Principal Data Engineer / Principal Software Engineer

Principal Data Engineer / Principal Software Engineer – Data Platforms Location: London (Hybrid 3 days onsite) Contract - Inside IR35 - Intitally 6 Months - Investment / Finance / Wealth / Banking related projects Are you a Lead / Senior data-focused engineer who enjoys designing scalable platforms, solving complex data challenges, and working with modern cloud technologies? We are working with a leading organisation seeking a Principal Data Engineer / Principal Software Engineer to join their Data Technology Platforms team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who can bridge the gap between data engineering, software development, and enterprise technology solutions. The role is ideal for someone who understands how organisations use data, the importance of governance and standards, and how to deliver robust solutions at enterprise scale. The Opportunity As a Principal Engineer within the Data Platforms team, you will play a key role in designing, developing, and delivering strategic data solutions that support critical business functions. You will work closely with engineers, analysts, testers, and business stakeholders to understand requirements, shape technical solutions, and deliver scalable platforms that enable better use of data across the organisation. This is a hands-on technical role where you will combine strong engineering skills with architectural thinking, helping to shape modern data platforms and supporting the continued evolution of cloud-based solutions. Key Responsibilities * Design and deliver modern data platform solutions using industry-leading technologies * Translate complex business requirements into scalable technical solutions * Support the full software development lifecycle from analysis through to implementation and production support * Work collaboratively with engineering teams, analysts, testers, and stakeholders * Provide technical leadership, guidance, and best practice across data engineering solutions * Analyse existing processes and identify opportunities for improvement * Develop solutions that are reliable, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise standards * Support the delivery of cloud-first data solutions and emerging technologies What we're looking for We are looking for a technically strong engineer with experience building and supporting enterprise-scale data platforms. You will ideally have experience with: * Strong SQL database development experience * Python development skills * Azure Data Factory (ADF) * DBT * Snowflake development experience * Data engineering principles and modern data platforms * Experience working with large datasets and performance optimisation * DevOps practices including automated deployments and source control * Azure DevOps, Git, and CI/CD pipelines * Designing well-structured, tested, and maintainable solutions Desirable experience It would be advantageous if you have experience with: * Financial Services or other highly regulated environments * Azure cloud technologies * .NET development experience * Data governance and data standards * Agile delivery environments * Test automation practices such as TDD * Working with senior stakeholders across technology and business teams About You You will be someone who enjoys solving complex problems and taking ownership of technical challenges. You’ll be: A strategic thinker with strong technical judgement Comfortable working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders Passionate about improving data solutions and engineering practices Collaborative, proactive, and delivery-focused Able to balance long-term technical strategy with immediate business needs Someone who enjoys mentoring, sharing knowledge, and helping teams improve This is an excellent opportunity for a Principal-level engineer who wants to work on meaningful, enterprise-scale data platforms while continuing to develop their technical influence