Senior Data Engineer

Senior Data Engineer (Contract) Remote (UK) 10 months £600 - £650 per day OUTSIDE IR35 A leading data consultancy is partnering with a large enterprise organisation to deliver a major cloud data platform programme. As part of this transformation, we are looking to bring in an experienced Snowflake Technical Lead to take full ownership of a key delivery workstream. This is a genuinely hands-on leadership role. It is best suited to an engineer who enjoys designing and building production-grade data solutions, rather than someone who wants to operate purely in architecture review or governance discussions. You will be trusted with real autonomy over implementation decisions while remaining clearly accountable for delivery outcomes

Project Context This is a decommissioning and migration project. The organisation is retiring a legacy data setup and rebuilding its pipelines on Snowflake. The work spans the full picture, with a meaningful element of data modelling and design as pipelines are re-architected for the new platform. The legacy environment being dismantled is built on WhereScape RED and SQL Server. A core part of the project involves understanding that existing setup, unpicking how it works, and re-implementing the equivalent logic cleanly within Snowflake and dbt.

The Role You will lead the technical delivery of a data pipeline workstream within Snowflake, operating as part of a wider transformation programme that is modernising the organisation's core data capabilities. You will own your workstream end-to-end — from analysing the legacy implementation, through data modelling and design, build, validation, deployment, and operational hardening, while working closely with delivery leads and stakeholders to keep momentum across the programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse the legacy environment , picking apart the existing WhereScape RED and SQL Server implementation to understand current data flows and logic ahead of migration.
• Design and build Snowflake data pipelines end-to-end , rebuilding legacy pipelines and taking source data through to consumable, well-modelled outputs.
• Carry out data modelling and design , re-architecting data structures for Snowflake rather than simply lifting and shifting the legacy approach.
• Implement transformation logic using dbt , applying sound modelling practices, modular design, and maintainable, well-documented code
• Apply validation rules and data quality controls to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of data moving through the pipeline
• Design logging, monitoring, and failure-handling approaches so that pipelines are observable, resilient, and straightforward to operate and troubleshoot
• Support deployment and CI/CD across environments , helping to ensure changes are released in a controlled, repeatable, and low-risk manner
• Work closely with delivery leads and stakeholders to communicate progress, surface risks early, and keep the workstream aligned with programme priorities
• Make and own implementation decisions , exercising technical judgement while remaining accountable for the quality and timeliness of deliver

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong Snowflake engineering experience, including hands-on design and build of production workloads
• Solid dbt experience and advanced SQL skills, with a focus on clean, maintainable transformation logic.
• Solid data modelling and design experience, with the ability to re-architect data structures rather than simply replicate a legacy design.
• A proven track record of delivering production data pipelines into live environments.
• Comfortable operating as a technical lead while remaining hands-on with the build — owning delivery without stepping away from the code.
• Able to work independently and make confident decisions within a fast-moving programme.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with WhereScape RED and SQL Server, particularly the ability to pick apart and reverse-engineer an existing legacy ETL setup. This is genuinely a nice-to-have rather than a requirement — a capable engineer can pick up the legacy tooling on the job, so strong core engineering skills matter more.
• Experience working within insurance or other regulated environments. This is beneficial but not essential — strong engineering capability is the priority.
• Familiarity with cloud data platform programmes and large-scale migration or decommissioning delivery.
• Exposure to data governance, security, or compliance considerations within a regulated setting.

Engagement Details

• IR35 status: Outside IR35
• Working pattern: Predominantly remote with occasional on-site presence as required by the programme
• Contract length: Initial contract with strong extension potential, dependent on programme progress and performance
• Availability: Candidates who can start early July are strongly preferred

This opportunity is ideal for a senior data engineer or technical lead who enjoys owning delivery, solving real engineering problems, and seeing a workstream through from design to a robust, operational outcome. If you take pride in building solutions and want the autonomy to do it well within a high-impact programme, this role is for you. To be considered, please click apply now.