Principal Data Engineer
Job Summary
Job Description
The Principal Data Engineer will be a technical authority responsible for designing, maintaining, and improving the data architecture. This role involves setting standards for engineering excellence, guiding teams on best practices, and ensuring the health and long-term technical direction of data products. The engineer will collaborate across disciplines, solve complex problems, and shape scalable data platforms. Core responsibilities include owning the technical roadmap, ensuring system reliability, partnering with Product Owners, collaborating with engineers, and maintaining technical documentation. The role also involves design and scoping tasks, such as contributing to estimations and technical planning. This role requires hands-on support during build phases and incident response when needed.
Must have:
- Strong command of SQL and relational/analytical data stores
- Experience designing and maintaining ETL pipelines
- Ability to translate business requirements into solutions
- Solid hands-on experience with Python for data handling
- Familiarity with Databricks in an Azure environment
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Strong self-management and ability to deliver on deadlines
- Self-starting mindset and proactive problem-solving
Perks:
- 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and Christmas break
- Mobile phone or tablet with contract covered
- Bupa private healthcare from day 1
- Fully matched private pension scheme (up to 8% matched)
- Life Assurance (x4 salary)
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Innovation time
- Free snacks and refreshments
- Access to Calm app
- Social events
- Referral Programme - £3,000 payment
- Bede swag
- Bede Holidays
11 skills required
Job Details
Principal Data Engineer
Department: Intel
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Reporting To: Head of Data
Description
We’re looking for a Principal Data Engineer to join Intel – the team responsible for delivering trusted, high-quality data products that power decisions across Bede.
Reporting to the Head of Data, you’ll be a respected technical authority, owning the design, integrity, and ongoing improvement of our data architecture. You’ll set the standard for engineering excellence in your product area, guiding teams on best practices, system health, documentation, and long-term technical direction.
This is a high-impact role suited to someone who thrives on solving complex problems, collaborating across disciplines, and shaping scalable, resilient data platforms.
This is a hybrid role that requires you to be in our Newcastle-upon-Tyne office two days a week. Please apply only if you’re comfortable with this arrangement.
This is a hybrid role that requires you to be in our Newcastle-upon-Tyne office two days a week. Please apply only if you’re comfortable with this arrangement.
What you'll be doing
Core Responsibilities
- Own and evolve the technical roadmap for the data product area, ensuring modern, scalable technologies are used to meet business needs.
- Champion the non-functional qualities of our data products—supportability, testability, security, compliance, maintainability, and performance.
- Drive progress towards our Service Level Objectives (SLOs), ensuring our systems are reliable and resilient.
- Partner closely with Product Owners to define and design data solutions aligned with product goals.
- Collaborate with engineers and cross-functional teams to remove blockers and support project delivery.
- Maintain high-quality, accessible technical documentation across BI and data solutions.
- Be a visible, positive, and trusted voice across the business—clear communicator, coach, and collaborator.
Design & Scoping
- Contribute to high-level estimations and technical planning to support forward-looking delivery.
- Ensure your team’s work aligns with Bede’s wider technical strategy and roadmap.
- Work with Solution Architects and Business Analysts to design thoughtful, scalable solutions.
- Apply robust architectural practices such as domain modelling to ensure our systems are clean, future-proof, and well-encapsulated.
Execution
- Collaborate with team leads to finalise solution designs and guide teams through delivery.
- Provide hands-on support during build phases—pair-programming, prototyping, reviewing code, and ensuring test coverage is solid.
- Support incident response when needed, partnering with Service Delivery to resolve critical issues efficiently.
Knowledge Sharing & Documentation
- Build deep expertise in our BI products and share that knowledge across the business.
- Own the publication and upkeep of technical documentation—including data contracts, integration guides, and internal roadmaps.
- Regularly contribute to knowledge transfer and onboarding for internal and customer-facing teams.
- Stay ahead of the curve—continuously learning and sharing modern best practices in data engineering, architecture, cloud infrastructure, and tooling.
- Work with large-scale data pipelines and ETL frameworks, helping shape the technical foundations of our data platform.
What we are looking for
We’re after a strong technical leader who’s comfortable working hands-on and at a strategic level. You’ll bring depth in data engineering and architecture, as well as the ability to collaborate and communicate with stakeholders across the business.
You’ll likely have:
You’ll likely have:
- Strong command of SQL and working with relational and analytical data stores
- Experience designing and maintaining ETL pipelines, using both off-the-shelf and custom solutions
- Proven ability to interpret complex business requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions
- Solid hands-on experience working with Python for data handling, transformation, or orchestration
- Familiarity with Databricks, preferably in an Azure environment
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills—you’re approachable, professional, and confident engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Strong self-management—able to juggle multiple workstreams, deliver to deadlines, and stay focused on outcomes
- A self-starting mindset—you take ownership, solve problems proactively, and deliver without needing to be micromanaged
What we can offer you
Here at Bede, we offer a great benefits package and a competitive salary as you would expect from a forward-thinking and people-centric organisation. What sets us apart is our desire to look after our people in the best way we can and to ensure we are offering the best to our colleagues by asking for feedback, so you’ll be pleased to know our benefits package is always being reviewed.
- A friendly, flexible and trust-based approach to working
- 25 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays and a typically very generous Christmas break
- The use of a mobile phone or tablet of your choice, with the monthly contract covered by us
- ‘Select Enhanced’ Bupa private healthcare - access from day 1 which covers all pre-existing conditions
- Fully matched private pension scheme (up to 8% matched)
- Life Assurance which pays out x4 of your salary to a nominated person(s)
- Employee Assistance Programme - Beders have access to support and practical advice on a variety of issues that might impact their life (provided by Bupa)
- Innovation time - Engineers have regular opportunities to spend time developing skills and innovating.
- A great office life! Free snacks and refreshments in the office every day as well as regular food van visits from the best places in Newcastle
- Access to Calm - the #1 app for meditation and sleep
- Lots of social events - inside and outside of the working day
- Referral Programme - help us grow our team with talented individuals and be rewarded with a referral payment of £3,000 (pre-tax)
- Bede swag - from Zoodies to t-shirts and even our much loved Bede socks!
- Bede Holidays - extra discretionary days off through the year as an extra special thank you
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