Senior Data Engineer

Can you design and deliver modern data engineering solutions that support agile, fast-paced organisational needs?

Do you thrive on solving complex data challenges and collaborating with diverse technical and business stakeholders?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Senior Data Engineer leads multi-functional delivery teams to deliver robust data services for their department, other government departments and private sector partners. They create, inspire, innovate, and lead by example in best practice for data products and services within their teams. They build the data engineering capability by providing technical leadership, data pipelines, standards, and data flows to meet priorities for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). They work with other senior team members to identify, plan, develop and deliver data services. They support junior members of the team in their development, and manage Data Engineers, Data Engineering apprentices, and PhD student placements.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance., * Responsible for designing, architecting and building data flow solutions.
• Responsible for the build of data streaming systems applying knowledge of systems integration.
• Be a technical expert in current data engineering technologies and share knowledge with other data engineers.
• Demonstrate curiosity about new and emerging technologies and make recommendations about how these could benefit the MCA’s data platform.
• Provide technical expertise and leadership across data projects and programmes.
• Identify and address user needs and build relationships across organisations.
• Contribute to creating an agile, fast paced organisation by promoting innovation as we investigate and adopt modern technologies and modernise our approach to policy making, enforcement and customer service.
• Provide leadership and inspiration to promote the benefits of the change.
• Work closely with senior colleagues within the Directorate of Information & Technology in the deployment of the Agency’s technical experts and administrators in their technical, educational and regulatory roles.
• Assist with the development and delivery of the data roadmap for the MCA.
• Champions data engineering across the MCA, Department for Transport (DfT) and wider government.
• Work closely with external suppliers, technical experts, DfT data community., At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
• Behaviours - Changing and Improving, Working Together, Delivering at Pace.
• Experience
• Technical - DDaT Framework - Senior Data Engineer Data engineer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

You will also be required to complete a technical assessment to assess against DDaT Framework - Senior Data Engineer. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview., As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., * UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

• Experience in delivering successful and high-value data engineering initiatives using an agile approach.
• Demonstrable hands-on technical experience in delivering data engineering projects working through complex business problems and partnering with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven experience in data engineering and/or software architecture and development using Python, in a cloud environment.
• Strong knowledge of technical design, implementation and security.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Strong experience of a broad range of data management processes and technologies, both traditional and big data., * Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data development process. (Skill level: Practitioner)
• Data integration design. (Skill level: Practitioner)
• Problem Management (Skill level: Working)
• Programming and build (data engineering) (Skill level: Practitioner), This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills., * Experience in delivering successful and high-value data engineering initiatives using an agile approach.
• Demonstrable hands-on technical experience in delivering data engineering projects working through complex business problems and partnering with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven experience in data engineering and/or software architecture and development using Python, in a cloud environment.

Pulled from the full job description

• Annual leave
• Employee discount
• Employee assistance programme
• Company pension, The base pay is £44,241. In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £13,159.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. Therefore, this role is not open to applications from those who require sponsorship – candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

Security Checks

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC (Security Clearance)

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., Alongside your salary of £44,241, Maritime and Coastguard Agency contributes £12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jpreview.cgi for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.