Principal Data Engineer

Bede Gaming; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking gaming technology company seeks a Principal Data Engineer to enhance its data architecture and product offerings. This role encompasses leading technical initiatives, collaborating cross-functionally, and ensuring high-quality data solutions. The company values innovation and offers competitive benefits in a supportive environment.

Benefits

25 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays

Select Enhanced Bupa private healthcare

Fully matched private pension scheme

Life Assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Innovation time for skill development

Free snacks and refreshments

Social events throughout the year

£3,000 referral payment for new hires

Discretionary extra days off

Qualifications

• Strong command of SQL and relational data stores.
• Experience with ETL pipelines.
• Solid hands-on experience with Python for data handling.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the technical roadmap for the data product area.
• Champion the non-functional qualities of data products.
• Collaborate with team leads to finalize solution designs.

Skills

SQL

Data engineering

ETL pipelines

Python

Collaboration

Communication

Tools

Databricks

Job description

Principal Data Engineer

Department: Intel

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Reporting To: Head of Data

Description

We’re looking for a Principal Data Engineer to join the team responsible for delivering trusted, high-quality data products that power decisions across Bede.

Reporting to the Head of Data, you’ll be a respected technical authority, owning the design, integrity, and ongoing improvement of our data architecture. You’ll set the standard for engineering excellence in your product area, guiding teams on best practices, system health, documentation, and long-term technical direction.

This is a high-impact role suited to someone who thrives on solving complex problems, collaborating across disciplines, and shaping scalable, resilient data platforms.

This is a hybrid role that requires you to be in our Newcastle-upon-Tyne office two days a week. Please apply only if you’re comfortable with this arrangement.

What you'll be doing

Core Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the technical roadmap for the data product area, ensuring modern, scalable technologies are used to meet business needs.
• Champion the non-functional qualities of our data products—supportability, testability, security, compliance, maintainability, and performance.
• Drive progress towards our Service Level Objectives (SLOs), ensuring our systems are reliable and resilient.
• Partner closely with Principal Engineers and technical architects to define and design data solutions aligned with product goals.
• Collaborate with engineers and cross-functional teams to remove blockers and support project delivery.
• Maintain high-quality, accessible technical documentation across BI and data solutions.
• Be a visible, positive, and trusted voice across the business—a clear communicator and collaborator.

Design & Scoping

• Contribute to high-level estimations and technical planning to support forward-looking delivery.
• Ensure your team’s work aligns with Bede’s wider technical strategy and roadmap.
• Work with Solution Architects and Business Analysts to design thoughtful, scalable solutions.
• Apply robust architectural practices such as domain modelling to ensure our systems are clean, future-proof, and well-encapsulated.

Execution

• Collaborate with team leads to finalise solution designs and guide teams through delivery.
• Provide hands-on support during build phases—pair-programming, prototyping, reviewing code, and ensuring test coverage is solid.
• Support incident response when needed, partnering with Service Delivery to resolve critical issues efficiently.

Knowledge Sharing & Documentation

• Build deep expertise in our BI products and share that knowledge across the business.
• Own the publication and upkeep of technical documentation—including data contracts, integration guides, and internal roadmaps.
• Regularly contribute to knowledge transfer and onboarding for internal and customer-facing teams.
• Stay ahead of the curve—continuously learning and sharing modern best practices in data engineering, architecture, cloud infrastructure, and tooling.
• Work with large-scale data pipelines and ETL frameworks, helping shape the technical foundations of our data platform.

What we are looking for

We’re after a strong technical leader who’s comfortable working hands-on and at a strategic level. You’ll bring depth in data engineering and architecture, as well as the ability to collaborate and communicate with stakeholders across the business.

You’ll likely have:

• Strong command of SQL and working with relational and analytical data stores
• Experience designing and maintaining ETL pipelines, using both off-the-shelf and custom solutions
• Proven ability to interpret complex business requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions
• Solid hands-on experience working with Python for data handling, transformation, or orchestration
• Familiarity with Databricks, preferably in an Azure environment
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills—you’re approachable, professional, and confident engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Strong self-management—able to juggle multiple workstreams, deliver to deadlines, and stay focused on outcomes
• A self-starting mindset—you take ownership, solve problems proactively, and deliver without needing to be micromanaged

What we can offer you

Here at Bede, we offer a great benefits package and a competitive salary as you would expect from a forward-thinking and people-centric organisation. What sets us apart is our desire to look after our people in the best way we can and to ensure we are offering the best to our colleagues by asking for feedback, so you’ll be pleased to know our benefits package is always being reviewed.

• A friendly, flexible and trust-based approach to working
• 25 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays and a typically very generous Christmas break
• The use of a mobile phone or tablet of your choice, with the monthly contract covered by us
• ‘Select Enhanced’ Bupa private healthcare - access from day 1 which covers all pre-existing conditions
• Fully matched private pension scheme (up to 8% matched)
• Life Assurance which pays out x4 of your salary to a nominated person(s)
• Employee Assistance Programme - Beders have access to support and practical advice on a variety of issues that might impact their life (provided by Bupa)
• Innovation time - Engineers have regular opportunities to spend time developing skills and innovating.
• A great office life! Free snacks and refreshments in the office every day as well as regular food van visits from the best places in Newcastle
• Access to Calm - the #1 app for meditation and sleep
• Lots of social events - inside and outside of the working day
• Referral Programme - help us grow our team with talented individuals and be rewarded with a referral payment of £3,000 (pre-tax)
• Bede swag - from Zoodies to t-shirts and even our much loved Bede socks!
• Bede Holidays - extra discretionary days off through the year as an extra special thank you