Principal Data EngineerHybrid – Cork | Contract | €680 per dayRole OverviewWe are seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Engineer to lead the design and evolution of enterprise-scale data platforms. This role is responsible for defining and delivering robust data architecture that enables advanced analytics, machine learning, reporting, and strategic decision-making across the organisation.As a senior technical leader, you will shape data engineering standards, guide architectural direction, and ensure that data systems are scalable, secure, high-performing, and aligned with broader enterprise technology strategy.Key ResponsibilitiesDefine and implement enterprise data architecture, including modern data lakes, warehouses, lakehouse models, and real-time streaming solutionsDesign, develop, and optimise scalable ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest and transform data from multiple structured and unstructured sourcesProvide technical leadership to data engineering teams, promoting best practices, reusable design patterns, and architectural consistencyPartner with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into reliable and scalable data solutionsEstablish and maintain standards for data quality, governance, metadata management, security, and performance optimisationAssess and introduce emerging tools, frameworks, and technologies to continuously improve platform capability and engineering efficiencyOversee performance monitoring, reliability engineering, and operational support to ensure high availability of critical data systemsTechnical Expertise & SkillsDeep understanding of modern data architecture patterns including data lakes, warehouses, and lakehouse ecosystemsStrong programming capability in Python, Scala, Java, or similar languages used in large-scale data processingExtensive experience with distributed data processing and orchestration tools such as Spark, Kafka, Airflow, Flink, or comparable technologiesProven expertise building and operating cloud-native data platforms on AWS, Azure, or GCPAdvanced data modelling skills across relational and non-relational environmentsExpert-level SQL and hands-on experience with modern analytical platforms such as Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, or DatabricksExperience implementing enterprise-grade data governance, quality frameworks, and metadata solutionsStrong knowledge of data security principles, regulatory compliance, and privacy standardsDemonstrated ability to lead technical strategy and mentor senior engineersExcellent analytical and architectural decision-making capabilitiesStrong communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and business audiencesExperience & QualificationsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline8+ years of data engineering experience, including significant time in a senior or technical leadership capacityProven delivery of large-scale, enterprise data platforms in complex environmentsExperience leading technical initiatives and influencing engineering best practicesStrong background in cloud-based data ecosystems and modern data stack technologies