Senior Data Engineer

KDR Recruitment USA; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Benefits package

Flexible hybrid work

Job summary

KDR Recruitment USA is seeking a Senior Data Engineer for a high-impact science and AI platform. The role is hybrid between Oxford and London, focusing on designing, building and optimising a secure, cloud-based data platform.

You will mentor engineers and work with data scientists to deliver valuable datasets. Required are strong Python/SQL, cloud experience (AWS/Azure/GCP), data lakehouse knowledge, and orchestration with Airflow.

Qualifications

• Proficient Python and SQL for ETL/ELT development.
• Experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Knowledge of data lakes, lakehouse patterns, and Parquet/Delta formats.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable cloud data pipelines.
• Develop data models for analytical and operational use cases.
• Implement data validation, observability, and quality frameworks.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to deliver datasets.
• Contribute to architecture discussions and technical docs.
• Champion performance, governance, and reliability.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data modelling

Collaboration

Attention to detail

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Airflow

Kafka

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Senior Data Engineer | High-Impact Science & AI Platform | Hybrid (Oxford/London) | up to £130k + Bonus & Benefits

The Company

Our client is an international science and technology institute focused on solving global challenges through innovation. By combining advanced analytics, AI, and cloud computing, they are driving discovery in health, environment, and sustainability — turning research into tangible real-world outcomes.

Their multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers are scaling a next-generation data platform designed to power some of the most ambitious research and AI initiatives in the UK.

The Role

As a Senior Data Engineer, you’ll play a key role in designing, building, and optimising the organisation’s secure, high-performance cloud-based data platform. You’ll work across the entire data lifecycle — from ingestion and transformation through to optimisation and access — while contributing to architecture, best practice, and the mentoring of junior engineers. This is a hands‑on role for someone who thrives in technically complex environments and enjoys collaborating with data scientists, researchers, and software teams to deliver impactful solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and storage systems in the cloud.
• Develop efficient data models for both analytical and operational use cases.
• Implement data validation, observability, and quality frameworks.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to deliver well‑structured, high‑value datasets.
• Contribute to architectural design discussions and technical documentation.
• Champion best practice in performance, governance, and reliability.

Your Experience

• Strong hands‑on experience with Python and SQL for ETL/ELT development.
• Proven track record working with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Familiarity with data lakes, lakehouse patterns, and modern storage formats (Parquet, Iceberg, Delta).
• Experience with workflow orchestration tools (Airflow, Prefect, or similar).
• Solid understanding of data modelling and optimisation for large-scale systems.
• Collaborative mindset, strong problem-solver, and keen attention to detail.
• Desirable: Exposure to real-time streaming (Kafka, Kinesis), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), or experience with scientific/healthcare datasets.

Why Join?

• Competitive salary up to £120,000 + annual bonus + benefits.
• Flexible hybrid working between Oxford and London.
• Contribute to a high-impact data platform enabling world-class research.
• Work with cutting-edge technology and collaborate with leading scientists and AI specialists.
• Be part of a mission-driven, multidisciplinary team focused on innovation at scale.

If you’re an experienced Data Engineer ready to take on complex, large-scale challenges, we’d love to hear from you.