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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Data Engineer - **Company:** Simple Machines - **Location:** UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Airflow, Amazon Web Services, Computing Platforms, Architectural Patterns, Big Data, BigQuery, Cloud Computing, Data Infrastructure, Data Security, Data Systems, Database Testing, Data Flow Control, Github, Python (Programming Language), PostgreSQL, MongoDB, NoSQL, Cloud Services, Standard Sql, Parquet, Pulumi, Google Cloud, Data Storage Technologies, Snowflake, Apache Spark, Build Management, Storage Technologies, Apache Flink, Cassandra, Avro, Apache Kafka, Data Management, Terraform, Data Pipelines, Databricks - **Published:** July 12, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.totaljobs.com/job/senior-data-engineer/simple-machines-job107674875 ## About the Role Core Engineering Strength * Strong Python and SQL * Deep experience with Spark and modern data platforms (Databricks / Snowflake) * Solid grasp of cloud data services (AWS or GCP) Architecture & Design Judgement * Demonstrated ownership of large-scale data platform architectures * Strong data modelling skills and architectural decision-making ability * Comfortable balancing trade-offs between performance, cost, and complexity Data Platform Experience * Built and operated large-scale data pipelines in production * Strong data modelling capability and architectural judgement * Comfortable with multiple storage technologies and formats Engineering Discipline * Infrastructure-as-code experience ( Terraform, Pulumi ) * CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions, ArgoCD * Data testing and quality frameworks ( dbt, Great Expectations, Soda ) Delivery & Consulting Mindset * Experience in consulting or professional services environments * Strong consulting instincts - able to challenge assumptions and guide clients toward better outcomes * Comfortable mentoring senior engineers and influencing technical culture, If you're a senior data engineer who wants to build properly, think clearly, and deliver real outcomes - we should talk. ## Description This is a hands-on senior engineering role , not an architecture-only seat and not a support function. You'll be responsible for technical direction, platform design and architectural decision-making. You'll design and build greenfield data platforms , real-time pipelines, and data products for clients who are serious about using data properly. You'll work in small, high-calibre teams and operate close to both the problem and the client. If you enjoy solving hard data problems, shaping modern architectures (data mesh, data products, contracts), and delivering real outcomes - this is your lane. What You'll Be Doing Lead Platform & Architecture Design * Own the end-to-end architecture of modern, cloud-native data platforms * Design scalable data ecosystems using data mesh, data products, and data contracts * Make high-impact architectural decisions across ingestion, storage, processing, and access layers * Ensure platforms are secure, compliant, and production-grade by design Build Modern Data Platforms * Design and deliver cloud-native data platforms using Databricks, Snowflake, AWS, and GCP * Apply modern architectural patterns: data mesh, data products, and data contracts * Integrate deeply with client systems to enable scalable, consumer-oriented data access Develop High-Performance Pipelines * Build and optimise batch and real-time pipelines * Work with streaming and event-driven tech such as Kafka, Flink, Kinesis, Pub/Sub * Orchestrate workflows using Airflow, Dataflow, Glue Work at Scale * Process and transform large datasets using Spark and Flink * Design systems that perform in production - not just on paper Own Data Storage & Performance * Work across relational, NoSQL, and analytical stores (Postgres, BigQuery, Snowflake, Cassandra, MongoDB) * Optimise storage formats and access patterns (Parquet, Delta, ORC, Avro) Cloud, Security & Governance * Implement secure, compliant data solutions with security by design * Embed governance without killing developer velocity Consult and Influence * Work directly with clients to understand problems and shape solutions * Translate business needs into pragmatic engineering decisions * Act as a trusted technical advisor, not just an order taker Technical Leadership & Quality * Set engineering standards, patterns, and best practices across teams * Review designs and code, providing clear technical direction and mentorship * Raise the bar on data quality, testing, observability, and operational excellence ## Related Videos - [From Messy Queries to Scalable Systems - How Data Engineering actually works](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100203-from-messy-queries-to-scalable-systems-how-data-engineering-actually-works) - [Why segmenting your infrastructure into tiers makes your infrastructure design better](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1960-why-segmenting-your-infrastructure-into-tiers-makes-your-infrastructure-design-better) - [Leveraging Real time data in FSIs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/806-leveraging-real-time-data-in-fsis) - [From event streaming to event sourcing 101](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/91-from-event-streaming-to-event-sourcing-101) - [Modern Data Architectures need Software Engineering](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1030-modern-data-architectures-need-software-engineering) - [Unleashing Potential Across Teams: The Power of Infrastructure as Code](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/930-unleashing-potential-across-teams-the-power-of-infrastructure-as-code) ## Related Articles - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [Fullstack Developer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/251-fullstack-developer-salary-uk) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [Making Data Warehouses Fast: A Developer’s Story](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/107-making-data-warehouses-fast-a-developer-s-story) - [Software Engineer Salary in The UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/231-software-engineer-salary-in-the-uk)