Job Description

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer with deep expertise in Databricks to join the team and lead on the design and delivery of scalable, high-performance data solutions within our B2B business. Reporting into the Principal Architect you will drive the technical strategy for our Databricks-based data architecture, delivering critical use cases across safer gambling, real-time analytics, and regulatory compliance.


The role will be a full-time permanent role based from our Wigan (Greater Manchester) office with presence required onsite approx. twice per month/subject to business needs.

What you'll be doing:

Lead the architecture and implementation of Databricks-based data pipelines, supporting real-time and batch workloads using Structured Streaming, Delta Lake, and Autoloader Collaborate with commercial, product and compliance teams to build data products that support responsible gambling, regulatory reporting, and customer insights Design and enforce data governance and access controls using Unity Catalog and AWS IAM policies Optimise Spark performance, DBU usage, and job scheduling to ensure reliable and cost-effective operation Contribute to infrastructure decisions including AWS configuration, Terraform deployments, and monitoring with CloudWatch and Databricks-native tools Evaluate and adopt new Databricks features to enhance platform capabilities

As a Principal Engineer you will also be expected to champion best practices within our squads promoting our agile application lifecycle management process, meet regularly with our SEMs/Principal Engineers to share knowledge/ideas, provide strong technical leadership and support through guidance and coaching and input into our technical roadmap of the products and software solutions we delivered.

We are looking for candidates with the following technical attributes:

Expert working knowledge of Databricks, especially PySpark, Delta Lake, and Structured Streaming Strong skills in building and optimising pipelines in AWS (e.g., S3, Glue, Lambda, IAM, CloudWatch). Strong skills in Python and SQL with a solid understanding of distributed processing patterns Experience working in regulated industries (preferably iGaming) with a focus on data privacy and compliance An advocate for modern engineering practices including the use of cloud native technologies, DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, containerised applications, and agile delivery A Databricks certification (e.g., Data Engineering Professional) is desirable

Additionally, we are looking for a self-starter with a passion for technology who can demonstrate strong technical leadership skills with proven experience in coaching/mentoring engineers, taking a leading role in key decision making and can confidently communicate ideas to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Who we are:

The Tote has been part of the UK betting landscape for nearly a century, we are racing's most popular pool betting operator and can be found online and across all racecourses in the UK and Ireland. In a fast-moving industry, we don't stand still! We are focused on building something genuinely different within the betting world. Using the best in-class technology, digital innovation and customer engagement we are committed to launching exciting new products and delivering exceptional experiences to racing and sports enthusiasts!


Our headquarters in Wigan is the main hub for our team of over 200 innovative and ambitious experts dedicated to delivering our vision of providing the best betting experience for racing fans. A full induction, on the job training and development plan will be put in place for anyone who joins the team.

What we offer:

At the Tote you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork and pride in what we do. Our company benefits package includes:


Competitive basic salary Discretionary bonus scheme Company shares option plan Contributary pension scheme Life insurance (4 x basic salary) Simply Health plan Holiday entitlement (25 days plus bank holidays) Confidential 24/7 365 employee assistance helpline Agile and collaborative office environment with free parking, fruit, biscuits, and drinks * Regular social events, charity events and volunteering opportunities