Contract Principal Data Engineer

We are looking for an experienced Principal Data Engineer to join us on a contract basis, supporting complex client engagements across Data & AI transformation programmes. This is a highly client-facing consultancy role, suited to someone who is comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on technical levels. You will work directly with senior client stakeholders, delivery teams and architects to design and deliver scalable modern data platforms.

We are specifically looking for someone with deep expertise in Databricks, either operating at Architect level or leading high-performing engineering teams within enterprise environments. The successful candidate will bring strong consulting capability, commercial awareness and stakeholder management skills alongside exceptional technical depth. Client Engagement & Stakeholder Management Act as a trusted technical advisor across client engagements.

Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, delivery leads and engineering teams. Translate complex technical concepts into clear business value and delivery outcomes. Support clients through technical decision-making, platform strategy and roadmap planning. Databricks Leadership & Solution Architecture Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions and modern data platforms.

Provide architectural leadership across cloud-native data engineering initiatives. Define engineering standards, best practices and scalable delivery approaches. Drive platform optimisation, resilience and performance improvements. Delivery & Consultancy Lead technical delivery across multiple client engagements within a consultancy environment. Work closely with cross-functional teams including Data Engineers, Architects, Product Owners and client stakeholders.

Support project planning, technical governance and delivery execution. Ensure high-quality, scalable and maintainable engineering solutions. Technical Leadership Mentor and guide engineering teams across modern data engineering practices. Lead technical problem-solving and incident resolution where required. Drive adoption of engineering best practices, automation and DevOps principles.

Proven experience operating as a Principal Data Engineer, Lead Data Engineer or Data Architect within enterprise environments. Strong consultancy and client-facing experience, ideally across multiple customer engagements. Deep expertise in Databricks, including architecture, optimisation and leading delivery teams. Strong experience designing and delivering cloud-native data platforms within Azure and/or AWS environments.

Advanced experience with PySpark, SparkSQL and large-scale distributed data processing. Strong understanding of modern data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks and data modelling. Excellent SQL skills and experience working with large-scale datasets. Strong understanding of data governance, security and platform reliability principles. Excellent communication, stakeholder management and consulting skills.

Ability to operate confidently in fast-paced, delivery-focused environments