Principal Data Engineer (Hiring Immediately)

Simple Machines
London

Principal Data Engineer

Who We Are

Simple Machines is a global, independent technology consultancy operating across Sydney, New Zealand, London, Poland and San Francisco. We design and build modern data platforms, intelligent systems, and bespoke software at the intersection of Data Engineering, Software Engineering and AI.

We work with enterprises, scale-ups, and government to turn messy, high-value data into products, platforms, and decisions that actually move the needle.

We don’t do generic. We build things that matter - We engineer data to life™.

Requirements

The Role

This is a hands-on principal 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

What We’re Looking For

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,]]>
Posted 2026-05-22

Recommended Jobs

Year 1 Teacher - Bermondsey

Marchant Recruitment
London

We are seeking a committed, nurturing, and enthusiastic Year 1 Teacher to join a welcoming primary school in Bermondsey, starting as soon as possible. This role offers an exciting opportunity to teac…

View Details
Posted 2026-01-28

SENCo Vacancy - SEN School in Hillingdon!

Marchant Recruitment
Hillingdon, Greater London

A specialist SEN school in Hillingdon is seeking an experienced and dedicated SENCo to join their team on a full-time basis with an immediate start available. This is a crucial role within a highly s…

View Details
Posted 2026-01-16

Domestic Assistant

Excelcare Holdings
Lambeth, Greater London

As a  Domestic Assistant at our Limetree Care Home, Tulse Hill, London,  you will be part of a compassionate and welcoming team. Along with the rest of the Housekeeping Team you would ensure that th…

View Details
Posted 2026-04-30

International Consumer Legal Team Lawyer - Associate / Assistant Vice President (Hiring Immediately)

jpmc
London

We are seeking an Associate / AVP to join our International Consumer Legal Team, with a focus on UK retail investment products. The ideal candidate will have familiarity with UK financial services re…

View Details
Posted 2026-05-22

Senior Commercial Manager

AtkinsRéalis
London

Job Description Overview AtkinsRéalis is the UK's leading Rail consultancy, with ambitious growth plans underpinned by major recent framework wins and a strong forward pipeline. As part of this…

View Details
Posted 2026-04-12

Network Engineer - Secure Cloud Services (DV Security Clearance) (IT)

CGI
London

At CGI, you will help design and deliver secure, resilient network solutions that support mission-critical systems across the Space, Defence and Intelligence sector. As a Network Engineer, you will pl…

View Details
Posted 2026-04-16

Electrician

JT Recruit
Camden, Greater London

My client is a well established electrical firm based in Loughborough They are now seeking an experienced electrician to cover North London up to Luton areas My client is happy to consider both …

View Details
Posted 2026-02-24

Level 3 Nursery Nurse (Term Time Only)

Romford, Greater London

Working Hours: Term Time Only, Monday to Friday, 0830 to 1600 Salary: up to £32,000 Pro rata Join our award-winning nursery, renowned for its nurturing environment and exceptional standard…

View Details
Posted 2026-04-06

Drama Teacher - Outstanding School - Kingston

Marchant Recruitment
Kingston upon Thames, Greater London

Are you an enthusiastic, passionate and motivated teacher looking to work in an Outstanding School in Kingston as a Drama Teacher? We are recruiting a Drama Teacher for a full-time position to star…

View Details
Posted 2025-11-07

Band 5 Mental Health Nurse - St Bartholomew’s Hospital - Barts Health NHS Trust

Pulse
London

Pulse Nursing are currently seeking Band 5 Mental Health Nurses to join our growing team to work for Barts Health NHS Trust. Barts Health NHS Trust currently have a high volume of shifts available an…

View Details
Posted 2026-01-27