and production environments.
• Contribute to continuous improvement strategies for AI-ready data pipelines and analytics enablement.

Skills

Data engineering

Spark with Java/Scala

AWS cloud services

SQL for transformations

ETL/ELT pipelines

Data governance & security

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

Job description

Role: Data Engineer

IR35 determination: Inside IR35

Location: Birmingham

Working model: Hybrid 3 days on site each week

Rate: up to £530 per day

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Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain high-throughput data pipelines using Apache Spark and cloud-native tools


• Develop ETL/ELT workflows for managing structured and unstructured data in AWS cloud environments


• Collaborate with AI/ML teams to enable data platforms for Generative AI and advanced analytics use cases


• Ensure compliance with data quality, governance, and monitoring best practices across all integrations


• Enable data lakehouse architectures that support scalability, resilience, and flexible analytics


• Write optimized SQL queries and scalable code in Java or Scala, ensuring performance efficiency in large datasets


• Apply security principles and operational guidelines to deliver secure, highly available solutions


• Partner with cross-functional engineering teams to improve automation, data observability, and platform reliability


• Troubleshoot complex data processing issues within distributed systems and production environments


• Contribute to continuous improvement strategies for AI-ready data pipelines and analytics enablement

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Requirements (Must Have Skills)

• 5+ years of data engineering experience building high-performing and large-scale data solutions


• Hands-on expertise in Apache Spark development using Java or Scala (Python experience considered)


• Strong proficiency in AWS cloud services (S3, EMR, Glue, IAM, etc.) and cloud-native architecture principles


• Advanced SQL development skills for performance-critical data transformations


• Practical knowledge of ETL/ELT pipelines, data modeling, and lakehouse design in an enterprise environment


• Familiarity with Generative AI or AI/ML workflows and experience enabling AI-driven data ecosystems


• Solid understanding of data governance, quality, security standards, and operational resiliency

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Nice to Have Skills

• Hands-on experience with Databricks and/or Snowflake, ideally within modern cloud data platforms


• Financial services domain experience, with exposure to data compliance frameworks


• Familiarity with observability tools, automation practices, and modern DevOps principles in data workflows

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry unleashes potential in people, teams, and organizations. We work with our clients to design optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward and motivate their workforce while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers. To learn more, please visit Korn Ferry at www.Kornferry.com