At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and maintain scalable data pipelines to transform education through innovative data products.
- Company: Join the leading education services platform in the UK, dedicated to empowering learners and educators.
- Benefits: Enjoy 28 days holiday, enhanced family leave, medical cash plan, and flexible benefits tailored for you.
- Other info: Be part of a community that values your ideas and individuality while advancing education.
- Why this job: Shape the future of education with cutting-edge data technology and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in data engineering, fluent in Python, and familiar with Databricks and Azure Synapse.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About us: Supporting Education Group is the leading education services platform in the UK working with schools, learners, multi academy trusts, local authorities, nurseries, and government departments to help solve the biggest human capital challenges facing the sector. Our goal is to empower students, educators, schools and governments with the technology, expertise and resources to ensure a high-quality education for all. The group is shaped into four practices covering qualifications and training, recruitment and supply, professional services and SEND and inclusion with a strong passion and collective purpose to make a positive impact on the education sector.
About the role: We're building a cloud-native, productised data platform that connects insights across our brands, empowers educators, and fuels smarter decisions at every level of the business. This isn't about dashboards or reports. It's about data products - engineered assets that deliver value, drive automation, and unlock personalisation across our services. We're investing in a high-impact 18-month strategy to build these products fast, with the right tools and the right people. As a Data Engineer, you'll be at the heart of this transformation. You'll work with Databricks, Azure Synapse, and open-source BI tools like MetaBase, helping us move from legacy SQL-based silos and GUI-driven external sources (DfE datasets, enrichment partners) to a scalable, governed, and AI-ready architecture. If you're fluent in Python, thrive in complexity, and want to build things that matter - this is your opportunity to shape the future of data in education.
Main responsibilities of the role:
- Build and maintain scalable ETL/ELT pipelines across diverse and distributed data sources
- Implement and optimise solutions using Databricks (Spark, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Workflows)
- Build out our Azure Synapse environment to support high-performance analytics and data warehousing
- Ingest and transform external datasets (DfE GUIs, enrichment partners) into unified, governed layers
- Design and deliver reusable, trusted data sets using a bronze-silver-gold architecture - enabling consistent, scalable data products
- Enable self-serve analytics across the group by delivering trusted, reusable data sets via a Medallion Architecture (Bronze-Silver-Gold), and rolling out MetaBase and other open-source BI tools
- Build and maintain endpoints into platforms like Power BI and MetaBase for reporting and exploration, and into action platforms like HubSpot via triggers, attributes, and flags - enabling data activation and monetisation
- Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver strategic data products like the Single Customer View
- Champion engineering best practices, rapid iteration, and continuous improvement
Key stakeholders:
- Senior Data Engineer
- Head of Data and Insights
- Functional and Divisional Teams
- Technology and transformation colleagues
- External data partners
About you:
Background and experience:
- Proven experience as a Data Engineer in a complex, multi-brand or multi-function environment
- Hands-on expertise with Databricks, Azure Synapse, and cloud-native data architectures
- Fluent in Python – you'll be using Python extensively to build, orchestrate, and optimise data pipelines - so deep experience with it is essential.
- Experience ingesting and transforming data from external sources (e.g. DfE GUIs, enrichment partners) into governed, reusable layers
- Familiarity with open-source BI tools (e.g. MetaBase) and enabling self-serve analytics across distributed teams
- Exposure to data product thinking - designing reusable, trusted datasets that drive decisions, automation, and personalisation
- Experience building endpoints into platforms like Power BI, MetaBase, and HubSpot/Salesforce for reporting, activation, and campaign triggers
Skills and knowledge:
- Deep expertise in Python for data engineering - including orchestration, transformation, and optimisation
- Strong understanding of ETL/ELT pipeline design, orchestration tools, and performance tuning
- Practical experience implementing the Medallion Architecture (Bronze-Silver-Gold) to deliver scalable, governed data products
- Knowledge of cloud-native data platforms, especially Azure and Databricks
- Understanding of data governance, metadata management, and security principles
- Ability to work with distributed data sources, integrating across brands and business functions
- Comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams and translating business needs into technical solutions
Benefits that actually make a difference:
- 28 days' holiday + bank holidays plus an extra day for every year you stay (up to 33) and option to buy up to 5 more days (all pro-rata for part time roles)
- Enhanced paid family leave (after probation pass) to help new parents and long-term carers
- Medical cash plan (after probation pass) making contributions towards everyday health costs such as dental, optical and prescriptions
- Life insurance from day one (up to 4x salary) PLUS free wellbeing support with access to 24/7 GP, counselling, medical second opinions, physiotherapy and lifestyle coaching
- Pension contributions from both of us (after 3 months)
- Discounts access to different options to help your money go further
- Flexible benefits you choose such as extra holiday, healthcare, bikes, gym, electric cars & Give As You Earn (after probation pass)
- Learn & grow with us we invest in your development with ongoing learning, training and career growth opportunities
- Volunteer days 3 paid volunteer days each year, with two dedicated to education
Because great people deserve great benefits. By joining Supporting Education Group, you will become part of a community that is dedicated to transforming lives and sustaining communities, where your voice is heard, your ideas are valued, and your individuality is celebrated. Together, we will continue to advance our passion for education and build brighter futures for all.
Employment offers are subject to satisfactory vetting checks. These checks will be run in line with the latest guidance and legislation. You will need to already have the right to work in the UK, as we are not able to offer any sponsorship(s) for visa applicants.
Central Functions : Data Engineer employer: Let Me Play
At Supporting Education Group, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer dedicated to transforming the education sector. Our collaborative work culture fosters innovation and personal growth, offering extensive benefits such as enhanced family leave, a medical cash plan, and generous holiday allowances that increase with tenure. Join us in our mission to empower educators and students while enjoying a supportive environment that values your contributions and encourages continuous learning.
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