Senior Data Engineer

Soho, London

Hybrid working: 3 days in the office Tues - Thurs

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Data Engineer to join our Data Team, taking a leading role in building the complex, scalable systems that power our data strategy. You will lead architectural discussions, own the design of business-critical data solutions and deliver high-quality systems that bring millions of fans closer to the sports they love. This is a fantastic opportunity to lead the optimisation of our data platforms for real-time AI/ML workloads, mentor engineers and make a significant impact on our business. The Senior Data Engineer leads technical initiatives, maintains data integrity and performance, and works across teams to translate complex business requirements into effective data solutions. The role also uses automation and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, decision-making and productivity across the organisation.

At LiveScore Group, we’re the proud home of three of the most exciting brands in the sports and gaming world: LiveScore, LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet. A fully owned and operated ecosystem that converges the two worlds of sports media and sports betting. We’re proud of the high ratings for our commitment to excellence and fueling fan’s passion for sport driving us to the top.

We don’t just lead; we innovate. Our cutting-edge products and immersive experiences set the standard, but it’s our people who truly make the difference. Every day, our team embody our values: adaptability, teamwork, a fan-driven approach, and an ever-curious mindset that fuels our ambition. As we scale and continue to create a culture that allows all employees to thrive, we know we need the most talented people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills. If you’re good at what you do, come and join us. The more inclusive we are, the more amazing experiences we can create for our users.

We know that job descriptions can sometimes seem daunting, and you might not feel you tick every box. But, if you’re passionate about the role and have relevant experience, we want to hear from you! 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead the design and delivery of robust data pipelines using GCP services such as BigQuery, Dataflow, Pub/Sub and Cloud Storage. This includes integrating data from various sources, ensuring data quality and enabling real-time processing capabilities.
• Own the design of data models and databases that support business analytics and intelligence, using dimensional data-modelling principles. Select and use GCP database technologies such as Bigtable, Spanner or Firestore to optimise performance and scalability.
• Lead the automation of data workflows and optimisation of data storage and processing costs within GCP. Use tools such as Cloud Composer for orchestration and establish best practices in performance tuning.
• Ensure data security by implementing GCP security practices. Manage access controls, comply with data-governance policies and safeguard sensitive information.
• Work closely with data engineers, business analysts and IT teams to define data requirements and deliver comprehensive data solutions. Provide technical leadership and guidance to team members.
• Evaluate new GCP features and data-engineering technologies, setting technical direction where they can enhance data infrastructure or enable new data products.
• Lead the resolution of critical pipeline failures and data-quality incidents, performing fault analysis and ensuring that preventative improvements are implemented.
• Lead critical system-design and architectural decisions for scalable batch and real-time workloads.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to translate complex or ambiguous business needs into effective and innovative data solutions.
• Mentor engineers, review technical designs and foster a culture of continuous learning and engineering excellence.
• Own improvements to the reliability, performance and cost-effectiveness of data systems.
• Lead the design and maintenance of robust, secure integrations with core internal systems and critical third-party platforms.
• Define appropriate monitoring and alerting standards to ensure high system reliability and minimal downtime.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience 

• Significant experience in data engineering or data warehousing with large-scale, complex datasets.
• Advanced SQL and Python skills, with experience using AI-assisted development tools appropriately.
• Strong knowledge of data-modelling techniques.
• Deep experience with cloud data services and technologies, ideally within the GCP ecosystem, such as Dataflow, Pub/Sub, BigQuery or Vertex AI.
• Proven experience designing and implementing robust ELT pipelines, including real-time and large-scale batch processing.
• Proven ability to deploy and maintain data infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code principles and tools such as Terraform.
• Experience with Airflow environment management and Docker.
• Experience contributing to an AI roadmap and evaluating AI tooling, including coding agents, for use within the development lifecycle.
• The ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly and concisely to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience applying data-governance, privacy and security best practices in a regulated environment.
• A proactive and curious approach, with the ability to anticipate and resolve system inefficiencies.
• The ability to lead cross-functional technical work and translate complex or ambiguous requirements into robust data solutions.
• A track record of taking end-to-end ownership for the quality, reliability and performance of business-critical data solutions.
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical standards across a team.

What can we offer?  

• Company Performance Bonus
• Flexible Working Agreements where applicable
• Private Healthcare Scheme + Employee Enhanced Assistance
• Enhanced Family Leave - Maternity, Shared Parental & Adoption Leave: up to 6 months at full pay and 6 months at half pay. Paternity leave: up to 4 weeks at full pay
• Subsidised Gym Membership
• Annual Travel Card Loan & Ride to Work Scheme
• Life Assurance (x3 salary)
• Contributory Pension Plan
• Virgin Family: Giving you access to exclusive Virgin offers and experiences
• Thursday drinks in the office and regular socials