Senior Data Engineer

Answer Digital; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible annual leave

Bonuses (biannual)

Job summary

Answer Digital Limited in Leeds is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to shape modern data infrastructure for client digital transformation journeys. You’ll own data modelling, orchestration, observability, and SI/CI processes on high-impact projects with a collaborative team.

You’ll routinely design data flows and platform architecture, drive task estimation, and uphold data quality while mentoring junior engineers and contributing to bids for new opportunities.

Qualifications

• Proven track record building and running production data pipelines across relational and NoSQL sources.
• Strong SQL and Python, and experience with an orchestration framework.
• Experience building semantic models and reports using BI tools (PowerBI).
• Knowledge of cloud data technologies (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, Fabric).
• Familiarity with data modelling, ETL/ELT and data governance concepts.

Responsibilities

• Own areas of client projects such as data modelling, orchestration or observability.
• Contribute to requirements analysis and high-level solution design for data flows and platform architecture.
• Lead breakdown of requirements into tasks and estimate work with the team.
• Maintain data engineering quality: pipeline testing, monitoring, CI/CD, source control.
• Assess impact of data and platform changes before deployment.
• Engage in technical discussions and align stakeholders on data decisions.
• Mentor junior engineers and support their delivery and learning.
• Identify tooling and process improvements, including AI-assisted approaches.
• Contribute to bids and proposals for new client opportunities.

Skills

SQL

Python

Data pipelines

Data modelling

PowerBI

Cloud data platforms

Orchestration (Airflow)

AI in engineering

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

Power BI

Microsoft Fabric

CI/CD

Job description

We are looking to recruit a Senior Data Engineer to play a vital role in supporting the digital transformation journeys of our clients. In this role, you will work directly on high-impact projects that shape modern data infrastructure, solve complex technical challenges, and drive meaningful outcomes across key sectors. You will join an innovative and collaborative data engineering team with great opportunities to work with modern cloud technologies, expand your skillset, and champion best practices.

What you’ll be doing

• Taking ownership of one or more areas of a client project, such as data modelling, orchestration or observability.

• Contributing to requirements analysis and high-level solution design, especially data flows and platform architecture.

• Leading the breakdown of requirements into implementation tasks, and leading task-level estimation with your team.

• Upholding and improving technical quality: pipeline testing, monitoring, CI/CD and source control.

• Helping assess the impact of data and platform changes before they're made.

• Contributing to technical discussions and helping align your team and client stakeholders on data decisions.

• Supporting junior engineers with their delivery and their learning.

• Spotting ways to improve our tooling, patterns and processes, including how we use AI in our engineering work.

• Contributing to bids and proposals for new client opportunities.

What you’ll bring to Answer

• An understanding of what consultancy work involves, and a genuine drive to solve our clients' problems.

• A proven track record of building and running production data pipelines across relational and NoSQL sources.

• Strong SQL and Python, and an orchestration framework.

• Proficiency in building semantic models and reports using tools such as PowerBI.

• Practical familiarity with using AI tools to support development and workflows.

• A background in building semantic models and reports using tools such as PowerBI.

• Deep knowledge of at least one cloud data technology (for example Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake or a cloud warehouse).

• A solid grasp of data modelling, ETL/ELT and data governance, including medallion or Lakehouse-style architectures.

It would be great if you also had experience in some of these, but if not we’ll help you with them:

• Healthcare data experience, such as NHS programmes or standards like FHIR, HL7 and SNOMED CT.

• Data contracts or other shift-left approaches to data quality.

• Preparing data for AI use: semantic layers, metadata, vector databases or exposing data to AI agents.

• Using AI-assisted tools to build, test or document pipelines, and judging when their output can be trusted.

• Cost-aware engineering, such as monitoring and optimising cloud data spend.

• UK data protection and AI governance in practice, including UK GDPR and ICO guidance.

• Working with BI tools to turn data into insight for users.

• Helping with a Data Engineer Academy, internal talks or communities of practice.

The perks of being @ Answer

We’re an Employee-Owned Company. After 12 months – through the Employee Ownership Trust you will be part of the ownership of Answer; a major factor in driving engagement, retention and growth for our people

• Competitive salary - we benchmark both internally and externally to make sure you’re paid fairly.

• Flexible annual leave (buy/sell and carry forward)

• Twice a year income-tax free bonus if company-wide performance targets are met - we're all in this together

• Continuous training and development - if you want to learn, we’ll provide all the support you need

• Flexible Pension - we match your on contributions up to 5%

• Regular tech catch ups/hack events - we also encourage external tech events!

• A packed social calendar including; Summer away days, monthly and quarterly company team socials.

• Parking at Head Offices in central Leeds, plus Cycle2Work & Green Car Lease schemes to help get you here

• The chance to give back – get involved nationally and regionally with partnerships to get people from different backgrounds into tech, as well as lots of charity and community events

• Hybrid and flexible working – you can vary your working when and where you work, to allow you to collaborate better, feed your creativity, and take the time and space to focus when you need to

Diversity and Inclusion

At Answer we proudly embrace diversity and inclusion - we want to create a safe environment for everyone to bring their true selves to work. We will do everything we can to support your application; if you require any adjustments to be made to your application or interview process please speak to our recruitment team.

A bit more about us.

Answer Digital is a highly successful digital transformation consultancy headquartered in Leeds. We’re a company on a fast growth trajectory with a reputation of delivering large-scale, operational critical solutions.

People are at the heart of everything we do - so much so we’re owned by our people. It sets us apart from most digital businesses you’ll meet and defines our culture and values. Our people are invested in everything we do, because we are invested in them.

Don't believe us? Well check out our glassdoor and hear what our people have to say!