Principal DB Engineer (Oracle, ExaCC, PostgreSQL and MongoDB)

Principal DB Engineer (Oracle, ExaCC, PostgreSQL and MongoDB) - 6 months+ - Hybrid/Sheffield - Umbrella £550/£570

We're recruiting an experienced Principal Engineer (Database SME) to play a critical role in our clients Global Database Platform function. This is a high-impact contract role for someone who brings deep database expertise, strong engineering discipline, and the credibility to shape decisions at the highest technical levels.

You'll sit at the forefront of our technology landscape - advising, challenging, and leading on database strategy while driving modern DevOps practices in a highly regulated environment.

The role:

• Act as the principal authority on database engineering platform across Oracle, ExaCC, PostgreSQL and MongoDB
• Shape and influence technology strategy and architectural direction for global database platforms
• Lead by example - setting engineering standards, driving automation, reliability, security, and resiliency
• Champion and implement DevOps and SRE best practices for database services
• Use data and evidence to influence technical and business decisions
• Mentor and coach engineers, raising the bar for technical excellence across the function
• Partner closely with architecture, security, product and delivery teams to design and deliver next-generation services
• Ensure platforms are built with availability, safety, compliance and security front of mind

To apply you should bring the following skills and experience:

• 5+ years principal/senior engineering position
• Deep SME-level expertise in enterprise databases:
• Oracle & Exadata (ExaCC)
• PostgreSQL
• MongoDB
• Strong engineering background with hands-on experience driving modern DevOps practices
• The gravitas and credibility to challenge, advise and influence senior stakeholders
• Experience working in highly regulated environments (financial services, government, healthcare, etc.)
• A pragmatic leader - equally comfortable setting strategy and getting into the detail
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts
• Ability to communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A background in Financial Services would be nice but not mandatory

Interviews ASAP, start February/beginning of March 2026.