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Data Platform Engineer Jobs

Engineers who design, build, and maintain the foundational data infrastructure that powers modern data-driven organisations. A critical role in ensuring data is accessible, reliable, and scalable.

Open roles
4
Salary range
£45k – £100k
Hiring companies
4
View 4 live roles → Get an alert

Data Platform Engineers are the architects and custodians of an organisation's data infrastructure. They design, build, and maintain the systems that enable data to flow seamlessly from source to destination, ensuring that data is accessible, reliable, and scalable. This role is distinct from data science and machine learning engineering, focusing instead on the underlying data pipelines, data warehouses, and data lakes that support data-driven decision-making. Data Platform Engineers work closely with data scientists, analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure that the data infrastructure meets the organisation's needs.

What the role does

Inside the role of a Data Platform Engineer

A typical week for a Data Platform Engineer is a mix of designing and implementing new data pipelines, maintaining and optimising existing infrastructure, and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

  1. 01
    Design and implement new data pipelines
  2. 02
    Optimise and maintain existing data infrastructure
  3. 03
    Collaborate with data scientists and analysts
  4. 04
    Monitor and troubleshoot data flow issues
  5. 05
    Document and communicate system changes and improvements
Salary on the board

£45k – £100k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 21 priced listings posted in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

By seniority
£k base
Mid
45
70
3 jobs
Senior
50
100
7 jobs
Lead
61
85
10 jobs
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 10 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

CI/CD
70%
Terraform
70%
Python
60%
SQL
60%
Databricks
40%
AWS
40%
PySpark
30%
Data Governance
30%
Delta Lake
30%
Data Modelling
30%
S3
30%
IAM
30%
Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

A typical UK progression for data platform engineers. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.

  1. Level 1

    Junior Data Platform Engineer

    0–2 yrs

    Assists in the design and implementation of data pipelines, with a focus on learning and supporting more senior engineers.

  2. Level 2

    Data Platform Engineer

    2–5 yrs

    Takes ownership of specific data pipelines and infrastructure components, ensuring they are reliable and scalable.

  3. Level 3

    Senior Data Platform Engineer

    5–8 yrs

    Leads the design and implementation of complex data infrastructure projects, mentoring junior engineers and driving best practices.

  4. Level 4

    Principal Data Platform Engineer

    8+ yrs

    Strategises and oversees the entire data infrastructure, influencing organisational data architecture and leading cross-functional initiatives.

Pathway

How to become a Data Platform Engineer

There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.

  1. 1

    Learn the basics

    Start by gaining a solid understanding of data engineering fundamentals, including ETL processes, data warehousing, and SQL.

  2. 2

    Build foundational skills

    Gain hands-on experience with data pipeline tools and technologies, such as Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, and cloud data services.

  3. 3

    Specialise in data infrastructure

    Focus on designing and implementing robust data platforms, including data lakes and data warehouses, to support data-driven applications.

  4. 4

    Lead projects and teams

    Take on leadership roles, managing complex data infrastructure projects and mentoring junior engineers.

  5. 5

    Influence organisational strategy

    Strategise and influence the overall data architecture of the organisation, driving innovation and best practices.

Live jobs

4 live roles

Data Platform Engineer

This role involves modernising a large-scale data platform by migrating data pipelines, notebooks, and workloads from a legacy Databricks environment to a modern AWS cloud-based architecture. The engineer will design and implement infrastructure using Terraform, automate deployments, and ensure secure onboarding of datasets and users. The position supports a major government transformation programme with a focus on data engineering, cloud migration, and platform automation.

Syntax Consultancy London, United Kingdom £550 – £600 pd
Hybrid Contract Clearance Required

Data Platform Engineer

The role involves building and maintaining an AWS-based data platform using Infrastructure as Code, supporting CI/CD pipelines, and implementing secure, scalable data solutions. The engineer will collaborate with data and AI teams to enhance data ingestion, lakehouse architectures, and governance. Emphasis is placed on monitoring, cost optimisation, and operational reliability within a regulated environment.

Microlise Langley Mill, Derbyshire, NG16 4BS, United Kingdom £45,000 pa
Hybrid Contract

Senior Data Platform Engineer

This role involves designing, building, and operating a cloud-native data platform on AWS using infrastructure as code and CI/CD pipelines. The engineer will support a modern Lakehouse architecture, embed security and governance controls, and collaborate with data and AI teams to deliver trusted data products. Focus is on reliability, observability, cost efficiency, and scalable data ecosystems.

Microlise Langley Mill, Derbyshire, NG16 4BS, United Kingdom £55,000 pa
Hybrid Contract

Microsoft Fabric Data Platform Engineer

As a Data Platform Engineer, you will design and deliver a modular, scalable Microsoft Fabric-based data platform, focusing on automation with Terraform and CI/CD practices. You'll build and optimize data pipelines, lakehouse/warehouse solutions, and models, ensuring secure, scalable, and high-performance analytics while integrating legacy and modern technologies.

InterAct Consulting Milton Keynes, United Kingdom £50,000 – £60,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent
Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

The locations with the most live listings for this role today.

London

Location
1 open

Milton Keynes

Location
1 open
FAQs

Common questions

  • Data Platform Engineers commonly use tools like Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, AWS Redshift, Google BigQuery, and various cloud data services to build and manage data infrastructure.

  • A Data Platform Engineer focuses on building and maintaining the data infrastructure, ensuring data is accessible and reliable. A Data Scientist, on the other hand, uses this data to perform analysis and build models.

  • Key skills include strong programming abilities, knowledge of data storage and retrieval systems, experience with ETL processes, and the ability to design scalable and secure data pipelines.

  • The typical career progression includes moving from Junior to Senior, then to Principal Data Platform Engineer, with increasing responsibilities and leadership roles.

  • Salaries for Data Platform Engineers can vary widely based on experience, location, and industry. For more detailed salary information, please refer to the salary section on this page.

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