03.11.25

Success Story - Urgent Data Engineering Contractor Needs for a Consultancy

Success Story: Partnering with a Leading Tech & Data Consultancy to Deliver Three Critical Data Engineering Cloud hires

At dcoded, we partner with technology and data consultancies to enable delivery excellence through access to the highest calibre talent. Our work sits at the intersection of technical depth, cultural fit, and delivery speed, helping consultancies deliver complex projects across financial services, retail, and digital sectors with confidence.

This success story highlights how we supported one of the UK’s most respected Tech & Data Consultancies in securing three highly specialised data professionals across critical projects. This included financial regulation, omnichannel retail, and enterprise data modelling.

The Challenge
Our client operates in a fast-paced consulting environment, delivering high-value data & AI transformation and engineering projects for enterprise end clients. They faced concurrent hiring needs across three distinct engagements, each requiring technical precision and immediate impact:

They required:

• GCP Data Engineer (Basel 3.1) – to support a digital bank with regulatory transformation in line with Basel 3.1 updates.
• SQL & Python Data Engineer – to deliver data pipeline optimisation and automation for a leading omnichannel retail client.
• SQL Data Modeller – to enhance data architecture and reporting capability for a financial services programme.

Each role demanded a rare blend of technical excellence, domain knowledge, and consultancy experience. The challenge lay in finding individuals who could operate with both the technical rigour and stakeholder credibility expected within a consulting delivery model.

The Process

At dcoded, our approach centres on collaboration, specialism, and precision. We treat every engagement as an extension of our client’s brand, embedding ourselves in their delivery context to ensure every candidate presented is technically capable, commercially credible, and culturally aligned.

1. Discovery & Role Definition
We began with structured discovery sessions with the client’s Head of Data Engineering, Head of Delivery, and relevant project leads. These conversations went beyond the job descriptions, focusing on:
• The specific project outcomes each hire would own.
• Non-negotiable technical requirements and delivery milestones.
• The stakeholder environment and cultural expectations.
By co-defining the roles at this level, we ensured alignment not just on skill set, but on impact and fit.

2. Targeted Search and Market Activation
Leveraging our deep network within the UK’s data engineering and analytics community, we activated three parallel searches targeting professionals with:
• Regulatory data experience (Basel III, BCBS 239, PRA Reporting).
• Modern data stack expertise (GCP, SQL, Python, Spark, Databricks).
• Data modelling and warehousing best practice (Kimball, Data Vault, star schema design).
Our outreach focused on passive, pre-qualified talent. Data Engineers and Data Consultants with proven delivery experience within complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

3. Rigorous Shortlisting and Qualification
Every candidate underwent a structured two-stage qualification process:
• Technical Validation: assessing hands-on expertise, problem-solving approach, and project relevance.
• Consultancy Fit: evaluating communication style, stakeholder management skills, and adaptability in client-facing roles.

Across the three searches, we delivered:
• 4 GCP Data Engineer profiles (3 interviewed, all hireable).
• 5 SQL & Python Data Engineer profiles (all interviewed, 1 offer).
• 4 SQL Data Modeller profiles (3 interviewed, 1 offered).

Our client commented on the consistency and depth of the shortlist, noting that “every submission was aligned and immediately relevant.”
 

4. Speed and Precision in Delivery

All three hires were completed within tight timeframes. Each placement concluded within 4 working days of briefing. Our proactive coordination between candidate, client, and end-customer ensured smooth interview scheduling, rapid feedback loops, and zero delays at offer stage.

The Outcome

Three high-impact placements delivered across consulting projects:
• GCP Data Engineer (Basel 3.1) – embedded within a digital bank’s regulatory programme, ensuring compliance-ready data pipelines.
• SQL & Python Data Engineer – enabling a retail client’s omnichannel data integration and reporting capability.
• SQL Data Modeller – improving data integrity and scalability for a financial services transformation.

Measured Results:

• 13 CVs submitted across three roles
• 11 interviews conducted
• 3 offers made and accepted
• All roles filled within 4 business days

Each professional is now delivering tangible impact within their respective projects, improving data accessibility, compliance, and delivery velocity.
 

Post-Placement Partnership

Our relationship-led approach doesn’t end at placement. We maintained close communication across all three hires, supporting onboarding, ensuring clear alignment
between consultancy and end-client expectations, and conducting structured postplacement check-ins to monitor performance and integration. This consistent engagement has strengthened our partnership, giving our client confidence in dcoded as a trusted long-term talent partner across their data and
engineering practices.

Conclusion

This project series reflects what dcoded does best: enabling consultancies to deliver exceptional outcomes through exceptional talent, at speed.
By combining sector expertise, network depth, and a rigorous, relationship-led process, we helped our client deliver complex, high-profile projects across multiple industries, on time and with confidence.

If your consultancy delivers technology or data transformation projects and you need a partner who understands both the technical landscape and the consulting model, dcoded can help.

Let’s deliver excellence, together.