Senior Azure Data Engineer (Azure expert) - Part-time - Worldwide

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Azure Data Engineer to join our team on a freelance basis.
We supports hospitals running an older, on-premise CMMS system where each client hosts its own SQL Server database. This fragmented data prevents NHS central services from accessing a unified view of medical equipment.

The primary objective of this project is to build a central NHS asset register in Azure, aggregating equipment data from multiple sources. This includes data from approximately 120 e-Quip databases and around 130 additional hospitals using non-e-Quip systems. The project aims to create a central Azure SQL-based repository with weekly data syncs and enable future analytics and data monetization.

Responsibilities

• Advise on and design a robust, minimal Azure data architecture (avoid over-engineering).
• Consolidate multiple on-premise SQL Server databases into Azure SQL.
• Implement weekly delta ingestion pipelines (Fridays, 5 PM).
• Ensure data quality for downstream BI tools.
• Review and recommend improvements to the current remote-access setup (VM hosting / one-click environment).
• Collaborate with Karim and the internal developer to refine scope and implementation.

Required Skills

• 5+ years Azure Data Engineering experience.
• Strong background in Azure SQL, schema design, and SQL Server migrations.
• Hands-on with Azure Functions for scheduled ETL.
• Experience preparing datasets for Power BI or Alteryx.
• Ability to evaluate architecture tradeoffs and recommend simpler alternatives.
• Azure certifications preferred.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Power BI integration on Azure SQL or Microsoft Fabric.
• Ability to effectively communicate and document technical decisions for non-technical stakeholders.