Senior Data Engineer

Experis; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology consultancy is seeking a Senior Data Engineer (Contract) to develop secure data pipelines in regulated environments. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in data engineering, strong programming skills in Python, and knowledge of ETL/ELT processes. This role involves designing data solutions, contributing to platform resilience, and ensuring compliance with governance and security standards. Opportunities for remote or hybrid work are available.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Senior Data Engineer on enterprise‑scale platforms.
• Strong programming capability in Python.
• Advanced SQL and strong data modelling skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain secure, scalable data pipelines.
• Engineer data solutions that support controlled data access.
• Collaborate with architects and delivery teams.

Skills

Python

Data modelling

Java

Scala

ETL/ELT Pipelines

Distributed systems

AWS

Azure

GCP

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

Senior Data Engineer (Contract)

Location: UK (Remote / Hybrid)

Contract Type: Contract (Outside IR35)

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Data Engineer (Contract) to support the delivery of secure, business‑critical data platforms within high‑assurance, regulated environments. The role focuses on designing and implementing resilient data pipelines and integration services that enable controlled data sharing across complex, multi‑domain systems, while maintaining strong standards of security, governance, and compliance.

The successful contractor will operate at a senior technical level, contributing to platform design, assuring engineering quality, and supporting delivery in environments where data integrity, availability, and access control are essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain secure, scalable data pipelines and integration services
• Engineer data solutions that support controlled data access across complex domains
• Develop production‑grade code aligned with secure‑by‑design principles
• Model complex datasets to support interoperability and governed access
• Integrate data from diverse sources, including legacy and operational systems
• Implement fine‑grained access controls, data classification, and governance mechanisms
• Support deployment and operation of data services across cloud, on‑premise, and hybrid environments
• Collaborate with architects, security specialists, and delivery teams
• Contribute to design reviews and technical decision‑making
• Ensure performance, resilience, and observability of data platforms
• Produce and maintain clear technical documentation

Required Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience operating as a Senior Data Engineer on complex, enterprise‑scale platforms
• Strong programming capability in Python
• Commercial experience with Java and/or Scala
• Advanced SQL and strong data modelling skills
• Proven experience designing and operating ETL / ELT pipelines at scale
• Solid understanding of distributed systems and data platform architecture
• Experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Experience with containerisation and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with CI / CD pipelines and modern DevOps practices

Experience in Regulated Environments

• Experience delivering data solutions in regulated or high‑assurance settings
• Understanding of security‑focused architectures such as least‑privilege access
• Experience implementing data governance, classification, and policy‑driven access controls
• Comfortable operating in environments with formal assurance, audit, and compliance requirements
• Able to handle sensitive information in line with contractual and organisational standards

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of semantic data, knowledge graphs, or graph databases
• Experience with RDF, SPARQL, or ontology‑based data models
• Familiarity with controlled or cross‑domain data sharing patterns
• Experience with Infrastructure‑as‑Code (e.g. Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Exposure to open‑source data platforms or frameworks

Contractor Profile

• Able to deliver independently with minimal supervision
• Comfortable working within structured delivery frameworks
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Clear communicator with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• Pragmatic, delivery‑focused, and quality‑driven

Additional Information

Due to the nature of the work, candidates must be eligible to pass background and suitability checks as part of the engagement.