Principal Data Engineer

Job description

Job responsibilities

Accountabilities

Your accountabilities will include but not limited to:

• Define and implement enterprise data models, pipelines, and metadata management
• Develop and maintain data platform components (e.g. data catalogue, data lake, warehouse, ETL frameworks)
• Ensure data security, compliance, and the ethical use of data in accordance with standards and requirements such as GDPR and Cyber Essentials Plus
• Oversee robust data ingestion and integration frameworks that ensure data consistency, accuracy, and timeliness across our systems.
• Collaborate with business, product, and engineering teams to understand data needs and translate them into scalable technical designs and roadmaps.
• Continuously evolve our data infrastructure to improve performance, reduce latency, and enhance data accessibility across the organisation.
• Provide technical guidance to data engineers and analysts, fostering a culture of engineering excellence and continuous learning and setting engineering standards
• Support the delivery of strategic projects

Please refer to the attached job profile for more details.

Key Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Advanced SQL and scripting skills (e.g., Python, TSQL, PowerShell) for data engineering, automation and orchestration tasks.
• Strong ability to define and implement modern enterprise data architectures, including data lakes, data warehouses, and data mesh/data fabric concepts
• Experience designing logical and physical data models (e.g., star schema, snowflake, third normal form), with strong understanding of master and reference data management.
• Strong understanding of modern enterprise data architecture principles, including data warehousing, data lakes, and relational databases.
• Experience working with Azure/GCP and related cloud tools such as Big Query,
• Knowledge of data integration patterns and technologies (e.g., ETL, ELT, API-first), including near real-time and event-driven approaches.
• Experience collaborating with business stakeholders, analysts, and developers to translate business needs into technical solutions.

What you'll bring to the team:

• Proven experience as a Principal Data Engineer in a hands-on role, with leadership and management skills to match your technical expertise.
• Deep expertise in cloud platforms such Azure and GCP
• Strong proficiency in data modelling, data warehousing, and ETL/ELT architecture at scale.
• Advanced programming skills in SQL and Python and a collaborative, CI/CD approach to pushing code; experience with orchestration and data pipeline tools.
• Experience with implementing data governance frameworks and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Familiarity with ML/LLM data needs and setup
• Effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• A collaborative mindset, coupled with a passion for mentoring and leading by example in a high-performing team environment.

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click "Apply now" to view on Trac.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

• oMaster's degree or equivalent knowledge and skills in data engineering or related discipline, for example (but not limited to) computer science, data science, information technology, software engineering, or other discipline with a substantial data engineering component
• oEvidence of continuing professional development and practical application of learning in data engineering

Experience

• oDemonstrable experience of collaboration and communication skills, working with technical and non-technical stakeholders to identify, articulate, document and deliver users' data needs
• oExperience of Agile development, and leading the successful Agile delivery of digital / information / data change programmes, improving business processes with data and automation
• oExperience of developing delivery plans, establishing work priorities, delegating effectively, ensuring a capability to deliver, monitoring performance and giving feedback
• oGood experience in data warehouse techniques, including dimensional data modelling, relational database design and concepts and entity relationship diagrams
• oAble to develop partnerships across organisational boundaries and drive multi-disciplinary collaboration to achieve desired outcomes, working with business stakeholders to translate business problems into data solutions
• oExperience of data profiling and source system analysis, including reverse-engineering data models from a live system, and presenting clear insight to technical and non-technical stakeholders to support end-use of data
• oExperience interpreting and applying national guidance, legislation to determine its applicability to the Directorate and Trust, and recommend relevant actions required to improve adherence; can understand and apply compliance and data management best practice guidelines
• oExperience in using agreed standards and tools to design, code, test, correct and document moderate-to-complex programs and scripts from agreed specifications and subsequent iterations

Skills and Attributes

• oExcellent technical skills and knowledge in Python / R, Power BI and Power Apps, Google Cloud Platform, cloud-to-on-prem engineering, Azure DevOps, SQL, SQL servers, SSMS and SSIS, dashboards, databases and visualisation, APIs, including understanding and application of good practice
• oAbility to demonstrate understanding and application of our workplace values, together with the underpinning behaviours identified for success in this role
• oExcellent analytical, IT Keyboard and numerical skills - confident with statistics and their presentation.
• oExcellent verbal and written communication, including presentation and report / position paper writing skills.
• oAbility to analyse highly complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources (verbal, written and numerical).
• oSignificant ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate initiatives
• oDemonstrable ability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly, working effectively with stakeholders
• oDemonstrable ability to work effectively between competing activities where required.
• oDemonstrable ability to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales

• oExperience working in Azure
• oWelsh Language Skills are desirable at levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh

Other

• oWillingness and ability to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

Public Health Wales

Address

Capital Quarter 2

Tyndall Street

Cardiff

CF10 4BZ

Employer's website

https://phw.nhs.wales/