Principal Data Engineer

Ronald James; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Ronald James in Newcastle upon Tyne is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to lead the evolution of our next-generation data platform. You will own architectural decisions, define roadmaps, and work hands-on with engineers and architects to ensure security, scalability, and performance.

This senior role combines strategy with practical delivery, collaborating across teams, shaping data contracts and governance, and mentoring colleagues while staying current with industry best practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing large-scale data platforms with Databricks.
• Strong Python development skills and testing practices.
• Ability to own platform roadmaps and architectural decisions.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement secure, high-performance Databricks environments, including cluster setup, governance, and tuning.
• Define and own the technical roadmap for our data platform.
• Ensure systems meet standards for performance, security, maintainability, and reliability.
• Drive progress toward Service Level Objectives (SLOs).
• Collaborate with technical leads and architects to shape data solutions that meet product and business needs.
• Support cross-functional teams in removing technical blockers and enabling delivery.
• Maintain clear, high-quality technical documentation for data and BI systems.
• Act as a visible, collaborative technical voice within the business.
• Contribute to estimation and technical planning.
• Align all solutions with the wider technical strategy.
• Work with Solution Architects and Analysts to design scalable, forward-thinking solutions.
• Apply architectural principles such as domain modelling and modular design.
• Guide delivery and implementation with team leads.
• Provide hands-on support through code reviews, prototyping, and pair programming.
• Support incident response efforts and assist with resolving critical technical issues.
• Gain deep knowledge of internal BI tools and systems.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including integration guides and data contracts.
• Support onboarding and knowledge transfer across teams.
• Stay current with modern best practices in data engineering and architecture.

Skills

Databricks

Python

Architecture

Roadmap ownership

Collaboration

Communication

Time management

Proactive mindset

Tools

Databricks

Python

Job description

Salary: £38,000 - 78,000 per year

Requirements

• We have proven experience designing large-scale data platforms and Databricks infrastructure.
• We have a strong understanding of Databricks internals, including cost and performance optimisation.
• We have advanced Python skills and software development best practices, including testing, abstraction, and modularity.
• We are familiar with modern data architecture, such as Lakehouse, domain-driven design, and data contracts.
• We have experience owning and driving platform-level technical roadmaps.
• We actively engage with new technologies and the wider data engineering community.
• We have excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• We have strong organisational and time management skills.
• We bring a proactive, self-starting mindset with a focus on delivery and ownership.

Responsibilities

• We design and implement secure, high-performance Databricks environments, including cluster setup, governance, and tuning.
• We define and own the technical roadmap for our data platform.
• We ensure systems meet standards for performance, security, maintainability, and reliability.
• We drive progress toward Service Level Objectives (SLOs).
• We collaborate with technical leads and architects to shape data solutions that meet product and business needs.
• We support cross-functional teams in removing technical blockers and enabling delivery.
• We maintain clear, high-quality technical documentation for data and BI systems.
• We act as a visible, collaborative technical voice within the business.
• We contribute to estimation and technical planning.
• We align all solutions with the wider technical strategy.
• We work with Solution Architects and Analysts to design scalable, forward-thinking solutions.
• We apply architectural principles such as domain modelling and modular design.
• We collaborate with team leads to guide delivery and implementation.
• We provide hands-on support through code reviews, prototyping, and pair programming.
• We support incident response efforts and assist with resolving critical technical issues.
• We rapidly gain deep knowledge of internal BI tools and systems.
• We create and maintain technical documentation, including integration guides and data contracts.
• We support onboarding and knowledge transfer across teams.
• We stay current with modern best practices in data engineering and architecture.

Technologies

• Databricks
• Support
• Python
• Security

More

We are a forward-thinking tech organisation seeking a Principal Data Engineer to lead the evolution of our next-generation data platform. This is a senior technical leadership role at the intersection of architecture, platform design, and long-term data strategy. You will report to the Head of Data and act as a key technical authority, owning architectural decisions, defining roadmaps, and ensuring our data platform is secure, scalable, and aligned with broader business goals. We offer a hands-on role working closely with engineers, architects, and stakeholders. The position is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, with a salary of 70,000 to 90,000. This is a permanent role in the Data sector.