Principal Engineer (Data)

TL;DR

Principal Engineer (Data): Leading the technical strategy and architecture for high-impact data products and platforms with an accent on cloud-native engineering, distributed processing, and AI-ready frameworks. Focus on setting engineering standards, mentoring cross-functional teams, and bridging the gap between data engineering and architecture to drive scalable, resilient solutions.

Location: Must be based in the UK with the right to work; hybrid role requiring 2 days per week in the Livingston office.

Company

A leading media and entertainment company connecting millions through innovative products, sports, news, and arts.

What you will do

• Act as a technical lead for cross-functional agile teams, providing mentorship and driving engineering maturity.
• Define and guide technical architecture for complex, high-impact data products and platforms.
• Establish and uphold engineering patterns, coding standards, and best practices across multiple squads.
• Translate business requirements into scalable, cloud-native data solutions and CI/CD frameworks.
• Embed rigorous validation, automated testing, and observability to ensure resilient data products.
• Partner with architects and product leaders to shape roadmaps and platform direction.

Requirements

• Right to work in the UK is mandatory (no sponsorship provided).
• Deep expertise in cloud data engineering, distributed processing, and enterprise-scale data architecture.
• Proficiency in GCP, Python, and/or Node.js.
• Master-level SQL skills, specifically with BigQuery, including optimization and performance tuning.
• Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines and engineering best practices.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and communicate complex technical concepts to non-experts.

Culture & Benefits

• Free hirify.global TV or NOW package, including hirify.global Sports and hirify.global Cinema.
• Pension package with up to 9% employer contribution.
• Private healthcare with mental health support and dental insurance.
• Discounts on hirify.global products including hirify.global Mobile, Broadband, and Glass.
• Sharesave and Tech schemes.
• Hybrid working model with a vibrant office environment in Livingston.