Principal Data Engineer

Posted 10 days 21 hours ago by Xpertise Recruitment

Permanent
Not Specified
Other
Not Specified, United Kingdom
Job Description

Principal Data Engineer - Consultancy

Location: Remote (UK-based with client travel as needed)
Clearance: SC required (Sole UK Nationals only)

Can you help organisations at the very beginning of their data journey?

We're hiring a Principal Data Engineer to lead the design and delivery of data solutions across a variety of sectors. This role is ideal for someone who can blend technical expertise with a consultative mindset - guiding clients who may not yet have mature data capabilities, warehouses, or clear strategies in place.

What you'll be doing:

  • Act as a lead consultant, engaging directly with clients to shape and deliver data solutions

  • Support pre-sales and business development by defining scopes, contributing to proposals, and helping win new work

  • Manage and mentor teams of Data Engineers and Analysts across active projects

  • Design modern data platforms and architectures from scratch, often where existing infrastructure is minimal or misused

  • Establish best practices across data engineering, governance, and delivery

  • Build trust with both technical teams and senior non-technical stakeholders

What you'll bring:

  • Significant experience in data engineering and solution design, ideally in complex or regulated environments

  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with a consultative approach

  • Technical skills across modern cloud platforms (Azure preferred), SQL, Python, data visualisation and data pipeline tools

  • Experience leading teams and developing others

  • Patience, adaptability, and a willingness to work in organisations with low data maturity

What to expect:

You'll join a growing consultancy team working on high-impact digital transformation projects. Many of these clients are only just starting their data journeys - so this isn't a plug-and-play role. It's about building capability where it's never existed before.

Additional info:

  • SC clearance is required (sole UK nationals only)

  • Occasional travel to client sites will be necessary

  • The role offers long-term growth, autonomy, and variety across projects

Ready to shape the future of data where it's needed most?

Get in touch to find out more or apply directly.