At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and maintain data pipelines for real-time decision-making in the railway sector.
- Company: Join CrossCountry Trains, a leader in transport innovation and diversity.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to inclusion and community reflection.
- Why this job: Make an impact on transport efficiency and customer experience with cutting-edge data solutions.
- Qualifications: Experience in data engineering, SQL, Python, and cloud platforms is essential.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
Closing date for applications: Friday 3rd July 2026
Purpose of Job
To design, develop, and maintain data pipelines, architecture, and analytics platforms that enable real-time decision-making, operational efficiency, and strategic planning across railway functions. The role supports key business areas including fleet reliability, customer insight, financial modelling, and predictive maintenance.
Principal Accountabilities
- Build scalable data pipelines using ETL/ELT frameworks to ingest structured and unstructured data from operational and enterprise systems.
- Develop and optimise data models for performance, clarity, and downstream analytics alignment.
- Maintain secure and compliant data warehouses, lakes, and marts supporting diverse business domains.
- Connect railway systems (e.g. engineering logs, depot systems, CRM, ticketing platforms) into unified data environments.
- Automate data flows and refresh schedules using orchestration tools to support real-time monitoring and reporting.
- Collaborate with IT and system owners to resolve integration issues, data gaps, or quality inconsistencies.
- Apply data validation, cleansing, and transformation rules to ensure accuracy and reliability.
- Support metadata management, lineage tracking, and audit protocols in line with governance standards (e.g. GDPR, ISO 27001).
- Collaborate with compliance, safety, and finance teams to ensure integrity of regulatory and commercial reporting outputs.
- Work closely with data analysts, BI developers, and data scientists to deliver usable datasets, feature engineering, and model-ready structures.
- Assist in the development of dashboards, forecasting tools, and machine learning platforms.
- Contribute to rail-specific use cases including fault prediction, delay analysis, customer segmentation, and energy optimisation.
- Manage cloud and on-premises data environments using platforms such as Azure, AWS, GCP, and Snowflake.
- Develop using programming languages and tools.
- Support API development, containerisation and CI/CD pipelines as needed.
Experience, Knowledge, Qualifications & Training
Essential:
- Experience in data engineering, software development, or systems integration within large or regulated organisations.
- Proficiency in SQL and Python, along with familiarity with cloud-based data platforms.
- Strong understanding of ETL processes, data architecture, and performance optimisation techniques.
- Exposure to transport, logistics, or infrastructure sectors with IoT or telematics integration.
- Experience working with large-scale operational data sets (e.g. reliability logs, telemetry feeds, maintenance systems).
Diversity & Inclusion: At CrossCountry, we believe our people should reflect the diverse communities we serve. Inclusion isn’t just part of our strategy — it’s central to our success. We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported to be their best.
Click Apply Now to take the next step in your journey with CrossCountry Trains.
Data Engineer in Birmingham employer: Arrivatc
CrossCountry Trains is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Birmingham where innovation meets inclusivity. As a Data Engineer, you'll benefit from a culture that prioritises employee growth through continuous learning opportunities and collaboration with diverse teams, all while contributing to impactful projects that enhance railway operations. With a commitment to diversity and a focus on real-time decision-making, CrossCountry provides a rewarding career path for those looking to make a difference in the transport sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Data Engineer in Birmingham
✨Get Involved in Data Science Meetups
Tap into local data science meetups or workshops to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. These events are goldmines for networking, and sometimes even lead directly to job openings at companies like Arrivatc!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Start building a public portfolio showcasing your data science projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites. Highlight unique analyses or models you've developed. This not only demonstrates your skills but also gets your name out there for roles like Data Engineer at Arrivatc.
✨Leverage Professional Networks
Join professional bodies related to data science, like the Data Science Society or similar organisations. Getting involved can lead to mentorship opportunities and insider knowledge about full-time positions at companies like Arrivatc.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Data Engineer at Arrivatc, make sure to apply directly through our website. It gives you an edge and shows you're keen to join our team. Plus, who doesn’t love a direct application? It’s easier than navigating through job boards!
We think you need these skills to ace Data Engineer in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!
Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!
Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at Arrivatc, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.
Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Arrivatc. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!
How to prepare for a job interview at Arrivatc
✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!
✨Get Comfortable with Python and R
Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at Arrivatc!
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.
