AWS Data Engineer (contract)

AWS Data Engineer | 6m Contract | London, Hybrid - Outside IR35 Daily Rate: £570 per day (Outside) Team: Data Engineering - Application Development Overview: Opus have partnered with a London Financial Services company who're seeking a Senior AWS Data Engineer with a background in Application Development to support in architecting and delivering a new PostgreSQL-driven data platform which will be used to support core functions across investment reporting, risk analysis, regulatory output, and performance measurement. This is a high-impact greenfield build. You’ll take full ownership of the platform’s design and lead the transition away from Databricks and Excel-centric processes—shaping critical infrastructure that underpins the organisation’s investment operations. What You’ll Work On You’ll be responsible for designing and developing a scalable, secure PostgreSQL environment capable of supporting: Portfolio valuation and holdings data Performance and attribution reporting Risk and analytics outputs Regulatory and trustee disclosures Data governance and operational controls You’ll also oversee the migration of structured datasets from Databricks (Delta Lake/Spark) and replace manual Excel workflows with automated, well-governed pipelines to meet audit and regulatory standards. Key Responsibilities Build and maintain a secure PostgreSQL-based data platform Lead the shift away from Databricks and spreadsheet-dependent reporting Create dimensional data models covering investments, pricing, performance and related domains Develop reliable ETL/ELT processes in Python Implement data quality, reconciliation and validation controls Optimise database performance for analytical and reporting workloads Ensure compliance with FCA and TPR regulatory guidelines Set up access controls, security standards and permissioning Establish monitoring, backup and disaster recovery solutions Collaborate closely with investment, risk and finance teams Essential Skills & Experience 5+ years’ experience in data engineering, application development or data platform roles Strong PostgreSQL knowledge, including indexing, optimisation and partitioning Background in financial or investment data environments Advanced SQL and Python skills Experience migrating data from platforms like Databricks Confident with dimensional modelling, star schemas, SCDs etc. Experience within regulated financial services Desirable Experience in pensions, asset management or institutional investing Understanding of performance measurement and attribution Exposure to Airflow or dbt Cloud platform familiarity (Azure or AWS) Knowledge of data governance best practice About You Highly detail-driven with a strong approach to data quality Comfortable operating in tightly regulated sectors Able to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences Practical, proactive and solution-focused Why This Role? A rare opportunity to build core investment data infrastructure from the ground up High visibility and direct engagement with senior stakeholders across multiple business areas Stable organisation with long-term goals and purpose Flexible hybrid arrangement requiring only occasional travel to the London office