Principal Data Engineer

Join the ECI Group's Professional Technical Services Network as a Principal Data Engineer. This is a Houston based a six-month contract role with an anticipated March 30, 2006 start date and ending on September 30, 2026.

NOTE: You must be a US Citizen or Permanent US resident to qualify for the position.

Roles and Responsibilities :
The Principal Data Engineer is the one who conceptualizes and designs data foundations and end to end solutions including data platforms for the Shell Business to maximize value from data. The role helps create a data-driven thinking within the organization, not just within IT teams, but also in the wider business stakeholder community. A Principal Data Engineer is expected to be a subject matter expert, and an active thought partner in the organization's data strategy and the key driver to define the Vison and Data Strategy for robust and future ready IT solutions

Role Objective
This is not a standard data engineer role. We are looking for a deeply technical, hands-on individual contributor who can:

• Diagnose performance, latency, and cost issues in a large-scale cloud data platform
• Take a top-down, platform-level view across multiple projects
• Improve architecture, efficiency, and cost optimization , not just write Spark code
• Act as a technical problem-solver and mentor , guiding other data engineers

This person is expected to make the platform better , not just execute tasks.

Current Platform & Architecture
Data Flow:

• On-premise systems → Cloud (Azure)
• Streaming ingestion → Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS)
• Data processed into two separate containers :
  • Crude trading
  • Product trading

Technologies in Use:

• Qlik Replicate (formerly Attunity)
  • Streaming data from on-prem to Azure
• Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS)
• Databricks
  • Delta Live Tables (DLT)
  • Spark / PySpark
• Python
• SQL (complex queries and procedures)

Key Challenges the Role Is Meant to Solve
1. Data Latency

• High-volume streaming data
• End-to-end latency issues that need root-cause analysis

2. Databricks / DLT Cost Spikes

• DLT costs are far higher than expected
• Known contributors:
  • Very high data volume (expected)
  • Inefficient lookup logic used to split data into separate containers
• The current solution works but is not optimal

Note: This role exists because generic recommendations are not enough .

Key Characteristics

• Hands-on technical delivery leader ​
• Visible community leader for data engineers ​
• Conducts quality, community & conference presentations/trainings ​
• Has vast array of technology skills with deep expertise in at least 2 core technologies ( Azure, AWS, SAP )
• A skilled communicator capable of speaking to both technical developers and business managers.
• Able to drive change and improvement through a deep understanding of the inter-relationship between People, Process, Data and Technology
• Coordinate the change management process, incident management and problem management process.
• Drive implementation efficiency and effectiveness across the pilots and future projects to minimize cost, increase speed of implementation and maximize value delivery.
• Drives & contributes to community building initiatives like CoE, CoP.

Mandatory skills:

• AWS/Azure/SAP – Master
• ELT – Master
• Data Modeling – Master
• Data Integration & Ingestion – Master
• Data Manipulation and Processing – Skill
• GITHUB, Action, Azure DevOps – Skill
• Data factory, Databricks, SQL DB, Synapse, Stream Analytics, Glue, Airflow, Kinesis, Redshift, SonarQube, PyTest – Skill

Programming & Data Skills

• Strong Python (mandatory)
• PySpark (advanced, not basic)
• Advanced SQL
  • Complex queries
  • Stored procedures
  • Analytical logic

Optional skills:

• Experience in project management, running a scrum team.
• Experience working with BPC, Planning.
• Exposure to working with external technical ecosystem.
• Managing small teams.
• MKDocs documentation

Portfolio: Shell IDT/Downstream & Renewables IDT/Trading & Supply/TS - Crude & Products/TS - Crude Trading/TS - Crude Investments
Program:
Project: Crude Shift WONA - Crude Data Exchange
Description: Considering the decision to pause the work for the DEX to Endur migration, focus remains on advancing the Crude PDS Transformation, with a key priority to establish a global view of data with standardized granularity across the T&S Crude Business. This funding request is to start work on modernizing the WONA Data Warehouse using Azure cloud technology with the target of "cleaning and aligning" the data between WONA and NA. Ambition to eventually move NA ODW into this same platform.
Key focus
Business case: Considering the decision to pause the work for the DEX to Endur migration, focus remains on advancing the Crude PDS Transformation, with a key priority to establish a global view of data with standardized granularity across the T&S Crude Business. This funding request is to start work on modernizing the WONA Data Warehouse using Azure cloud technology with the target of "cleaning and aligning" the data between WONA and NA. Ambition to eventually move NA ODW into this same platform.
Business Application : CRUDE AND PRODUCTS DATA EXCHANGE, Crude Data Exchange
Project Type : IT Project
Project Class : Application

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