Principal Data Engineer

Freshfields; Manchester; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields is seeking a data engineering leader to architect and deliver a cloud-first data platform at enterprise scale. You will guide a global, cross-functional team and drive AI-readiness, governance maturity and data democratisation across the firm.

You will own the day-to-day leadership of the Data Engineering team, shape engineering strategy, recruit and develop talent, and collaborate with senior stakeholders to maintain a reliable, scalable data platform.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience with coaching and growing teams.
• Experience delivering data lake/lakehouse architectures in an enterprise cloud.
• Hands-on with Databricks, Spark, PySpark, SQL and core Azure Data Services.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain scalable data lake/lakehouse solutions in Azure.
• Develop and optimise batch and streaming ETL/ELT pipelines with modern tooling.
• Implement data governance and cataloguing using Collibra or Purview.
• Lead the Data Engineering team, including recruitment and performance management.
• Collaborate with Data Office to define engineering strategy and foster a high-performing culture.
• Monitor and tune data jobs for performance, scalability and cost.

Skills

Leadership

Data engineering

Team management

Communication

Tools

Azure Data Lake

Databricks

Spark

PySpark

SQL

Data Factory

dbt

Collibra

Purview

Job description

This is a genuine build-and-lead opportunity — architecting a modern, cloud-first data platform from a position of real influence, while growing and shaping the team that delivers it. You will work across a global, cross-functional community, with the scope to drive data democratisation, governance maturity and AI-readiness across the firm.

What you will be doing

• Design and maintain scalable, secure data lake and lakehouse solutions using Azure Data Lake, Databricks and Delta Lake — built to support real-time insight, advanced analytics and AI/ML at enterprise scale.
• Develop and optimise batch and streaming ETL/ELT pipelines using Azure Data Factory, PySpark, SQL, Apache Spark and Airflow, integrated with modern tooling like dbt and Git-based CI/CD.
• Implement data cataloguing, lineage tracking and governance frameworks through Collibra, ensuring data across the enterprise is discoverable, well-documented and compliant.
• Own the day-to-day leadership, coaching and development of the Data Engineering team within the Global Data Office — supporting recruitment, performance management, skills growth and the adoption of engineering best practices.
• Work closely with Data Office leadership to define engineering strategy, support delivery planning, and build a high-performing, collaborative engineering culture across a geographically dispersed team.
• Monitor and tune data jobs for performance, scalability and cost; embed data validation, logging and monitoring to catch issues early and keep the platform reliable.

Key Requirements

• Experience in data engineering, including designing and delivering data lake or lakehouse architectures in an enterprise cloud environment, ideally Microsoft Azure.
• Hands-on expertise with Databricks, Spark, PySpark, SQL and core Azure Data Services (Data Lake Storage, Synapse Analytics, Data Factory).
• Experience with data governance and cataloguing tools such as Collibra or -Purview, plus familiarity with the modern data stack (dbt, CI/CD, streaming frameworks).
• Genuine leadership experience, with a passion for developing people as much as building systems.
• Strong communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences, and a resilient, proactive mindset suited to a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer.We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence).You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.