Principal Software Engineer- Data Platforms

IDBS; Woking; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

IDBS in Woking is seeking a Principal Data Software Engineer to lead the development of reliable data pipelines that support AI and analytics. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience building production data systems and knowledge of both structured and unstructured data. This role requires strong leadership and mentorship skills to guide engineers in best practices. The company offers a dynamic environment focused on solving complex customer challenges through innovative data solutions.

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on experience with production data pipelines.
• Strong practical experience with structured and unstructured data.
• Proven ability to deliver high-quality, scalable data systems.
• Experience with enabling AI and reporting use cases.
• Demonstrated impact through technical delivery and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of scalable data pipelines for AI and analytics.
• Build and operate data ingestion for various data types.
• Implement data quality practices for cross-record querying.
• Collaborate with engineers to ensure trustworthy data.
• Set high standards for data engineering practices and mentor engineers.

Skills

Production data pipelines

AI/ML and enterprise application delivery

Data quality and reliability

Mentorship and technical leadership

Structured and unstructured data handling

Tools

Databricks

AWS

Job description

About IDBS

At IDBS, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.

IDBS helps BioPharma organizations unlock the potential of AI/ML to improve the lives of patients. As a trusted long‑term partner to 80% of the top 20 global BioPharma companies, IDBS delivers powerful cloud software and services specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of the BioPharma sector.

IDBS, a Danaher company, leverages 35 years of scientific informatics expertise to help organizations design, execute and orchestrate processes, manage, contextualize and structure data and gain valuable insights throughout the product lifecycle, from R&D through manufacturing. Known for its signature IDBS E‑WorkBook software, IDBS has extended its flexible, scalable solutions to the IDBS Polar and PIMS cloud platforms to help scientists make smarter decisions with assured confidence in both GxP and non‑GxP environments.

Do you want to work in a dynamic, fast paced, high performing, safe‑to‑fail and fun environment founded on trust, empowerment and autonomy? Do you enjoy solving complex customer problems as a team?

The Principal Data Software Engineer plays a critical role in the hands‑on delivery and evolution of IDBS’s data platforms. Operating at principal level, the role focuses on building, operating, and continuously improving reliable, scalable, and compliant data capabilities that support AI, analytics, and enterprise workflows. Acting as a senior technical leader, the Principal Engineer influences data engineering decisions through deep practical expertise, balances near‑term delivery with long‑term maintainability, and ensures data platforms can sustainably support growing product, data, and regulatory demands.

In This Role, You Will Have The Opportunity To

• Lead the hands‑on delivery of reliable, scalable data pipelines and datasets that power AI discoverability, analytics, reporting, and workflow automation across scientific, clinical, and enterprise data.
• Build, evolve, and operate data ingestion and processing capabilities for structured, semi‑structured, and unstructured data, supporting the transition from early prototypes through early adoption and general release.
• Implement and maintain rich metadata and data quality practices that enable cross‑record querying, traceability, and AI‑ready data access across experiments, files, inventory, and workflows.
• Partner closely with architects, AI engineers, workflow engineers, and domain experts to ensure data is usable, performant, and trustworthy for downstream GenAI and analytics use cases.
• Act as a technical leader by setting a high bar for data engineering practices, mentoring engineers through code and delivery, and unblocking complex data challenges within the team.

The Essential Requirements Of The Job Include

• Significant hands‑on experience building and operating production data pipelines that support analytics, AI/ML, and enterprise application use cases.
• Strong practical experience working with unstructured and structured data, including ingestion, transformation, enrichment, indexing, and lifecycle management.
• Proven ability to deliver high‑quality, production‑grade data systems with a focus on data quality, reliability, scalability, observability, and operational support.
• Experience enabling data for downstream AI and reporting use cases, including cross‑entity queries, contextual linking, and performant data access patterns.
• Demonstrated principal‑level impact through technical delivery, mentorship, and collaboration across teams, rather than through line management or pure architecture ownership.

Desirable (but Not Essential)

• Experience supporting GenAI, NLP, or AI‑driven discovery and reporting use cases through well‑designed data pipelines and curated datasets.
• Familiarity with cloud‑based data platforms and tooling, including Databricks and AWS, in production enterprise environments.
• Experience working with data in regulated or quality‑sensitive domains (e.g. life sciences or GxP‑aligned environments), including auditability and traceability considerations.

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real‑life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.

For more information, visit www.danaher.com.