Senior Data Engineer

IWSR; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

IWSR seeks a Senior Data Engineer in Central London (hybrid, 3 days in office) to take ownership of production-critical systems. You'll manage the data ingestion pipeline, migrate Excel processes to Python, and work closely with stakeholders to solve data challenges.

The ideal candidate has 5–7 years in data engineering, solid Python and SQL Server experience, and is familiar with Databricks. We value problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate messy systems.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years' experience in data engineering or an adjacent role.
• Solid Python skills for data pipelines and production code.
• Hands-on SQL Server experience.

Responsibilities

• Own and improve data ingestion pipelines that power the Global Database.
• Lead the migration of Excel-based processes into production Python.
• Manage the SQL Server environment, including security and structure.

Skills

Python

SQL Server

Databricks

PySpark

AWS

Tools

AI-assisted dev tools (e.g., Copilot)

Job description

IWSR is the world's most trusted source of beverage alcohol data, used by the biggest names in the industry across 160+ countries. We're a small, expert team with a big remit, and we're looking for a Senior Data Engineer who wants to own things, not just build them. This isn't a ticket-driven role inside a large platform team. You'll be one of two data engineers, working closely with an engineering lead, taking real ownership of production‑critical systems from day one.

What you'll actually be doing:

• Owning and improving the data ingestion pipeline that powers our Global Database
• Leading the migration of Excel‑based processes into production Python
• Collaborating on Databricks migration work (GTR and data pooling)
• Taking charge of our SQL Server environment, security, structure, day‑to‑day management
• Working directly with non-technical stakeholders to translate data problems into business outcomes

What we're looking for:

We care less about your CV checklist and more about how you work. The strongest candidates tend to:

• Think in problems, not just technologies — "here's what was broken and here's how I fixed it"
• Be comfortable inheriting messy, real‑world systems rather than always building green field
• Have worked in small teams where you had to figure it out yourself — no dedicated platform team, no safety net
• Show an engineering mindset: careful, methodical, aware of what goes wrong in production

Technically, you'll need solid Python (data pipelines, production code), hands‑on SQL Server experience, and genuine Databricks / PySpark exposure.

AWS familiarity and comfort with AI‑assisted dev tools (Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) are a plus.

If you've ever built something a bit scrappy to solve a real problem, a quick front end, a workaround that became the system, we'd like to hear from you.

Location & Experience

Central London, hybrid (3 days in office)

5–7 years' experience in data engineering or adjacent role