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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of secure data pipelines on GCP and mentor fellow engineers.
- Company: Join the Department for Transport, a leader in data innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, flexible working, and a generous pension scheme.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on transport policy with cutting-edge cloud technologies.
- Qualifications: Experience in data engineering, Python, SQL, and Google Cloud Platform.
- Other info: Collaborative team environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location: Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds, Swansea
About The Job
Job summary
Can you lead secure, production-grade data pipelines on GCP while balancing live operations and innovation? Do you enjoy mentoring engineers and translating complex data engineering concepts for diverse stakeholders? If so, we would love to hear from you!
In recent years DfT’s digital and data teams have implemented a range of advanced data services, making use of the latest cloud technologies to deliver the services and platforms that our users need, with excellent customer satisfaction rates. We are proud of our ability to develop and grow as a team, and we look forward to you sharing that sense of pride!
At DfT, we recognise that everyone has different needs and aspirations. We have created an inclusive and welcoming working environment so you can feel comfortable to be yourself at work. We’ll help you to reach your full potential, offering rewarding opportunities alongside access to the latest training and technologies.
Joining Our Department Comes With Many Benefits, Including:
- Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary.
- 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.
Find out more about what it’s like working at DfT: Department for Transport Careers
Job Description
Working as part of a talented and collaborative team, you will:
- Lead the build and operation of DfT’s production-grade data pipelines and platforms, ensuring reliability and security across our Google Cloud Platform environment.
- Own and manage live data services, triaging and resolving issues at pace to maintain high-quality data delivery for analysts, policy teams and external commitments.
- Drive innovation within data engineering, identifying opportunities to modernise tooling, adopt emerging GCP capabilities and introduce new approaches that improve efficiency and data quality.
- Plan delivery across legacy migration, operational support and new development, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and that risks, dependencies and priorities are well managed.
- Work closely with technical and non-technical stakeholders, translating technical concepts, shaping data-related decisions, and responding to business needs.
- Line manage and develop engineers at varying levels, providing technical guidance, coaching and oversight, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
- Drive adoption of Infrastructure as Code (IaC), establishing repeatable patterns for environments, access, and data services.
- Lead the development of our metadata catalogue, curating business and technical metadata so users can effectively discover and use data.
In return, we can offer you:
- Access to new and emerging technologies.
- Varied projects developed in a cloud-first environment.
- Support and investment to further your training and development.
- Flexible and hybrid working supporting a healthy work-life balance.
- Industry-leading pension and employee benefits package.
For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.
About Us
At the heart of data innovation and evolution in DfT, you will join a talented, experienced, data engineering team imagining and shaping the delivery of the next wave of data services. The team is embedded within the wider data directorate, and works alongside analysts, data scientists, architects and other engineers to deliver some of the most impactful data projects within DfT. You will support and shape various areas within the business which delivers an innovational transport policy agenda. As DfT is a cloud-only enterprise, you will develop the latest cloud solutions meeting complex digital, identity and data needs.
This role will give you the opportunity to share your experience and further develop your skills every day as you work on new and exciting projects with advanced technologies. We provide a supportive and constructive learning environment where your career growth is important.
Person specification
You will be an experienced data engineer with deep technical foundations and expertise in both Python and SQL. You will also be highly proficient in Google Cloud Platform, or an expert user of AWS or Azure with a willingness to apply your skills to a new cloud platform. You combine hands-on engineering excellence with the ability to communicate complex ideas simply, engaging effectively with a wide range of technical and non-technical stakeholders. You are comfortable balancing the demands of operating reliable, production-grade data services with delivering innovation: shaping new approaches, modernising legacy systems, and driving improvements in data quality and tooling. Alongside this, you bring thoughtful planning and change management skills, helping the organisation evolve its data capabilities while ensuring continuity, stability, and high-quality outcomes across DfT.
You Will Need To Demonstrate The Following Experience:
- Enterprise-scale delivery of robust, maintainable data pipelines in Google Cloud Platform, including building reusable components, optimising performance and cost on cloud data platforms while meeting security, privacy and governance controls.
- Expert user of data engineering tools including relevant languages (e.g. Python/SQL), IaC tools (e.g. terraform), GCP or equivalent cloud tooling (e.g. BigQuery, Cloud Functions), CI/CD (e.g. Github Actions), logging and testing.
- Setting and leading engineering standards, ensuring high-quality coding practices, maintainable solutions, and consistent technical approaches across the team.
- Leading Agile delivery of data engineering work, managing and operating live services at pace to maintain continuity and high-quality data delivery into DfT, while also driving innovation by developing new data engineering approaches and patterns.
- Stakeholder leadership and technical translation, partnering with architecture and data teams to align designs with strategy and standards, and managing change and innovation within DfT’s data landscape.
Lead Data Engineer - Department for Transport - G7 in Manchester employer: Manchester Digital
Contact Detail:
Manchester Digital Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Data Engineer - Department for Transport - G7 in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who works at DfT. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your data engineering projects, especially those involving GCP. This will give you a chance to demonstrate your expertise and make you stand out during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on common data engineering questions and scenarios. Think about how you can relate your past experiences to the role at DfT, especially around leading teams and managing live data services.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the DfT team!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Data Engineer - Department for Transport - G7 in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Lead Data Engineer role. Highlight your experience with GCP, Python, and SQL, and show how your skills align with the job description. We want to see how you can contribute to our team!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Since this role involves mentoring and managing engineers, don’t forget to mention any leadership experiences you have. Share examples of how you've guided teams or translated complex concepts for different stakeholders. We love a good story!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to explain your technical expertise and how it relates to the role. We appreciate clarity and want to understand your journey without any fluff!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our awesome team at DfT!
How to prepare for a job interview at Manchester Digital
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Google Cloud Platform and the specific tools mentioned in the job description, like Python, SQL, and IaC tools. Brush up on your knowledge of data pipelines and be ready to discuss how you've implemented them in past roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves mentoring engineers, prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams or projects. Think about times when you translated complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and how that made a difference.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask you to solve hypothetical problems related to data services and pipeline management. Practice articulating your thought process clearly, as they’ll want to see how you balance innovation with operational reliability.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
The Department for Transport values a culture of continuous improvement. Be ready to discuss how you've driven innovation in your previous roles, whether through modernising tooling or improving data quality. Share specific examples that highlight your proactive approach.
