Core Data Engineer

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Core Data Engineer to support the design, build, and optimisation of modern data platforms for our clients. This is an exciting opportunity for an early‑career data engineer to develop hands‑on experience across a wide range of industries while working within dynamic multi‑disciplinary consulting teams.

At Optima, you’ll contribute to delivering scalable, production‑grade data solutions, learning from experienced engineers, data scientists, and architects and gaining exposure to real‑world business challenges.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Design and build scalable data pipelines to collect, transform and integrate data from multiple sources
• Support the development and optimisation of data architectures including data lakes and data warehouses
• Build and maintain reliable ETL / ELT workflows ensuring data quality, reliability and accessibility
• Work closely with senior engineers, data scientists and client stakeholders to deliver impactful solutions
• Monitor and improve data performance, reliability and efficiency
• Identify opportunities for automation and tooling improvements
• Document data solutions, pipelines, and engineering processes

What We’re Looking For

• 2+ years’ experience in data engineering or a related role
• Proficiency in Python, Java, Scala, or similar languages
• Hands‑on experience with modern data platforms such as Databricks, Apache Spark or Hadoop
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Experience with relational databases and basic data modelling concepts
• Exposure to orchestration and DevOps tooling (e.g. Airflow, Git, Docker)
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a collaborative mindset
• Clear communicator able to explain technical concepts to non‑technical audiences

Join Optima Partners as a Core Data Engineer and build, optimise, and scale modern data platforms using cloud‑native technologies like Databricks developing your engineering expertise while delivering real‑world impact in a fast‑growing, practitioner‑led consultancy.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary + bonus up to 15%
• 37 days holiday (incl. Christmas shutdown)
• Private medical insurance, life & income protection
• Pension scheme
• 1,000+ employee perks
• Dedicated learning, training, and certification support