Senior Data Engineer

Ocado Technology is putting the world’s retailers online using advanced artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, the cloud, and IoT. We develop the innovative software and hardware systems that power Ocado.com, as well as the unique ‘Ocado Smart Platform’ which is being used by ambitious retailers across the world from Europe to America, Asia and beyond. With everything from websites to highly automated warehouses that we design in-house, our employees are skilled specialists with expertise across a wide range of technologies, working on cutting-edge innovations that are shaping the future of society.

Team

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Data Engineer to join a team focused on developing and maintaining a key algorithm that directly impacts the company’s core performance indicators — across a broad operational scope, from logistics center efficiency to last-mile delivery.  The team supports strategic and product decisions across the organization by running advanced simulations that validate business hypotheses and quantify potential outcomes. As the next step in the team’s evolution, we’re working toward a long-term vision of “simulation as a service” — a scalable, efficient, and increasingly automated approach to delivering high-quality insights. Data is at the heart of this transformation — which is why we’re expanding the team with strong data engineering capabilities.

Roles & Responsibilities:

We’re looking for a Data Engineer who is comfortable working at the intersection of engineering, data science, and analytics — someone who can support both day-to-day workflows and long-term product evolution. You don’t need to tick every bullet, but the more of the following you bring, the better:

• Design, implement, and maintain scalable data pipelines that feed our optimization algorithms and simulation engine.
• Develop and manage data models and storage solutions that support efficient reasoning and long-term scalability.
• Monitor and improve data reliability, quality, and performance across our simulation workflows.
• Help shape the long-term data architecture of our “simulation as a service” solution.
• Contribute to the automation of data ingestion, validation, and transformation processes
• Support the optimization and continued development of our main algorithm by ensuring data quality, observability, and fast iteration loops

We would also expect you to: 

• Embrace change and solve problems that could prevent us from reaching our goals
• Bring own perspective on how optimize delivered value in data & sw development environment

You may be asked to perform tasks as required by management deemed as a reasonable request. This job description is a summary of the typical functions of the role, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of possible role responsibilities, tasks and duties and is subject to review. The responsibilities, tasks and duties of the job holder might differ from those outlined in the job description and other duties, as assigned, might form part of the job. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience: 

What we are looking for:

• Strong experience designing and maintaining robust, scalable data pipelines and architectures, with a solid grasp of data modeling and engineering best practices.
• Proficiency in SQL and hands-on experience preferable with BigQuery
• Practical knowledge of Python and/or Java, and familiarity with data processing frameworks such as Pandas/Jupyter etc.
• Exposure to experimentation through  simulations  and comfort working in iterative, hypothesis-driven workflows.
• Good communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate data driven insights into actionable tasks
• Commercial awareness — ability to understand the bigger picture and can place data in the context of business value.
• A good understanding of statistics and experiment design and planning

This would make you stand out from the crowd:

• Experience in building efficient algorithms that adapt to and benefit from high-quality data inputs
• Experience working with visualization and dashboarding tools (Looker, Looker Studio) to enable exploration and storytelling through data.

Required competencies:

• Technical Excellence: You have strong problem-solving abilities, a sharp mind, and a willingness to quickly learn new tools, technologies, and concepts.
• Innovation & Problem Solving: You’re not afraid to tackle complex challenges. You seek continuous improvement and are open to building on others’ ideas to find better solutions.
• Drive & Accountability: You take initiative, deliver results, and own your work. You know how to prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively to get things done.
• Business Awareness: You understand how your work contributes to the bigger picture and can apply your skills in a way that supports broader goals.
• Adaptability: You stay focused and positive when things change or get busy. You’re flexible and comfortable working in a dynamic environment.
• Communication Skills: You can clearly communicate your ideas in both spoken and written English, and you’re confident working with internal stakeholders.
• Team Collaboration: You’re a team player who enjoys working with others, actively contributing to shared goals and helping the team succeed.

BENEFITS: WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

Work and life should fit together, so we offer a range of benefits focusing on well-being, development, and team spirit. The final package will depend on the contract type we agree on.

• Standard benefits: life insurance, private health care [Luxmed], Multisport card, lunch vouchers, company share programs, and assistance for everyday worries and serious health problems.
• Learning opportunities: access to the Learnebly platform and LinkedIn Learning, English classes, and a book library, 
• Parental support: additional +10 days maternity / +20 days paternity leave, funding for nurseries and kindergartens
• Hybrid model: 2 days/week in the office and flexibility to work from almost any location for up to 30 days a year.
• Office perks: centrally located offices with car and cycling parking, and home office equipment provided.
• Career growth: a clear career path with opportunities to rotate between projects, teams, domains and roles under the guidance of highly skilled senior colleagues 
• High engineering culture: unique software engineering culture with a high level of test coverage and agile environment [read about our tech stack and engineering
  practices across Ocado Technology]
• Speaker community: public speaking training and support for preparing presentations at conferences or meetups, including our own Ocado Technology Meetups
• Passions groups: running, cycling and more 
• Annual celebrations: carnival, summer parties, family picnics, or kid’s days.

At Ocado Technology, we're always exploring, learning, and implementing new initiatives, and we're eager to share stories, insights, and experiences with you. Meet our team members during meetups [Watch recordings here]

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