Senior Data Engineer (contract)

Please note that this is a contract role providing services to Microsoft through external staffing partners of Allegis Global Solutions (AGS). If you are selected for this role, you will be employed by AGS and will not be an employee of Microsoft. Role Overview Lead technical delivery across data platform modernization, with ownership of migration strategy execution, orchestration redesign direction, and cost optimization outcomes across Azure Databricks and ADF workloads. Key Responsibilities • Own technical design and phased execution plan for Unity Catalog migration across priority data domains. • Define target orchestration patterns and guide migration of legacy workflows to the agreed model. • Drive cost and performance optimization across Spark jobs, clusters, storage, and scheduling patterns. • Set engineering standards for data quality, observability, CI/CD, testing, and production readiness. • Review architecture and critical pull requests; mentor less experienced engineers. • Partner with analytics, product, and platform teams to sequence delivery with minimal operational risk. Required Experience • Strong production experience in SQL, Python, and Spark. • Deep hands-on Azure Databricks and Azure Data Factory delivery experience. • Proven track record delivering migration or modernization initiatives in live data platforms. • Strong experience with platform observability, incident response, and data reliability engineering. • Experience delivering measurable cost optimization in cloud data platforms. • Strong Git and code review practices; excellent cross-team communication. Preferred Qualifications • Unity Catalog migration experience. • Game telemetry or high-volume event data background. • Familiarity with Power BI or Tableau consumption patterns. Additional Details • Location: Athelstone, England • Duration: 12 months • Shift Timings: Hybrid (Hours minimum 10-4pm; 3 days / week onsite) • Pay Range: £280/day to £307/day (PAYE) • Weekly Schedule: 40 hours As a workplace, Allegis Global Solutions focuses on relationships – with each other, our clients and our candidates. In fact, serving others is one of our core values. We support open communication and recognize that giving constructive criticism can be even harder than receiving it. We appreciate the fearless and the passionate, who force us to be better. Everything we do sits on a pillar of diversity, equity and inclusion - diverse perspectives, backgrounds and ideas achieve innovation and make us successful. Please note that we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position. These tools may analyze application materials and assist our team in identifying candidates whose qualifications best match the requirements of the role. If you have questions about our use of AI in the hiring process, or would like more information, please contact us. Pay Rate Range 280 - 307 GBP daily