The Role
Provide hands-on technical leadership for Breedon's enterprise data platform. Design and deliver secure, scalable Azure and Microsoft Fabric data platforms, pipelines, standards, architectures, testing, monitoring, governance, and CI/CD practices. Lead modernization and technical strategy, improve reliability and costs, support AI retrieval workflows, and mentor data engineers while collaborating with senior stakeholders across the business.
Summary Generated by Built In
BREEDON GROUP PLC is a leading construction materials group operating from over 400 sites across the UK and Ireland.
We have an opportunity to join our thriving Data & Analytics team with an exciting plan and long-term vision. We are seeking an experienced data engineer, with skills in Microsoft Azure and SQL, to take a key role in the design, build and deployment of our Azure data platform in line with our enterprise architecture.
The Role
The Principal Data Engineer will provide hands-on technical leadership for the design, delivery and continuous improvement of Breedon’s enterprise data platform. The role will establish engineering standards, guide architectural decisions and build secure, scalable data products using Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks and associated Azure services. Working across Data & Analytics, Technology and the wider business, the role will help make trusted data easier to discover, access and use for analytics, automation and AI.
Key Responsibilities
We aim to deliver reliable, trusted data capabilities that meet evolving business needs and are seeking an individual to undertake the following:
- Provide Technical Leadership and Direction: Act as the senior technical authority for data engineering, providing guidance on architecture, technology selection, engineering practices and solution quality across the organisation.
- Define Engineering Standards and Best Practices : Establish and govern engineering standards, reference architectures, reusable patterns, coding practices and delivery frameworks to drive consistency, scalability and maintainability.
- Lead Architecture and Solution Design: Lead technical design reviews, data modelling decisions and architecture assurance activities to ensure solutions are secure, resilient, supportable and aligned to strategic objectives.
- Deliver Modern Data Engineering Solutions: Design, build and optimise cloud-based data platforms and data pipelines using Microsoft Fabric, Azure and related technologies to support enterprise reporting, analytics and operational workloads.
- Ensure Quality, Security and Operational Excellence: Establish robust testing, data quality, monitoring, observability, security and deployment practices to ensure reliable, well-governed and highly available data services.
- Drive Continuous Improvement and Technical Debt Reduction: Lead initiatives to modernise legacy solutions, reduce technical debt, improve platform reliability, optimise performance and cloud costs, and embed engineering practices that improve long-term maintainability and operational efficiency.
- Drive Innovation and Technical Strategy: Evaluate emerging technologies, lead technical discovery and proof-of-concept activities, and contribute to the development of the organisation's data strategy, architecture roadmap and future technology direction.
- Develop Engineering Capability and Lead Delivery: Lead the delivery of complex technical initiatives while mentoring and coaching engineers, promoting knowledge sharing, strengthening technical capability, and fostering a culture of engineering excellence, continuous learning and professional growth.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
Experience and knowledge:
- Experience of designing and implementing an Azure analytical platform including Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, PySpark, SQL, Python, and Azure DevOps.
- Experience of working with senior stakeholders to articulate the strategy, objectives and benefits of a central enterprise cloud data platform
- Experience using DevOps practices to establish standards for source control, branching strategies, pull requests, code reviews, testing, and release management.
- Familiar with CI/CD processes for data pipelines and platform components
- Experience of coaching and mentoring data engineers to achieve successful outcomes
- Familiarity with AI-focused data engineering, including RAG systems, vector databases, embedding pipelines, and semantic indexing
- A proven record of collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders
- Process mapping and supporting documentation production
- Test plan formulation and managing through to resolution
Skills:
- Ability to communicate and collaborate with multiple stakeholders across the business and within Breedon Technology Services
- High level of technical proficiency in designing, implementing and maintaining a quality service
- Research and evaluation of technological developments
- Ability to analyse and troubleshoot potential issues within the platform
- Ability to identify creative solutions to overcome problems
- Ability to impart knowledge and support the development of team members
- Ability to support AI workflows by designing high-performance retrieval pipelines and working with AI engineering teams
Job Benefits
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Contributory Pension Scheme
- Free on-site Parking
- Holiday Buy Scheme
- Volunteer Scheme
- Share Save Scheme
- Life Assurance
- Enhanced Maternity, Adoption & Paternity Scheme
- Health & Wellbeing Initiatives
- Discount Scheme
About
Breedon is a leading vertically-integrated construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland.
Skills Required
- Experience designing and implementing an Azure analytical platform using Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake Storage, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, PySpark, SQL, Python, and Azure DevOps
- Experience articulating the strategy, objectives, and benefits of a central enterprise cloud data platform to senior stakeholders
- Experience establishing DevOps standards for source control, branching strategies, pull requests, code reviews, testing, and release management
- Familiarity with CI/CD processes for data pipelines and platform components
- Experience coaching and mentoring data engineers
- Familiarity with AI-focused data engineering, including RAG systems, vector databases, embedding pipelines, and semantic indexing
- Proven record of collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders
- Experience with process mapping and supporting documentation production
- Experience formulating test plans and managing issues through resolution
- Ability to communicate and collaborate with multiple stakeholders across the business and technology services
- High technical proficiency in designing, implementing, and maintaining quality data services
- Ability to research and evaluate technological developments
- Ability to analyse and troubleshoot platform issues
- Ability to identify creative solutions to overcome problems
- Ability to impart knowledge and support team-member development
- Ability to support AI workflows by designing high-performance retrieval pipelines and working with AI engineering teams
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The Company
What We Do
Breedon Group is a leading vertically-integrated international construction materials group operating in Great Britain, Ireland, and the United States. They supply essential building materials—including aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete, and asphalt—to a diversified network of customers across infrastructure, housebuilding, and commercial end-markets. Their business model focuses on creating sustainable value through the production and supply of high-quality construction materials and surfacing solutions.
