Principal Data Engineer

Visa Hunt; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first work

Private health insurance

Global client exposure

Databricks/AWS certifications

Continuous learning culture

Delivery standards leadership

Competitive compensation and growth

Job summary

Visa Hunt is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to bridge complex technical architecture with strategic business value. You will be the primary technical authority for clients, ensuring scalable, resilient data platforms aligned with long-term goals.

Key responsibilities include leading multi-year data roadmaps, optimizing delivery performance, managing incidents, and driving governance. This is a client-facing, high-impact leadership role requiring strong stakeholder skills and deep cloud data

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a principal engineering role.
• Extensive experience with cloud data platforms (Azure or AWS) and Databricks.
• Strong Python data processing using PySpark and SparkSQL.
• Deep understanding of relational and non-relational data modelling.
• Proficient SQL and data integration/ETL tooling.
• Knowledge of big data tech stacks and governance.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary strategic partner to client business owners, aligning data solutions with goals.
• Drive development of large-scale data architectures and multi-year roadmaps.
• Oversee delivery performance and ensure high-quality data pipelines and resilience.
• Lead incident management, root cause analysis and client communications.
• Implement governance frameworks and compliance controls for risk management.
• Foster knowledge sharing and standards across practice communities.
• Influence platform efficiency, engineering budgets and strategic hiring.

Skills

Azure/AWS cloud

PySpark

SparkSQL

SQL

ETL tools

Data governance

Data security

Big data

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

Databricks

Job 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.

Originally posted on Himalayas