Principal Data Engineer

Colibri Digital; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first working

Job summary

Colibri Digital is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to bridge complex data architectures with strategic business value. This client-facing role is a high-impact leadership position that ensures resilient, scalable data platforms aligned with long-term business goals.

You will lead multi-year technology roadmaps, drive large-scale data architectures, and own incident management, governance, and risk controls while mentoring teams and promoting data excellence across the organization.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a principal engineering role.
• Extensive experience with cloud data platforms such as Azure or AWS, with a focus on Databricks.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary strategic partner to client business owners, aligning technical data solutions with corporate goals while championing reliability and data quality.
• Drive the development of complex, large-scale data architectures and multi-year technology roadmaps.
• Oversee delivery performance, ensuring quality and resilience of data pipelines and managing capacity planning.
• Lead triage and resolution of platform incidents, owning root-cause prevention and client communication.
• Implement governance frameworks and compliance controls, acting as lead on risk mitigation.
• Champion knowledge sharing and establish best practices across communities of practice.

Skills

Principal engineering

Azure/AWS

Databricks

PySpark

SparkSQL

SQL

Data modelling

ETL tools

Data governance

Data security

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

Databricks

Apache Spark

SQL tooling

Job description

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Department: Services

Location: Remote, UK

Description

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will serve as the bridge between complex technical architecture and strategic business value. This is a high-impact, client-facing leadership role designed for an expert who can navigate deep technical challenges while maintaining a \"customer-first\" mindset. You will be the primary technical authority for our clients, ensuring their data platforms are resilient, scalable, and aligned with their long-term business goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Excellence & Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary strategic partner to client business owners, aligning technical data solutions with corporate goals while championing reliability and \"clean data\" for all consumers.


• Solution Architecture & Tech Strategy: Drive the development of complex, large-scale data architectures and multi-year technology roadmaps, balancing technical innovation with cost efficiency and operational stability.


• Delivery & Execution: Oversee \"team-of-teams\" delivery performance, ensuring the quality and resilience of high-impact data pipelines while managing capacity planning and team velocity.


• Incident Management & Resilience: Lead the triage and resolution of critical platform incidents, taking full ownership of root-cause prevention and maintaining transparent communication with clients during recovery.


• Governance, Risk & Compliance: Implement robust governance frameworks and compliance controls, acting as the authoritative lead on risk mitigation and the primary technical contact for regulatory matters.


• Knowledge Management & Mentorship: Champion an organisational culture of knowledge sharing, representing the firm at industry events and establishing best practices across communities of practice.


• Business Strategy: Influence long-term organizational health by driving platform efficiency, managing engineering budgets, and leading strategic hiring and retention initiatives.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential:

• Proven experience in a principal engineering role.


• Extensive experience with cloud data platforms such as Azure or AWS, with a focus on Databricks.


• Highly skilled with Pythonic data processing tools such as Pyspark and SparkSQL.


• Strong understanding of data modelling concepts relational and non-relational databases.


• Proficiency in SQL and experience with data integration and ETL tools.


• Excellent knowledge of big data technologies and frameworks.


• Strong knowledge of data governance and data security best practices.


• Strong analytical mindset with attention to detail and a consultative approach.


• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Benefits

• Remote-first working with flexibility around client needs.


• Private health insurance.


• Projects with global brands & public sector leaders, working on real-world impact.


• Exclusive access to AWS & Databricks certifications, training, and partner tools.


• A collaborative culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.


• A lead role in shaping delivery standards and future Data & Consulting practices within the firm.


• Competitive salary, bonus structure, and long-term growth opportunities.