Data Engineer, AI & Innovation

The opportunity Bloomsbury is looking for an experienced and pragmatic Data Engineer to join our AI \& Innovation team. It’s an exciting opportunity to help shape Bloomsbury's data infrastructure and support some of the company's most ambitious AI and commercial initiatives. As the first dedicated Data Engineer in the business, you will be responsible for building and maintaining the data platforms, pipelines and governance frameworks that underpin insights, forecasting, discovery, licensing and other strategic projects. You will work closely with Data Scientists, Technology, Legal and colleagues across our publishing divisions, helping to ensure trusted, well-modelled data is accessible throughout the organisation. This is a foundational role rather than a maintenance one, and suits someone who would rather build infrastructure that lasts than run someone else's. The ideal candidate will enjoy building reliable systems from the ground up, have a strong understanding of modern data engineering practices, and be comfortable collaborating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. The role will ingest data from multiple systems into GCP (BigQuery) you will be comfortable working with varying data sources and types. As a small engineering team, we value adaptability, we will have requests from various parts of the business that require learning tools, implementing code, and working in areas you’re unfamiliar with. Problem solving is key. The role * Design, build and maintain Bloomsbury's Single Source of Truth, ensuring colleagues work from trusted and well-documented datasets * Lead the migration and consolidation of data into BigQuery and support the retirement of legacy systems * Develop and manage production data pipelines that ingest information from internal systems, third-party providers and supplier platforms * Implement data quality checks, monitoring, testing and lineage processes to ensure data accuracy and reliability * Provide the data foundations required for AI initiatives, including forecasting models, semantic search and licensing solutions * Model, reconcile and standardise publishing data including metadata, sales, stock and rights information * Collaborate with Data Scientists to move analytical models from proof-of-concept into dependable production environments * Apply governance, security and access controls in partnership with Technology and Legal teams * Document systems, processes and pipelines to ensure knowledge is shared and solutions remain maintainable Knowledge, skills and experience * No specific qualification is required for this role. We are interested in demonstrable skill and judgement however they were acquired. * Demonstrable experience building and supporting production data pipelines * Strong SQL and Python skills * Experience working with cloud-based data warehouses such as BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift or Databricks * Knowledge of modern data orchestration and transformation tools such as Airflow, Dagster or dbt * Experience ingesting data from APIs, databases, supplier feeds and other diverse sources * Strong data modelling and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail * Understanding of software engineering best practices including version control and automated deployment * Excellent communication skills and confidence working with stakeholders across all levels of the business * Experience within publishing, media or content-based industries would be an advantage * Knowledge of ONIX, EPUB, semantic search or machine learning data pipelines would be beneficial Additional information The role is a full-time, permanent position with a salary of £65,000 - £70,000 pa The role is based at our London office 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP on a hybrid working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred). Allocated office days for this role are: Mondays and Wednesdays. Please complete our application form also attaching your CV via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button by 23:59, Tuesday 22nd September 2026. *Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications* Bloomsbury benefits As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package: Working Pattern * hybrid working pattern of: 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred) Holidays * 25 days holiday * 3.5 days Christmas company holiday Other Benefits: * Two paid Personal Wellness Days * Flexible Fridays – *take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 45 minutes earlier in the week* * Season Ticket Loan * Sharesave Scheme * In-house Doctor * Eyecare Voucher Scheme * Company culture! – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (Bloom, Disability, Mental Health, Pride and Parents, Guardians and Carers), 12 Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources *For additional benefits see below* *Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.* *We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required* Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK. Bloomsbury is committed to creating a working environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration, is respectful of difference, is inclusive and ethical in its practice, and promotes well-being. We are determined to nurture and develop our employees to reach their highest potential, and we know that our success is down to the passion, commitment and hard work of our talented people. We recognise the urgent need to attract and support applicants from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, allowing diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society. Address: 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP Email: workwithus@bloomsbury.com