At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build data pipelines, workflows, and decision-support tools for real-world challenges.
- Company: Fast-growing AI and data engineering scale-up with a focus on mission-critical programmes.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career progression, and the chance to work on impactful projects.
- Other info: Join a culture that values accountability and engineering judgement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in high-stakes environments while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in Python, SQL, TypeScript, and data engineering principles.
The predicted salary is between 49500 - 60500 £ per year.
Fortice are recruiting on behalf of a fast-growing AI and data engineering scale-up operating on complex, mission-critical programmes for government and enterprise clients. The business sits at the intersection of data engineering, advanced analytics, and applied AI, delivering solutions that support real operational decision-making in high-stakes environments. The company has recently entered its next phase of growth following a strategic acquisition by a global consulting and technology partner, bringing scale and long-term programme stability while retaining an engineering-led, delivery-focused culture.
The Role
Forward Deployed Data Engineer (security cleared). We are hiring Forward Deployed Data Engineers across multiple levels (Junior through Senior Manager). This is a hands-on, client-embedded engineering role. You will work close to operational users, helping them solve messy, ambiguous problems by designing and building robust data pipelines, workflows, and decision-support tooling. You are not just “building data platforms” in isolation; you are deploying engineering capability directly into client environments and adapting solutions to real constraints.
What You’ll Do
- Buddy up with clients: Work directly alongside stakeholders to understand operational challenges and translate them into technical solutions.
- Design under ambiguity: Break down poorly defined problem spaces and design pragmatic, scalable architectures.
- Engineer data pipelines: Build and maintain ETL pipelines that support operational and analytical use cases.
- Develop workflows: Create decision-support tools and operational workflows that real users rely on.
- Apply AI where it counts: Collaborate on deploying AI and ML models that solve real problems, not experiments.
- Write production code: Deliver clean, reliable, maintainable software across the stack.
- Raise standards: Mentor peers, contribute to internal best practice, and help set the engineering bar.
- Build trust: Earn credibility with clients through delivery, judgment, and consistency.
What We’re Looking For
- Strong experience in Python, SQL, and TypeScript.
- Solid grounding in data engineering, ETL pipelines, and workflow orchestration.
- Experience with enterprise data platforms used in operational settings (Palantir experience is a strong plus, but not mandatory).
- Comfort operating in complex, high-pressure client environments.
- Interest in applied AI/machine learning with a practical mindset.
- Clear communicator who can bridge technical and non-technical audiences.
- Curious, adaptable, and delivery-focused.
Why This Role
- Work on mission-critical programmes with real operational impact.
- Be trusted to operate close to the problem, not shielded from it.
- Build rare experience as a forward-deployed engineer, not a back-office implementer.
- Access large-scale programmes and long-term career progression through a globally backed organisation.
- Join a culture that values engineering judgement, accountability, and hard work over hype.
Seniority level: Associate
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Consulting, Engineering, and Analyst
Industries: Software Development, Public Safety, and IT Services and IT Consulting
Data Engineer (SC Cleared) in England employer: Fortice
Fortice is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that prioritises collaboration and innovation in the field of national security. With competitive salaries, hybrid working options, and a commitment to employee growth through training and development, you'll find meaningful opportunities to make a real impact in Cheltenham's secure environment. Join us to be part of high-profile programmes that not only challenge you but also contribute significantly to national safety.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Data Engineer (SC Cleared) in England
✨Get Involved in Data Science Meetups
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We think you need these skills to ace Data Engineer (SC Cleared) in England
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 Fortice, 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 Fortice. 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 Fortice
✨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 Fortice!
✨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.
