Senior Data Engineer

Location: London/Hybrid

Hours: 40 hours per week

Contract: Permanent - Salaried

The Senior Data Engineer will sit at the core of this journey, acting as the driving force behind the data function. This is a hands-on role focused on modernising and reshaping our existing estate.

One day you may be working through legacy code, the next developing contemporary Python/Spark solutions. A collaborative mindset is essential, as you’ll partner closely not only with data colleagues but also with the broader Engineering community to define and uphold global standards. You will also serve as the primary point of contact for Supplier engineers.

Responsibilities:

Pipeline Engineering

• Refactor fragile batch jobs into robust, observable pipelines using Databricks, Azure, and GCP. 
• Build the specific "Data Products" defined by the Modeller and Architecture functions.

Wider Engineering Collaboration

• Act as the internal authority for flex engineers supplied by our Delivery Partners
• Actively participate in the wider Engineering community forums.
• Contribute to and adopt the cross-discipline engineering framework, ensuring our data pipelines adhere to global standards for security, performance, and code quality.

Operational Support

• Resolve critical data incidents quickly to ensure business continuity.
• When fixing a bug, implement a permanent fix or rigorously document why a temporary patch was applied.
• Optimise query performance and pipeline efficiency to keep cloud compute costs down.

Collaboration & Mentorship

• Work closely with the Business Analysts embedded in the business to ensure the data you land is actually useful to them.
• Pair-program with and mentor team members on engineering best practices (Note: This role has no line management responsibilities).

• Bachelor’s degree, or relevant qualifications, in Data Science, Computer Science or a related field.
• Significant experience (typically 5 years) in a (data) engineering role.
• Tech Stack: Strong SQL and Python skills are essential.
• Platform Experience: Hands-on experience with Databricks, Azure, and GCP/BigQuery.
• Legacy to Modern: Experience working in a mixed environment, supporting legacy systems while building modern cloud infrastructure.

Skills and Competencies

• DevOps Mindset: You write tests for your code. You hate manual processes and automate everything you can.
• Pragmatic Problem Solving: You focus on delivering working solutions rather than overengineering.
• Communication: Communicates openly with stakeholders and doesn't hide behind a ticket system.

• ‘Enjoy the Ride’ Merlin Annual Passes - 6 in total per year, 1 for you, plus 5 to gift to loved ones!
• Merlin Magic Pass - 20 free tickets for you, your family and friends to enjoy all our Merlin Attractions across the world rising to 40 after a year’s service
• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Company bonus
• Private pension scheme
• 40% discount online off LEGO
• 25% discount in our on-site retail shops and restaurants
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Plus, many more…

If you have any questions or if you require any assistance, because of a disability or medical condition, please contact us by email at Recruitment@Merlinentertainments.biz and one of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.