AI Data Engineer

About the role

Our AI engines — Owlpen (cost intelligence), Flint (system integration), and Warden (sales & CX intelligence) — are only as good as the data that feeds them. As an AI Data Engineer, you will own the pipelines, transformations, and data architecture that sit beneath our products and power our client-facing platforms.

You will work closely with our data scientists, software engineers, and client-facing teams to understand what data is needed, where it lives, how to clean it, and how to get it moving reliably at scale. Some of your work will be deep internal infrastructure; some will be client-facing, deploying pipelines directly into their environments.

This is a role for someone who takes real pride in data quality and pipeline reliability — someone who gets quietly frustrated when a job fails silently, and who proactively builds monitoring and alerting rather than waiting to be asked.

The kind of person we are looking for

At Coaley Peak, the technical work is only half the job. We are looking for people who are genuinely reliable — who do what they say they will, when they said they would, without needing to be chased. People who are friendly and easy to work with, both with colleagues and with clients. People who can sit in a boardroom and explain a complex AI model in plain English, and then go back to their laptop and write clean, well-documented code. People who are hungry, hard-working, and take real pride in their output — not because someone is watching, but because that is simply how they operate.

You are methodical and precise — the kind of engineer who writes meaningful commit messages, documents their schemas, and thinks about what happens when something breaks before it breaks. You enjoy the intellectual challenge of wrangling complex, inconsistent data sources, and you get satisfaction from watching a pipeline run cleanly at 3am because you designed it properly the first time. You are also collaborative: comfortable explaining data architecture decisions to a non-technical client director without making them feel stupid.

What you will do

• →Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and ETL/ELT workflows that feed our AI engines and client dashboards
• →Integrate with diverse data sources: APIs, SaaS platforms (CRM, ERP, marketing tools), databases, and flat files
• →Ensure data quality, lineage, and consistency across all pipeline stages; implement monitoring, alerting, and automated testing
• →Work with data scientists to operationalise ML models and ensure inference pipelines are production-ready
• →Support client engagements by deploying data infrastructure into client environments, on-site where required
• →Contribute to the architecture and evolution of our internal data platform
• →Document all pipelines, schemas, and transformation logic to ISO 9001 standards
• →Ensure all data handling complies with UK GDPR and client-specific data agreements

What we are looking for

Essential

• →Strong proficiency in Python for data engineering tasks (Pandas, Polars, SQLAlchemy, or equivalent)
• →Hands-on experience with SQL and modern data warehouses (BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, or similar)
• →Experience building and maintaining data pipelines using orchestration tools (Airflow, Prefect, dbt, or similar)
• →Working knowledge of REST APIs and experience integrating with third-party SaaS data sources
• →Understanding of data modelling principles and schema design
• →Right to work in the United Kingdom

Desirable (not essential)

• →Experience with streaming data pipelines (Kafka, Pub/Sub, or similar)
• →Familiarity with vector databases and embedding pipelines for LLM applications
• →Exposure to cloud infrastructure (GCP, AWS, or Azure) and infrastructure-as-code
• →Experience working in an ISO 27001-certified environment or with sensitive client data
• →Prior consulting or client-facing experience

What we offer

• →Salary of £45,000 – £65,000 per annum, dependent on experience, reviewed annually
• →28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• →Flexible hybrid working — Cheltenham HQ or fully remote (UK-based)
• →Private healthcare and employee assistance programme (EAP)
• →£2,000 annual professional development budget
• →Access to cutting-edge AI tooling and compute resources
• →Regular team offsites and an annual international travel programme
• →High-trust, outcome-focused culture
• →Accredited Living Wage Employer

Vetting & pre-employment checks

Enhanced DBS

All Coaley Peak roles require a minimum of an Enhanced DBS check as standard. By applying you consent to these checks being conducted in the event of an offer being made. This role may involve handling sensitive client data. ISO 27001 security training is mandatory within the first month of employment.

How to apply

Send your CV and a short covering note to careers@coaleypeak.co.uk, quoting reference CP-DAT-2025-001. Include one example of a data pipeline or data engineering project you are proud of — a GitHub link, a brief description, or both. We review on a rolling basis and acknowledge all applications within five working days.

Accessibility & reasonable adjustments

We want every candidate to have the best possible experience of our hiring process. If you need any adjustments — alternative formats, additional preparation time, a different interview setting, or anything else — please let us know as early as possible by emailing careers@coaleypeak.co.uk. All requests are handled in confidence and will not affect how your application is assessed.

Career progression

Disclaimer: Career progression paths shown are indicative and based on typical industry trajectories. They are not a guarantee of promotion or role availability at Coaley Peak or any other organisation. Progression depends on individual performance, business requirements, and market conditions.

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