At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and maintain a scalable data platform to support impactful decision-making.
- Company: Join the UK's largest independent children's fostering group, rated a Great Place to Work!
- Benefits: Enjoy 27 days of annual leave, flexible benefits, and a 4-day work week after probation.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with excellent career growth opportunities and a focus on wellbeing.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of children while developing your data engineering skills.
- Qualifications: Experience with SQL Server, ETL processes, and strong analytical skills required.
Location: Hybrid working from Bolton office
Contract Type: 6 months fixed term contract, Full Time
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 dependent on experience (pro rata)
About the Role
We're looking for an experienced Data Engineer to play a key role in developing and enhancing our organisation's data platform. You'll be responsible for designing, building and maintaining our SQL Server data warehouse and data integration solutions, ensuring high-quality, reliable data is available to support reporting analytics and business decision making. You'll also lead the consolidation of multiple legacy data sources into a single, scalable data warehouse helping to improve data quality, governance and performance across the Group.
Working closely with colleagues across Finance, Marketing, HR and Operations, you'll develop robust ETL processes, optimise SQL databases and create scalable data models that enable effective reporting and business intelligence. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of data within National Fostering Group, delivering solutions that support better outcomes for both our colleagues and the children and young people we care for.
Who We Are Looking For
We're looking for an experienced Data Engineer with strong SQL Server expertise and a passion for building reliable, scalable data solutions. You'll have proven experience working with SQL Server technologies, including SSMS, SSIS and SSRS, alongside strong T-SQL development skills and experience designing ETL processes and data warehouse solutions. You'll be confident developing and optimising databases, data models and reporting structures that support business intelligence and operational reporting.
You'll be a logical problem solver with excellent analytical skills, able to identify root causes and deliver practical and effective solutions. Strong communication skills are essential, as you'll work closely with stakeholders across the business to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions. A degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent practical experience is essential.
But what else is in it for you?
- Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you'll receive an exceptional reward package including:
- 27 days' annual leave, increasing with service up to 32 days, plus bank holidays and a buy/sell holiday scheme
- Bonus schemes
- Generous salary sacrifice pension scheme
- Enhanced family leave (subject to qualifying criteria)
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Life Assurance
- Our market-leading Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, also allows you to tailor your benefits package with options including:
- A wide range of health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
- Hundreds of retail and lifestyle discounts
- Salary sacrifice Eco Car Scheme and Cycle to Work Scheme
- Technology benefit
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all employees to share this commitment and undertake appropriate safeguarding checks. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Data Engineer in Bolton employer: National Fostering Group
National Fostering Group is an exceptional employer, recognised as a Great Place to Work for 2025, where 88% of employees feel valued and supported. With a strong focus on employee wellbeing, we offer a generous benefits package including a 4-day working week, extensive annual leave, and tailored flexible benefits, all while making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and young people. Our collaborative work culture fosters professional growth and innovation, making it an ideal environment for Data Engineers looking to advance their careers in a purpose-driven organisation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Data Engineer in Bolton
✨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 National Fostering Group!
✨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 National Fostering Group.
✨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 National Fostering Group.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Data Engineer at National Fostering Group, 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 Bolton
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 National Fostering Group, 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 National Fostering Group. 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 National Fostering Group
✨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 National Fostering Group!
✨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.
