35 hours per week, Hybrid (3 days in office)
Fri, 12 Jun 2026
We’rerecruiting a Principal Data Engineer to set the technical direction for our enterprise data platform and raise the bar for modern, trusted,high-qualitydata across Skipton.
WhoAreWe?
Not just another building society. Not just another job
We'rethe fourth biggest building society in the UK and what makes us a bit different is thatwe'rea mutual organisation. Wedon'thaveshareholders;we'reowned by our members.
Our colleagues say Skipton'sa great placetowork,and you could be one of them, bringing with younew ideason how we can keep customers at the heart of what we do.
Whatever your background, and whatever your goals,we'llhelp you take the next step towards a better future.
You’llbe joining our Data Capability function, working at enterprise scale across product, platform, analytics, governance, cyber, and delivery teams.
As a Principal Data Engineer,you’lloperatewithcompany widescope, shaping how data is ingested, modelled, governed, and consumed across Skipton.You’llcollaborate closely with Data Platform, Architecture, Data Governance, BI & Analytics, Cyber Security,DevSecOps, Quality Engineering, and Risk teams to ensure data is secure, trusted, observable, and fit for purpose.
This is a senior leadership role where your impact is multiplied through standards, Golden Path patterns, and the development of talented Data Engineers across the organisation.
What’sInItForYou?
Skipton values work/life balance and we are proud to support hybrid and flexible working, where possible We have a newly refurbished head office which offers a vibrant and collaborative working space.
We have a range of other benefitsavailable to youincluding;
Annual discretionary bonus scheme
25 days standard annual leave + bank holidays + rising 1 day per year of service to a maximum of 30 days
Holiday trading scheme allowing the ability to buy and selladditionalannual leave days
Matching employerpensioncontribution(up to 10% per annum)
Colleague mortgage (conditions apply)
Salary sacrifice scheme for hybrid & electric car
A commitment to training and development
Privatemedicalinsurance for all our colleagues
3paid volunteering daysper annum
Diverseand inclusivecolleague networksavailable for you to joinincludingour Carers and Pride Alliance groups
We care about yourhealth and wellbeing– weprovidea range of benefits that support this including cycle to work initiative anddiscounted gym membership
WhatWill YouBeDoing?
As our Principal Data Engineer,you’llprovide both technical and people leadership, acting as abar raiserfor modern data engineering across Skipton. Key deliverables include:
Definingenterprise widedata engineering standards, principles, and Golden Path patterns
Leadinghands‑ongreenfield data platform implementations where no existing pattern exists,establishingreference architectures and engineering standards through delivery
Setting the technical direction forcloud native,secure‑by‑designdata platforms
Improving data quality, freshness, lineage, observability, and operational resilience
Shaping and deliveringmultiyeardata platform and modernisation roadmaps
Line managing, coaching, and developing Data Engineers and future technical leaders
Evaluating data initiatives across data science, analytics, and reporting todeterminethe mostappropriate platformstrategy
WhatDoWeNeedFromYou?
We’relooking for an experienced data engineering leaderwith technical depth and credibilitytoinfluenceatenterprisescale.You’llbring:
Deep,hands-onexpertisein modern data engineering, such aslakehouseplatforms, cloud data architectures, ingestion frameworks,anddata modellingwith aclear understanding of architectural trade-offs
Proven experienceestablishingreusable data standards, patterns, and frameworksthroughgreenfield implementations, with adoption driven through delivery rather than documentation alone
Strong knowledge of data governance, security, lineage, metadata, and observability, including how to embed these concerns into platform design rather than layering them on afterwards
Experience improving data quality, reliability, or delivery speed at enterprise scale
Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching and developing engineersinto senior-level technical leaders
The confidence to provide technical direction, challenge ambiguous problems, and makehigh‑impactdecisions
Founded on Fairness.
Fairness in what we provide to members, fairness in what we stand for in Society and fairness is what we deliver to our colleagues.
We started 172 years ago with a clear purpose, to build a better society. And that’s what our colleagues work to do every day. We help more people have a home, save for life ahead and support long-term financial wellbeing, whether that’s from our head office at The Bailey in Skipton or our branch network across the country.
And we’re more than just a building society. We head up Skipton Group, a collection of companies stretching from Aberdeen, UK to Auckland, NZ. Together we’re 90 brands. 18,000 people. 1,300 branches. 1.2million building society members. £37bn total assets. All pushing together to help policymakers make better decisions, and help society address the needs of the hardest hit.
So, if you want to become a member of somewhere that’s driving change all while keeping community at its core and fairness in its foundation, get in touch.
