Principal Data Engineer

Breedon Group plc; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Contributory Pension Scheme

Free on-site Parking

Holiday Buy Scheme

Volunteer Scheme

Share Save Scheme

Life Assurance

Enhanced Maternity, Adoption & Patern­

Health & Wellbeing Initiatives

Discount Scheme

Job summary

Breedon Group plc is seeking an experienced Principal Data Engineer to lead the design, build and deployment of our Azure data platform. You will guide standards, architecture decisions and deliver secure, scalable data products across the Data & Analytics team.

The role requires hands-on leadership, expert knowledge of Azure services, Databricks and data engineering practices to support enterprise reporting, analytics and AI initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience designing and implementing an Azure analytics platform including Databricks, Data Factory and lake storage.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders to articulate strategy and benefits of a central cloud data platform.
• Familiarity with CI/CD processes for data pipelines and platform components.

Responsibilities

• Provide Technical Leadership and Direction for data engineering across the organisation.
• Define Engineering Standards and Best Practices to drive consistency, scalability and maintainability.
• Lead Architecture and Solution Design with security, resilience and governance in mind.
• Deliver Modern Data Engineering Solutions using Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and related technologies.
• Ensure Quality, Security and Operational Excellence of data services.
• Drive Continuous Improvement and reduction of technical debt in the platform.
• Drive Innovation and Technical Strategy through evaluation of emerging technologies.
• Develop Engineering Capability and Lead Delivery while mentoring engineers.

Skills

Azure

SQL

Python

PySpark

Delta Lake

Unity Catalog

Azure Databricks

Microsoft Fabric

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Azure Data Lake Storage

Azure DevOps

Job description

Principal Data Engineer

Application Deadline: 13 September 2026

Department: Information Technology Services

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Lockington, Derbyshire

Description

BREEDON GROUP PLC is a leading construction materials group operating from over 400 sites across the UK and Ireland.

We have an opportunity to join our thriving Data & Analytics team with an exciting plan and long-term vision. We are seeking an experienced data engineer, with skills in Microsoft Azure and SQL, to take a key role in the design, build and deployment of our Azure data platform in line with our enterprise architecture.

The Role

The Principal Data Engineer will provide hands-on technical leadership for the design, delivery and continuous improvement of Breedon's enterprise data platform. The role will establish engineering standards, guide architectural decisions and build secure, scalable data products using Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks and associated Azure services. Working across Data & Analytics, Technology and the wider business, the role will help make trusted data easier to discover, access and use for analytics, automation and AI.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide Technical Leadership and Direction: Act as the senior technical authority for data engineering, providing guidance on architecture, technology selection, engineering practices and solution quality across the organisation.
• Define Engineering Standards and Best Practices : Establish and govern engineering standards, reference architectures, reusable patterns, coding practices and delivery frameworks to drive consistency, scalability and maintainability.
• Lead Architecture and Solution Design: Lead technical design reviews, data modelling decisions and architecture assurance activities to ensure solutions are secure, resilient, supportable and aligned to strategic objectives.
• Deliver Modern Data Engineering Solutions: Design, build and optimise cloud-based data platforms and data pipelines using Microsoft Fabric, Azure and related technologies to support enterprise reporting, analytics and operational workloads.
• Ensure Quality, Security and Operational Excellence: Establish robust testing, data quality, monitoring, observability, security and deployment practices to ensure reliable, well-governed and highly available data services.
• Drive Continuous Improvement and Technical Debt Reduction: Lead initiatives to modernise legacy solutions, reduce technical debt, improve platform reliability, optimise performance and cloud costs, and embed engineering practices that improve long-term maintainability and operational efficiency.
• Drive Innovation and Technical Strategy: Evaluate emerging technologies, lead technical discovery and proof-of-concept activities, and contribute to the development of the organisation's data strategy, architecture roadmap and future technology direction.
• Develop Engineering Capability and Lead Delivery: Lead the delivery of complex technical initiatives while mentoring and coaching engineers, promoting knowledge sharing, strengthening technical capability, and fostering a culture of engineering excellence, continuous learning and professional growth.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Experience and knowledge:

• Experience of designing and implementing an Azure analytical platform including Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, PySpark, SQL, Python, and Azure DevOps.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders to articulate the strategy, objectives and benefits of a central enterprise cloud data platform
• Experience using DevOps practices to establish standards for source control, branching strategies, pull requests, code reviews, testing, and release management.
• Familiar with CI/CD processes for data pipelines and platform components
• Experience of coaching and mentoring data engineers to achieve successful outcomes
• Familiarity with AI-focused data engineering, including RAG systems, vector databases, embedding pipelines, and semantic indexing
• A proven record of collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders
• Process mapping and supporting documentation production
• Test plan formulation and managing through to resolution

Skills:

• Ability to communicate and collaborate with multiple stakeholders across the business and within Breedon Technology Services
• High level of technical proficiency in designing, implementing and maintaining a quality service
• Research and evaluation of technological developments
• Ability to analyse and troubleshoot potential issues within the platform
• Ability to identify creative solutions to overcome problems
• Ability to impart knowledge and support the development of team members
• Ability to support AI workflows by designing high-performance retrieval pipelines and working with AI engineering teams

Job Benefits

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Free on-site Parking
• Holiday Buy Scheme
• Volunteer Scheme
• Share Save Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption & Paternity Scheme
• Health & Wellbeing Initiatives
• Discount Scheme