Job Description:

Data Engineer (Snowflake & Data Pipelines)

Company: Prize Placements | Location: [Hertfordshire / Remote / Hybrid] | Type: Permanent | Reports to: [Head of Data / Engineering Manager]

About the Role

We are looking for a hands-on Data Engineer to own and develop backend data pipelines. This is a backend engineering role: you will ingest data from a wide range of sources, load it reliably into Snowflake, and make sure it is fresh, monitored and trustworthy. You will work closely with analysts and BI colleagues who consume the data, but building dashboards and reports is not the focus of this position.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain robust ELT/ETL pipelines that load data into Snowflake from REST APIs, databases, flat files (CSV/JSON) and third-party platforms.
• Develop Python-based ingestion, automation and ETL scripts, including API integrations and scheduled jobs.
• Configure and manage managed or open-source connectors using Fivetran and/or Meltano/Singer (or comparable tooling).
• Write and optimise advanced SQL in Snowflake, including transformations, performance tuning and data modelling.
• Implement pipeline monitoring, logging, alerting and error handling, including data freshness and data health checks.
• Troubleshoot pipeline failures, investigate data quality issues and carry out root-cause analysis.
• Use Git and sound version-control practices (branching, code review, documentation) across all pipeline code.
• Automate operational tasks with Bash/shell scripting where appropriate.
• Contribute to architecture decisions, including the potential future evolution of our backend platform toward Azure / Microsoft Fabric.

Essential Skills & Experience

• SQL (advanced): ideally strong Snowflake SQL experience.
• Python (strong): particularly data ingestion, working with APIs, automation and ETL scripting.
• Snowflake: strong hands-on experience.
• ETL/ELT tooling: hands-on experience with Fivetran and/or Meltano/Singer, or comparable ETL/ELT technologies.
• Integrations: solid experience with REST APIs, JSON, CSV and database integrations.
• Bash/Shell scripting: working knowledge.
• Git / version control: day-to-day working experience.
• Operational monitoring: experience with pipeline monitoring, logging, error handling and data freshness/health monitoring.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with dbt.
• Knowledge of Azure and/or Microsoft Fabric, relevant to the potential future evolution of our backend.
• Basic Power BI skills. This is useful for understanding downstream consumers, but this is not a Data Analyst or BI Developer role.

Personal Attributes

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ownership mindset: comfortable running what you build.
• Clear communicator who can explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.
• Pragmatic, with a bias toward automation and maintainable code.

What We Offer

• £65,000 + 20% Bonus (£13,000)
• Benefits - Excellent Pension Scheme, 25 days annual leave rising to 28 days within 3 years, Private Medical Cover, holiday, flexible working]
• Flexible working - up to 3 days work from home per week

Please send your CV and a short covering note to Lee Smith from Prize Placements.