Principal Data Engineer

Optimisation Centre of Excellence - The core team responsible for supporting high value investment decisions across our organisation through bespoke, specialised analytics.

Customer Insights - A dedicated team of customer focused analysts, helping to drive customer obsessed decisions through improved customer insight.

Role Summary:

This role will shape how Dunelm uses data at scale, improving the quality, reliability and speed of data products that support better commercial, customer and operational decisions.

The Principal Data Engineer provides technical and people leadership for Dunelm’s data engineering capability, shaping the platform, practices and talent needed to deliver trusted, scalable and cost-effective data products across the business.

The role holder will act as the primary solution architect for our fit for future, cloud first data platform. An expert in modern data stack platforms (Snowflake, AWS, DBT) and data modelling the role holder will mentor engineers across the department, advising on best practise, cost efficient and scalable data products and solutions. Partnering closely with enterprise architecture and technology leadership to ensure data platform strategy aligns to enterprise standards, governance and long-term technology direction.

The Principal Data Engineer role holder will balance duties across line management and talent development, technical and design leadership and hands-on problem solving and solution design, splitting their time accordingly depending upon the challenges and priorities at hand.

The role holder will work closely with our Principal Product Delivery Manager and Principal Data Quality Specialist to form the three amigos, leading our teams to deliver a fit for future cloud first data ecosystem.

As a member of the Data leadership team the role holder is expected to represent Dunelm’s data engineering capability internally and externally through industry events, professional networks, vendor forums and technology communities while bringing emerging thinking and best practice back into the organisation.

What this role requires of you:

• Accountable for the design, engineering and quality of the technical high value, data focused outcomes.
• Accountable for ensuring the design, solutions and capabilities support delivering the business’ data and tech strategy.
• Accountable for ensuring the alignment of technical solutions to architectural governance, data roadmaps and data strategy.
• Accountable for driving continuous improvement across the core data platforms, including managing and remediating technical debt.
• Accountable for managing the delivery of cost-effective solutions, monitoring consumption and identifying opportunities to optimise technology spend.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and mentoring to lead data engineers.
• Leading on the creation and design of technical solutions for the FA, collaborating across teams to ensure solutions are delivered to expected timelines and quality.
• Providing estimates for epics and stories with a specific focus on technical complexity and dependencies, working alongside product and Delivery to support planning.
• Owning technical risks and issues at the project and program level.
• Owning remediation issues for service and support across the data ecosystem
• Ensuring that the data engineering team is working to support the ongoing delivery of the broader Dunelm data strategy and 3 Year business plan.
• Responsible for supporting and developing our talent through the lead engineers, ensuring clear and supportive career pathways, succession and retention/engagement strategies for data engineers.
• Responsible for technical recruitment, retention and onboarding of Lead Data Engineers within the engineering team.
• Responsible for effectively administering data engineering colleagues’ compensation, benefits, and promotion process.
• Responsible for developing Lead Data Engineering talent through effective performance management and supporting leads in line managing data engineers., * Anticipating pitfalls and responding to issues, having courage to change direction to achieve the required outcomes
• Creating a safe environment for the team to experiment and learn, helping others learn from mistakes.
• Promoting a culture of flexible working, helping the team feel at home wherever and however they choose to work.

Growth Mindset

• Being bold and brave in what you can achieve with the team.
• Coaching the team to improve performance and develop their careers.
• Growing the talent and capability needed now and, in the future, creating great learning experiences for the team.

Thinking Big

• Raising the bar with every colleague hire, move or promotion to build capability and be fit for the future.
• Using the internal environment and emerging external trends to inspire big thinking
• Having a winning mindset and motivating the team to succeed and deliver our ambitions.

D&I statement Dunelm is committed to becoming an inclusive business that is representative of our customers and locations. We recognise the value in diversity and welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, religion, disability, gender or sexual identity, socio-economic background or education. We are committed to making Dunelm a place where everyone can enjoy a successful career and have systems in place to support all our colleagues. We are seeking applications from candidates who share our values and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Our commitment to you Accessibility allows everyone to have an equitable chance when applying and showing off their potential, which helps us create a more inclusive and diverse team that brings fresh ideas and perspectives. Should you need it, we have an accessibility tool available in the top menu to support you when you’re completing your application. If you require any other reasonable adjustments during the application and assessment process, reach out to your recruitment partner. Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content

Tech to the future

Meet John, our Chief Tech and Innovation Officer, who shares insights into the exciting things happening in tech, why Dunelm is his happy place, and his unique route into the tech world.

Work your way

We want our colleagues to feel at home wherever they work, so that they are comfortable and can be their best selves. In addition, we want everyone to feel connected to the business, our strategy and the teams they work with.

Where hybrid working is applicable, colleagues need to strike the right balance to fulfil both of these important factors. You will find the right mix of being at home, in the office & out in the business, bearing in mind business needs, job role and level of responsibility.

Wellbeing is more than just a buzzword here

From our Wellbeing Buddies and Mental Health First Aid training to our progressive parental leave, menopause policies and Colleague Support Fund, we’re committed to supporting our colleagues in every area - and at every stage - of their lives. Through our partnership with the Retail Trust, everyone at Dunelm has free access to a 24/7 Virtual GP, as well as therapy and counselling, plus information, guidance and advice in all areas of financial, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Look in our toy box

Of course, you should never judge a business by its tech stack. But take a peek at the range of technologies our engineers and developers are currently playing with.

Dazzling design

At Dunelm, we love every aspect of the design process. We’re continually researching new developments in packaging, materials and production methods, tapping into new data insights and keeping track of changing lifestyle trends. We’re hugely collaborative in the way we work. Together, the teams here have a direct impact on our success, creating amazing products that drive sales and delight our customers, as well as providing direction for our wide and varied range of brands. Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content

Keep on growing

Join us on the tech side and you’ll have access to a huge array of learning and development opportunities, including a variety of internally created workshops and externally accredited courses. We also have a substantial tech-specific budget to fund e-Learning licenses, conference visits, resources, and qualifications, plus dedicated mentors, well-being buddies and a wide range of network groups to support you as you progress. Housewarming & Settling In where you can find out more about the wider business, our culture, behaviours, networks and wellbeing support Thrive, our learning and skills platform which gives you a blended, bite-sized, social learning experience with learning relevant to your role Our Enterprise Leadership Programme designed specifically for our strong growth potential Heads of Department to help them reach the next level in their career Our INSPIRE Programme designed for our strong growth potential senior managers across the business to enhance their leadership capability Our EXPLORE Programme designed to prepare our next generation of Line Managers Personal Effectiveness workshops and self-led learning, also delivered through Thrive Apprenticeships opportunities relevant to your role - from level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) through to Level 7 (equivalent to Masters) Colleague Development Fund to support colleagues in accessing external training relevant to your role Coaching and mentoring opportunities to support you in your current role and help you prepare for the next Self-awareness tools to help you understand what really matters to you, and where your own talents and ambitions lie Progress conversations that reflect on how you’re doing and define your focus areas for the coming months Career conversations that explore what you want from your career, in light of your current capabilities, potential and future aspirations

• Extensive experience line managing technical colleagues through both coaching and mentoring techniques.
• Extensive experience in design and development of modern data stack, cloud first data platforms and pipelines, specifically including the following:
• Cloud Data Platforms such as Snowflake, Redshift or Big Query (ideally Snowflake)
• AWS Platforms including S3, firehose, lambda, SQS and Kinesis
• DBT Labs
• Programming in one or more languages e.g. Python, Node
• Excellent SQL skills
• Data modelling including conceptual, logical and physical design (including extensive experience of dimensional modelling practises and techniques).
• Best practise approach for continuous integration and delivery using tools such as Gitlab/GitHub, Terraform for Infra as code.

Desirable skills:

• Visualisations tools Such as Power BI and ThoughtSpot
• Understanding of quality best practise and understanding of test automation.
• Experience in consumption-based cost management, including monitoring, optimisation and cost reduction.
• Vendor management from an operational and service performance lens, * Creating a strong sense of connection and common purpose within the team
• Using your network of internal and external connections to help shape our plans
• Building strong relationships with other teams and connecting colleagues across team boundaries

Along with competitive salaries, we offer a range of other great benefits to recognise the unique contribution you bring.

Salary Advance so you can access up to 50% of the money you’ve earned during the month, rather than having to wait until pay day

Instant discounts with a range of other companies to help you stretch your budget

Pension contributions to help you save for your retirement

ShareSave scheme that enables you to save monthly and buy Dunelm shares at a discounted rate, building up your investments for a rainy day

Continuous training and coaching to ensure you feel confident in your current role and ready for any new challenges

Access to wellbeing support as and when you need it, including an online GP for you and your immediate family

Colleague networks that give everyone a voice and create an environment where we all feel at home

Outstanding development opportunities and all the support you need to grow your career the way you want

33 days annual holiday plus your birthday off to celebrate, and another day when you move home, so you can get settled in

Generous discounts on all our own products, in-store and online to help you make your house a home

Cycle to work scheme to help you keep your fitness up and your travel costs down

Charity day off (paid, of course) so you can volunteer for a charity that matters to you

We’re the UK’s number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. And the caring and supportive culture we’ve created makes this a place you’ll feel right at home too.

Work your way, together

We’re a hybrid business, which means you’ll have flexibility alongside time together with your team. In this role, you can expect 2 days per week in our London or Leicester office, helping you stay connected, collaborate and do your best work for our customers.

The Data and Analytics department is central to Dunelm’s Strategy in driving value from data through decision intelligence. The department comprises of 5 interconnected capabilities:

Future fit data platform - the enterprise data platform delivered by our core data engineering teams, providing a trusted, single version of business truth to drive value through data and decision intelligence.

Self-Service Analytics Centre of Excellence - the core team responsible for driving governed self-service analytics adoption across our organisation. The team maintains, enhances and develops our ThoughtSpot-led, AI-enabled analytics ecosystem, provides advice, guidance and support to our business community, and maintains a suite of centrally managed enterprise analytics products.

ABODE (Advanced Business Optimisation Engine) - A suite of interconnected Analytics and AI models powering high velocity, complex decisions across our organisation., Today, Dunelm is a leader in the £11bn UK homewares market. With over 200 stores across the country and a successful online operation - dunelm.com - we offer over 60,000 products across a broad range of categories. But where did it all begin?