Nasstar

Contract Principal Data Engineer

Reads like a Data Leadership role: running a data team.

London, UK, Remote, UK

Open 5 months, first seen by us 154 days ago

Pay: Pay not listed
Work setting: Remote — work setting source
Listed location: London, UK, Remote, UK
Read the full posting
Employment: Contract — employment source
Employment type Contract
Employment type in the employer’s posting: contract
From the employer’s posting

What you’ll work on

Full posting

Lead design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions
Act as trusted technical advisor to client stakeholders and delivery teams
Define engineering standards, best practices and scalable delivery approaches
Mentor and guide engineering teams on modern data engineering practices
Drive platform optimisation, resilience and performance improvements

From the employer’s posting

Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions and modern data platforms.

Act as a trusted technical advisor across client engagements.

Define engineering standards, best practices and scalable delivery approaches.

Mentor and guide engineering teams across modern data engineering practices.

Drive platform optimisation, resilience and performance improvements.

Apply at Nasstar

Posting record

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Open 5 monthsWe first saw this posting 154 days ago and it is still up. Roles open this long are often slow to fill or kept open to collect applications.

Status in our records: Live
First seen by us: Jun 3, 2026154 days ago
Recorded sightings: 71
Last seen by us: Nov 4, 2026

These dates show when we found the posting. Check the employer’s website to confirm it is still accepting applications.

How this job compares

Time since we first saw it

Day 154

Up longer than most. Similar jobs usually come down between day 7 and day 53.

From 7,804 similar postings that came down. Coming down is not always a hire.

Nasstar is hiring

2 open jobs

Takes jobs down at a usual pace

Hiring record

See how this role fits your experience

Add your resume and we’ll mark which of these tools you already use, and point out anything in the posting that could rule you out.

SQL
AWS
Azure
Databricks
PySpark

Where the posting names them

- Strong understanding of modern data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks and data modelling. - Excellent SQL skills and experience working with large-scale datasets. - Strong understanding of data governance, security and platform reliability principles.

- Deep expertise in Databricks, including architecture, optimisation and leading delivery teams. - Strong experience designing and delivering cloud-native data platforms within Azure and/or AWS environments. - Advanced experience with PySpark, SparkSQL and large-scale distributed data processing.

- Flexible remote-first working model aligned to client requirements. - Access to AWS & Databricks partner training and certifications. - Collaborative culture focused on technical excellence and innovation.

This is a highly client-facing consultancy role, suited to someone who is comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on technical levels. You will work directly with senior client stakeholders, delivery teams and architects to design and deliver scalable modern data platforms. We are specifically looking for someone with deep expertise in Databricks, either operating at Architect level or leading high-performing engineering teams within enterprise environments. The successful candidate will bring strong consulting capability, commercial awareness and stakeholder management skills alongside exceptional technical depth.

- Support clients through technical decision-making, platform strategy and roadmap planning. Databricks Leadership & Solution Architecture - Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions and modern data platforms.

Databricks Leadership & Solution Architecture - Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions and modern data platforms. - Provide architectural leadership across cloud-native data engineering initiatives.

- Strong consultancy and client-facing experience, ideally across multiple customer engagements. - Deep expertise in Databricks, including architecture, optimisation and leading delivery teams. - Strong experience designing and delivering cloud-native data platforms within Azure and/or AWS environments.

- Strong experience designing and delivering cloud-native data platforms within Azure and/or AWS environments. - Advanced experience with PySpark, SparkSQL and large-scale distributed data processing. - Strong understanding of modern data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks and data modelling.

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Your next step

Complete your application on nasstar.pinpointhq.com. The employer’s form will show what is required.

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About the role

We file this job under Data Leadership, by the work the posting describes.

Data leaders run data teams or design how a company's data fits together. Managers hire, set priorities and answer for whether the data work pays off; architects choose the systems and the shape of the data.

Expect years of hands-on data work, experience leading people or projects, and the ability to explain tradeoffs to executives.

Unlike a senior engineer or analyst, most of a data leader's week goes to people, planning and decisions rather than building.

US government figures for computer and information systems managers

Median yearly pay, May 2025: $175,140
Expected change, 2025 to 2035: 15.8% more jobsagainst 3.5% for all jobs

The government has no code for data leaders, so these figures are for the closest group, computer and information systems managers, which includes data processing and data operations managers.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025 to 2035). Occupation code 11-3021.

Job description

View original posting ↗

We are looking for an experienced Principal Data Engineer to join us on a contract
basis, supporting complex client engagements across Data & AI transformation
programmes.

This is a highly client-facing consultancy role, suited to someone who is comfortable
operating at both strategic and hands-on technical levels. You will work directly with
senior client stakeholders, delivery teams and architects to design and deliver
scalable modern data platforms.

We are specifically looking for someone with deep expertise in Databricks, either
operating at Architect level or leading high-performing engineering teams within
enterprise environments.

The successful candidate will bring strong consulting capability, commercial
awareness and stakeholder management skills alongside exceptional technical depth.

Key Responsibilities

Client Engagement & Stakeholder Management

Act as a trusted technical advisor across client engagements.
Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, delivery leads and
engineering teams.
Translate complex technical concepts into clear business value and delivery
outcomes.
Support clients through technical decision-making, platform strategy and
roadmap planning.

Databricks Leadership & Solution Architecture

Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale Databricks solutions and modern data platforms.
Provide architectural leadership across cloud-native data engineering
initiatives.
Define engineering standards, best practices and scalable delivery approaches.
Drive platform optimisation, resilience and performance improvements.

Delivery & Consultancy

Lead technical delivery across multiple client engagements within a consultancy environment.
Work closely with cross-functional teams including Data Engineers, Architects, Product Owners and client stakeholders.
Support project planning, technical governance and delivery execution.
Ensure high-quality, scalable and maintainable engineering solutions.

Technical Leadership

Mentor and guide engineering teams across modern data engineering practices.
Lead technical problem-solving and incident resolution where required.
Drive adoption of engineering best practices, automation and DevOps
principles.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Proven experience operating as a Principal Data Engineer, Lead Data Engineer or Data Architect within enterprise environments.
Strong consultancy and client-facing experience, ideally across multiple customer engagements.
Deep expertise in Databricks, including architecture, optimisation and leading delivery teams.
Strong experience designing and delivering cloud-native data platforms within
Azure and/or AWS environments.
Advanced experience with PySpark, SparkSQL and large-scale distributed data processing.
Strong understanding of modern data architecture, ETL/ELT frameworks and
data modelling.
Excellent SQL skills and experience working with large-scale datasets.
Strong understanding of data governance, security and platform reliability
principles.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management and consulting skills.
Ability to operate confidently in fast-paced, delivery-focused environments

Benefits

Opportunity to work on complex, high-impact client programmes.
Exposure to enterprise-scale Data & AI transformation initiatives.
Flexible remote-first working model aligned to client requirements.
Access to AWS & Databricks partner training and certifications.
Collaborative culture focused on technical excellence and innovation.
Opportunity to influence engineering standards, delivery capability and client success across Colibri Digital.

Employment type

Contract

Source details