Data Engineer in Luton

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a Data Engineer on behalf of Luton Borough Council.

Main purpose of position: As a senior data engineering specialist, the Data Engineer provides technical leadership for the design, build and operation of the council's data platforms and pipelines, ensuring they are secure, reliable, scalable and aligned to organisational priorities. The role leads the engineering of well-governed data products that integrate multiple data sources and make trusted data available for analytics, reporting and service decision-making. The postholder sets and assures engineering standards (e.g., data modelling, lineage, quality controls, testing and documentation) and works across teams - analysts, architects, engineers and service areas - to shape requirements, manage technical risk and ensure solutions are supportable in live operation.

Operating with autonomy and influence at SFIA Level 6, the Data Engineer drives continuous improvement of the organisation's data engineering capability, mentors others, and contributes to the definition and delivery of the council's data platform roadmap, balancing pace of delivery with governance, security and value for money.

You will be responsible to:

• Lead the design and evolution of data pipeline patterns, integration approaches and storage solutions, ensuring alignment with target architecture and platform strategy.
• Own delivery of complex, cross-domain data pipelines and data products, including technical planning, dependency management and operational readiness.
• Set and assure engineering standards for pipeline build (automation, testing, documentation and observability) so data flows are scalable, reliable and fit for analytical and operational use.
• Define and implement data quality management approaches (rules, validation, reconciliation and exception handling) and drive remediation with source-system owners where required.
• Establish monitoring, alerting and performance tuning practices for pipelines and platforms, including run-time observability and service level expectations.
• Lead investigation and resolution of high-impact data incidents and recurring problems, identifying root cause, reducing risk and improving resilience.
• Provide technical leadership for data and analytics initiatives, shaping solution options, estimating delivery, and advising on trade-offs (cost, risk, performance and time).
• Ensure solutions transition effectively into live operation through robust documentation, runbooks, support models and knowledge transfer.
• Contribute to delivery governance (e.g., technical assurance, risk management and progress reporting) to enable predictable, high-quality outcomes.
• Embed governance, security and data protection requirements into data platform and pipeline designs, working with information governance and security colleagues to ensure compliance.
• Implement and assure technical controls for access management, segregation of duties, encryption, retention and auditability, including support to DPIAs and audit requests where appropriate.
• Maintain clear data lineage and documentation to support transparency, accountability and safe reuse of data across the council.

Skills and Experience:

• Significant experience working in a data engineering, data platform or analytics engineering role within a complex organisation.
• Experience designing and building data pipelines and integrations from multiple source systems.
• Experience working with structured and semi-structured data to support reporting and analytics.
• Proven experience resolving data quality, performance or reliability issues.
• Experience contributing to the delivery of data or analytics projects.
• Ability to analyse data requirements and translate them into effective technical solutions.
• Good problem-solving skills, able to diagnose and resolve complex data issues.
• Ability to work independently on complex technical tasks while collaborating effectively with others.
• Ability to prioritise work and manage competing demands in a delivery environment.
• Relevant qualification in data, computing, IT or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience, with a commitment to ongoing professional development in data engineering and analytics technologies.
• Able to attend meetings and work at various locations as required.
• Able to work outside normal office hours on occasion to meet service and project demands.

About Us: Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council. Our heritage and being local government owned means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or have supplied previously into the Council, for several years. We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.