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Senior Data Engineer Jobs

Experienced professionals who design, build, and maintain the data infrastructure that powers modern businesses. A critical role in ensuring data is accessible, reliable, and scalable.

Open roles
40
Salary range
£40k – £130k
Hiring companies
28
View 40 live roles → Get an alert

Senior Data Engineers are the backbone of data infrastructure in organisations. They design, build, and maintain the systems that enable data to be collected, processed, and stored efficiently. These professionals work closely with data scientists, analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure that data is accessible and reliable. They are responsible for creating robust data pipelines, optimising data warehousing solutions, and implementing DataOps practices to streamline data operations. Whether in scaleups, research-heavy startups, or the larger consultancies, Senior Data Engineers play a crucial role in driving data-driven decision-making.

What the role does

Inside the role of a Senior Data Engineer

A typical week for a Senior Data Engineer is a mix of hands-on technical work and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

  1. 01
    Design and implement data pipelines for ETL/ELT processes.
  2. 02
    Optimise data warehousing solutions for performance and scalability.
  3. 03
    Collaborate with data scientists and analysts to understand data requirements.
  4. 04
    Monitor and maintain data infrastructure to ensure reliability and security.
  5. 05
    Document and communicate data architecture and processes.
  6. 06
    Stay updated with the latest data engineering tools and technologies.
Salary on the board

£40k – £130k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 68 priced listings posted in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

By seniority
£k base
Senior
40
110
67 jobs
Lead
90
130
1 job
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 53 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

Python
72%
SQL
64%
Data Modelling
42%
AWS
40%
CI/CD
25%
Azure
25%
Databricks
23%
Data Pipelines
23%
Data Engineering
21%
Terraform
19%
Airflow
19%
ETL
19%
Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

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

  1. Level 1

    Junior Data Engineer

    0–2 yrs

    Assists in the design and implementation of data pipelines and basic data warehousing solutions.

  2. Level 2

    Data Engineer

    2–5 yrs

    Takes ownership of specific data pipelines and contributes to the overall data infrastructure design.

  3. Level 3

    Senior Data Engineer

    5–8 yrs

    Leads the design and implementation of complex data infrastructure, ensuring scalability and reliability.

  4. Level 4

    Principal Data Engineer

    8+ yrs

    Strategic leader in data infrastructure, driving innovation and best practices across the organisation.

Pathway

How to become a Senior Data Engineer

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

  1. 1

    Learn the Fundamentals

    Start with a strong foundation in data engineering principles, including ETL/ELT processes, data warehousing, and SQL.

  2. 2

    Gain Practical Experience

    Work on real-world projects to build and maintain data pipelines, and collaborate with data scientists and analysts.

  3. 3

    Specialise in Advanced Topics

    Deepen your expertise in areas like big data processing, DataOps, and cloud data infrastructure.

  4. 4

    Lead Projects and Teams

    Take on leadership roles, managing data engineering projects and mentoring junior team members.

  5. 5

    Drive Strategic Initiatives

    Influence the organisation's data strategy, driving innovation and best practices in data infrastructure.

  6. 6

    Become a Thought Leader

    Contribute to the broader data engineering community through speaking engagements, writing, and open-source contributions.

Live jobs

40 live roles

See all 40 roles →

Senior Data Engineer

This role involves designing and building a scalable cloud-based data platform, developing secure ELT/ETL pipelines, and establishing DataOps and DataSecOps practices. The engineer will implement data governance, security frameworks, and self-service analytics models while providing technical leadership and mentoring. It focuses on delivering trusted data solutions to support advanced analytics and future AI initiatives.

Yolk Recruitment Bridgend, United Kingdom £63,500 pa
On-site Permanent Clearance Required

Senior Data Engineer

This role involves leading the design and delivery of greenfield data engineering projects, building and maintaining robust data pipelines, and deploying cloud-based data solutions. You will work independently, take ownership of projects, and communicate directly with stakeholders and clients, contributing to the continuous improvement of the data platform.

Harnham - Data and Analytics Recruitment London, United Kingdom £60,000 – £75,000 pa
Remote Permanent

Senior Data Engineer

Senior Data Engineer – (Tick data, Time-Series; kdb+ / Q )3-6 months initially.London 3 days onsiteAre you a Data Engineer with a background in systematic trading who has worked with granular tick market data? Have you built pipelines to allow...

Tatton Recruitment South Bank, London, SE1 9PZ, United Kingdom

Senior Data Engineer

This role involves architecting and evolving scalable data infrastructure to support decision-making in a fast-paced, analytics-focused environment at the intersection of sport and technology. You will lead technical design, mentor engineers, and work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver advanced data solutions and maintain data quality and security.

Tenth Revolution Group London, United Kingdom £65,000 – £75,000 pa
Hybrid Permanent

Senior Data Engineer

This role involves designing and maintaining robust, scalable data pipelines to transform legacy reporting into a modern, observable data platform. The engineer will own the end-to-end data infrastructure, ensuring data integrity and governance while enabling AI and ML product development. A strong focus is placed on automation, data quality, and advancing the company’s AI ambitions through hands-on technical leadership.

Lightfoot Exeter, United Kingdom
Hybrid Permanent

Senior Data Engineer

Your new companyAn established and fast‑growing technology organisation is on a mission to transform digital connectivity across the UK. With a focus on building and operating high‑speed fibre networks, the business is committed to delivering world‑class broadband services to communities...

Hays Technology Abingdon, OX14 5BH, United Kingdom

Senior Data Engineer

Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do...

Pontoon Warwick, United Kingdom
Experis logo

Senior Data Engineer (Informatica)

This role involves working on large-scale data projects using Informatica, AWS, and Azure. Responsibilities include performance tuning, data quality management, and building data pipelines. The position is part of a government or similarly complex domain, requiring strong technical skills and experience in data engineering at scale.

Experis London, United Kingdom £400 – £460 pd
Hybrid Contract Clearance Required
See all 40 roles →
Top hirers

Companies hiring senior data engineers

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Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

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

London

Location
12 open

Leeds

Location
3 open

Birmingham

Location
1 open

Manchester

Location
1 open

Bristol

Location
1 open

Cambridge

Location
1 open
FAQs

Common questions

  • Key skills include expertise in ETL/ELT processes, data warehousing, SQL, and cloud data infrastructure. Strong problem-solving abilities and collaboration skills are also essential.

  • Common tools include Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, AWS Redshift, Google BigQuery, and Snowflake. Familiarity with programming languages like Python and SQL is also important.

  • The typical progression is from Junior Data Engineer to Data Engineer, then Senior Data Engineer, and finally Principal Data Engineer. Each step involves increasing responsibility and leadership.

  • For specific salary information, please refer to the salary section on this page.

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