Principal Data Engineer

Employment International; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Employment International is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to provide technical leadership in designing, implementing, and modernising enterprise-scale data platforms. The role focuses on secure, scalable solutions enabling advanced analytics and data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

Based in Reading with hybrid work (2-3 days onsite) and a requirement for active or lapsed SC clearance, you will lead cloud-based data architectures, establish DataOps practices, and mentor

Qualifications

• 7+ years of enterprise-scale data engineering experience.
• Proficient in SQL, Python and Spark.
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Background in regulated industries is desirable.
• Professional certifications (AWS/Azure/GCP) advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of cloud-based data architectures and pipelines.
• Establish and enforce standards, DataOps/DevOps practices, and automation.
• Drive adoption of modern cloud-native services across platforms.
• Ensure data quality, governance, lineage, and compliance.
• Mentor engineering teams and influence strategic technology decisions.

Skills

SQL

Python

Apache Spark

Data pipelines

Cloud platforms

Data governance

Tools

Azure

AWS

GCP

Job description

We are seeking a Principal Data Engineer to provide technical leadership in designing, implementing, and modernising enterprise-scale data platforms. This role is pivotal in shaping secure, scalable, and resilient data solutions that enable advanced analytics and data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

Location: Reading (Hybrid - 2-3 days onsite)

Clearance: Active or lapsed SC clearance required

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of cloud-based data architectures and pipelines.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, DataOps/DevOps practices, and automation frameworks.
• Drive adoption of modern cloud-native services (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Ensure data quality, governance, lineage, and compliance.
• Mentor engineering teams and influence strategic technology decisions.

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years' experience in data engineering or enterprise-scale data platform development.
• Strong expertise in SQL, Python, Spark, and modern data frameworks.
• Proven experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Background in highly regulated industries (aerospace, defence, manufacturing) is desirable.
• Professional certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP, TOGAF, DAMA CDMP) advantageous.

Why Join Us?

• Be at the forefront of data modernisation programmes.
• Influence strategic direction and deliver cutting-edge solutions.
• Work in a collaborative environment with strong stakeholder engagement.