Senior Data Engineer (Blackpool)

Perch Group are searching for a Senior Data Engineer.

At Perch Group, our vision is clear: to lead the UK debt purchase and collection industry by harnessing cutting-edge technology to drive ethical, efficient, and data-driven debt resolution.

Our annual mission is to empower hundreds of thousands of customers to positively engage with and resolve their outstanding debts. We do this through an empathetic and customer-centric approach that is at the heart of our success.

The Role

To support our ambitious growth agenda, Perch Group is expanding its development team and seeks a Senior Data Engineer. This permanent role will lead a squad focused on delivering robust data solutions across our five businesses. You will leverage your deep expertise in traditional data engineering (database design, T-SQL) and Microsoft Azure's data services (Data Factory, Power BI, and pipelines) to address complex business challenges. We are looking for a candidate who can effectively translate business requirements into technical specifications and guide a team to successful implementation.

£50,000 - £60,000 + up to 20% of your annual salary, paid as a bonus

This role is based at our Blackpool office with hybrid working options

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Mentorship:

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to the data engineering team, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation
• Mentor junior engineers, sharing technical expertise and best practices to enhance their skills and knowledge
• Oversee team members, ensuring that work is managed and delivered according to agreed deadlines in line with business priorities

Data Architecture & Design:

• Architect and implement robust designs, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and security
• Translate high-level solution designs into detailed technical specifications, including data models, ETL processes, and database schemas
• Establish and enforce data modelling best practices, promoting data integrity and consistency across all platforms

ETL Development & Optimization:

• Develop and optimize complex ETL pipelines for diverse data sources (on-premise and cloud-based), utilizing best practices for data extraction, transformation, and loading
• Implement data quality checks and validation processes within ETL pipelines, ensuring data accuracy and reliability
• Optimize ETL performance for speed and efficiency, addressing bottlenecks and improving data processing times

Data Platform Management & Governance:

• Maintain and enhance the company's data platforms, ensuring high availability, performance, and security
• Implement data governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with data quality standards and regulatory requirements
• Design and implement data observability and data quality monitoring solutions, enabling proactive identification and resolution of data issues

Key Behaviours

Technical Passion & Innovation:

• Demonstrates a strong passion for data technologies and a commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices
• Proactively seeks out opportunities to improve data processes and leverage new technologies

Problem-Solving & Best Practices:

• Possesses a strong problem-solving mindset, with the ability to identify and resolve complex technical challenges
• Adheres to and promotes data engineering best practices, ensuring code quality, performance, and maintainability

Continuous Learning & Growth:

• Embraces a growth mindset, with a strong desire for continuous learning and professional development
• Actively seeks out opportunities to expand technical skills and knowledge

Technical Communication & Collaboration:

• Communicates technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Collaborates effectively with cross-functional teams, fostering a positive and productive work environment
• Confident communicator, who can articulate problems and solutions just as clearly to the executive team as to engineering teams

Team and Work Management:

• Experience with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) for managing multiple data engineering projects simultaneously. Skilled at task prioritization and delivering on deadlines
• Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, analysts, software engineers, and business stakeholders to align data engineering efforts with business goals
• Track the performance of team members, provide constructive feedback, and promote continuous improvement
• Ability to efficiently allocate resources to ensure that projects are adequately staffed and scalable as demands grow
• Clear and concise communicator, particularly in presenting technical information to non-technical stakeholders, and ensuring alignment with business objectives

The Person

Essential:

• Minimum 5+ years of experience in designing and implementing data ETL processes and design
• Expert-level proficiency in T-SQL, SSIS, and the Microsoft data stack (SQL Server, Azure SQL Database)
• Proven proficiency in Azure Data Factory
• Proven experience in designing and implementing data models and database schemas for complex data environments
• Strong understanding of data quality principles and best practices, with experience implementing data governance policies
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex data-related issues
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong teamwork, interpersonal and collaboration skills with colleagues and clients

Desirable:

• Experience with Cloud ETL tools such as Databricks/Snowflake, Spark and Kafka
• Experience using source control tools such as GitHub or Azure DevOps
• Experience with Azure DevOps for CI/CD pipeline development and data operations (DataOps)
• Experience with Python or other relevant coding languages
• Experience with Data Observability tools
• Exposure to Agile Project Methodology, i.e. Scrum

⌛️The Application Timeline

• A first stage video call with the internal recruitment team (15 minute call)
• A face to face or video call with the hiring manager (45 minutes - 60 minutes)

Typically, the average successful applicant will be within this timeline for 2-3 weeks. Please note we will close this role once we have enough applications for the next stages therefore you should submit your application asap to avoid any disappointment.

If you do not receive a response after 3 weeks of applying, please assume you have been unsuccessful as we may experience a high volume of applications.

If you have any questions or suggestions of how we can assist you in your application due to disability or personal reasons, please email .

What’s In It For You

£50,000 - £60,000 + up to 20% of your annual salary, paid as a bonus.

⏰ 37.5 hours per week. We offer flexible working hours between our core hours of 8am- 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The opportunity to complete formal qualifications and learn on the job in a successful, growing organisation.

➕ And many more benefits to support your wellbeing and professional development.

We are an equal opportunities employer

We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran, neurodiversity or disability status.

At Perch, our strength lies in our team, their enthusiasm, and their passion for the business. Whether you’re looking to gain foundational skills in financial services, have a knack for customer service, or seek to expand your horizons, we likely have the perfect opportunity for you.

PLEASE NOTE - As we are financial services company, we are required to run DBS and Credit Checks on all of our successful candidates. This information MUST be disclosed at the time of your initial screening call should you be invited to interview.