Senior Data Engineer

This is a senior, hands-on technical delivery role and you will have autonomy over day-to-day engineering delivery within agreed priorities, standards and assurance arrangements.  This role will be part of our growing Geospatial and Data team.  

You will be responsible for shaping and delivering data engineering solutions that support major infrastructure, planning, environmental, energy and transportation projects across the UK.  

Beyond technical delivery, you will contribute to the development of technical standards, inform strategic decisions, mentor colleagues and lead improvements to data platforms and digital services within the direction set by senior technical leadership.

You will work closely with technical specialists, project managers, solution architects and business stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, unlock value from data and deliver smarter solutions for our clients.  

Key responsibilities include:

Technical  

• Contribute to the development of, and promote adherence to, agreed standards and best practice in data engineering, database architecture and data governance, working with senior technical leadership.
• Drive continuous improvement and modernisation of existing solutions, challenging legacy approaches where more effective alternatives exist.  
• Identify opportunities to introduce new technologies, automation and innovative ways of working.  
• Support the development of a future-ready data ecosystem that aligns with WSP's digital ambitions.  

Project Delivery

• Lead day-to-day technical delivery of assigned data engineering projects or workstreams from concept through to delivery, with oversight and assurance from senior technical leadership
• Translate business challenges into practical, scalable technical solutions.
• Take responsibility for the quality, security and performance of assigned engineering deliverables, following agreed assurance processes and escalating significant risks or design decisions to the senior technical lead.
• Ensure projects are delivered to high standards of quality, security and performance.
• Engage confidently with clients and stakeholders, communicating both technical and non-technical concepts effectively.

Data Engineering & Platform Development

• Design, build and optimise enterprise data platforms and data pipelines.
• Lead development of ETL/ELT processes using Azure and related technologies.
• Develop robust data models that support analytics, visualisation and decision-making.
• Champion automation and engineering best practices through scripting, testing and deployment pipelines.
• Support the evolution of cloud-based data solutions and modern analytics capabilities.

People & Capability Development

• Mentor and support junior engineers and analysts, helping to develop technical and professional skills.
• Foster a culture of learning, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Share knowledge, contribute to agreed technical standards and support the growth of the wider digital and data community within WSP

Geospatial & Digital Innovation

• Work with GIS and digital specialists to develop integrated geospatial data solutions.
• Support the adoption of innovative technologies across digital delivery workflows.
• Explore opportunities to leverage advanced analytics, automation and emerging technologies to enhance project outcomes. 

Join WSP at a time of growth and transformation, where you will be part of exciting developments and innovations in GIS on landmark projects across diverse sectors such as land management, property and planning, energy and transportation. 

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate…

• We're looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise with excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.  
• You will be comfortable influencing stakeholders, leading small delivery teams and helping shape the future direction of data engineering within a growing business
• Experience in data engineering with demonstrable database ownership or administration responsibilities.  
• Experience in data engineering, database architecture or enterprise data platform delivery.  
• Strong expertise in SQL Server, database design, optimisation and performance tuning.  
• Experience designing and implementing ETL/ELT solutions and data integration architectures.  
• Strong Python development skills for automation, data transformation and analytics.  
• Experience working with Azure data technologies such as Azure Data Factory, Synapse Analytics and Data Lake.  
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.  
• Experience mentoring, coaching or developing junior colleagues.  
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes.  
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation.