At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and optimise data pipelines to support impactful parenting programmes.
- Company: Join a UK charity dedicated to improving child development globally.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible remote work, unlimited leave, and professional growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives through data-driven solutions.
- Qualifications: Experience in data engineering and strong SQL skills required.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive team with a commitment to social impact.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) aims to empower parents to improve child development, reduce family violence, and promote mental health. We give parents the support they need, the skills that work, and trusted advice they can count on to protect and support their children’s health, safety and development. Our parenting courses are developed with families, powered by low-cost and accessible technology, backed by rigorous evidence, and delivered within systems. Originally founded as an initiative in 2012 in collaboration with UNICEF and the WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health was established as a UK charity in 2022 and since then has reached over 8 million families in more than 35 countries.
PLH Values
- Courage: We have the courage to design for the big picture and complex problems with a commitment to creating sustainable solutions that last.
- Evidence: We believe our work transforms the lives of children, families, and communities. Evidence of impact guides every decision, and we are relentless in pursuing the greatest impact with the least investment of time and resources required for parents and providers.
- Playfulness: Parenting and child wellbeing thrives on play — and so do we. We experiment, learn from each other, as well as from parents and children, and create playful and engaging products and programmes that inspire joy, curiosity, and connection.
- Respect: Everyone brings something essential. We show kindness in our team, honesty with our partners, and deep respect and empathy for parents and children, and those who are on the frontline of providing services for them.
PLH has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in how we work, who we work with, and what we do. Candidates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. PLH also has a strong commitment to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). All candidates considered for the role will be subject to background and reference checks in their country of residence.
Benefits
- Flexible remote-working
- Home office set-up
- Unlimited annual leave
- Professional development opportunities
- Enhanced pension contributions
- Enhanced statutory leave provisions including maternity and paternity leave
Position Type: Full Time
Application Deadline: 1 March 2026
Location: Remote-working position; hybrid working negotiable in the United Kingdom
Contract: Fixed-term contract of 12 months (possible permanent extension)
About the role
The Data Engineer will be responsible for building, maintaining, and optimising PLH’s data pipelines, data models, and analytics infrastructure to support programme delivery, monitoring, research, and decision-making. Working closely with the Senior Engineer, product managers, researchers, and country implementation teams, the role will ensure that data is reliable, scalable, well-governed, and usable across contexts. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys translating complex, messy, real-world data into robust systems that support evidence-driven programmes at scale, evidence-informed product design, close collaboration with research teams, and who is motivated by social impact rather than purely commercial outcomes. The Data Engineer will report to the Senior Engineer for Solutions.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines for ingesting data from digital platforms (e.g. chatbots, mobile apps, surveys, facilitator tools)
- Manage Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) and Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) workflows to support analytics, dashboards, and research use cases
- Monitor and optimise pipeline performance, reliability, and cost efficiency
- Design and maintain clean, well-documented data models for operational and analytical use
- Support the evolution of PLH’s data warehouse and related storage systems
- Implement versioning and change management for datasets used across multiple deployments and countries
- Own the development and ongoing maintenance of dashboards and reporting tools used by programme teams, leadership, and partners
- Ensure data powering dashboards is accurate, timely, and aligned with indicator definitions
- Collaborate with researchers, technology partner, and the Scaling and Innovation team to prepare datasets for analysis and evaluation
Data Quality & Validation
- Implement data quality checks, validation rules, and monitoring processes
- Investigate and resolve data inconsistencies, missing data, and pipeline failures
- Contribute to the definition and documentation of core indicators and metrics
Data Protection & Governance
- Support implementation of privacy-by-design principles across data systems
- Ensure data handling practices align with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations
- Assist with documentation and processes related to data sharing agreements, access controls, and auditability
Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
- Maintain clear technical documentation for data pipelines, schemas, and workflows
- Provide training to national partners on data pipeline management
- Contribute reusable technical guidance, examples, or design patterns to support PLH teams and partners
- Support onboarding of new technical team members where relevant
- Work closely with product, engineering, research, and country teams to understand data needs and constraints
- Communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders
- Support troubleshooting during country launches and major system changes
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree plus significant professional experience, or Master’s degree, in data engineering, computer science, statistics, information systems, or a related field
- 3+ years of experience in data engineering or analytics engineering roles
- Strong experience with SQL and relational databases, including designing and querying analytical data models (e.g. PostgreSQL or similar systems)
- Experience building, orchestrating, and maintaining data pipelines using Python or similar languages, including workflow orchestration tools (e.g. Apache Airflow or equivalent)
- Familiarity with analytical data stores and data warehousing technologies, including columnar databases used for analytics (e.g. ClickHouse or similar)
- Experience working with cloud-based or containerised systems
- Strong attention to data quality, documentation, and reproducibility
- Commitment to PLH’s mission, values, and organisational culture
- English, written and spoken, with high proficiency
- Ability to work independently in a remote, multi-country team environment
- Comfortable using standard collaboration and project tools (e.g. Google Drive, GitHub, issue trackers)
Preferred criteria
- Experience working with data from digital health, education, or social impact programmes
- Familiarity with dashboarding tools such as Apache Superset, Looker, or similar
- Experience supporting research or evaluation datasets
- Understanding of GDPR and ethical data use in international contexts
- Experience working with early-stage or scaling organisations
- Familiarity with emerging uses of AI or LLMs to support data workflows, analysis, or data quality
- Proficiency in at least one language other than English
To apply
Applications must be sent to recruitment@parentingforlifelonghealth.org by 12pm GMT on 1 March 2026. Please submit a CV and a supporting statement explaining how you meet the above criteria. Only complete applications will be considered. For more information, please contact Laurie Markle, laurie@parentingforlifelonghealth.org.
Data Engineer employer: Parenting for Lifelong Health
Contact Detail:
Parenting for Lifelong Health Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Data Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the data engineering field, especially those connected to PLH. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that a job description just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your data pipelines and projects. When you apply through our website, include links to your work so we can see your magic in action.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your SQL and Python skills. We love candidates who can demonstrate their technical prowess while also sharing how they align with our mission at PLH.
✨Tip Number 4
Be ready to discuss real-world data challenges you've faced. We want to hear about how you tackled messy data and turned it into something useful. This shows us you're not just about theory but practical solutions!
We think you need these skills to ace Data Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Data Engineer role. Highlight relevant experience and skills that match the job description, especially your data pipeline and analytics expertise. We want to see how you can contribute to our mission!
Craft a Compelling Supporting Statement: Your supporting statement is your chance to shine! Explain how your background aligns with PLH's values and mission. Be specific about your experiences and how they relate to the responsibilities of the role. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t forget to showcase your technical skills in SQL, Python, and any relevant tools you've used. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so make it clear how your skills will help us build robust data systems.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. Make sure to double-check your application before hitting send, as only complete applications will be considered. We can't wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Parenting for Lifelong Health
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into your past projects involving data pipelines and analytics. Be ready to discuss specific challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and the impact of your work. This will show your technical expertise and your ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
✨Align with PLH's Values
Familiarise yourself with Parenting for Lifelong Health's mission and values. Think about how your experience and approach to data engineering can contribute to their goals of social impact and evidence-driven programmes. Be prepared to share examples that demonstrate your commitment to courage, evidence, playfulness, and respect.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect to be quizzed on SQL, Python, and data pipeline management. Brush up on your knowledge of ETL/ELT processes and be ready to explain your experience with tools like Apache Airflow. Practising coding problems or discussing your thought process in building data models can give you an edge.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
Since this role involves working closely with researchers and product teams, highlight your teamwork experiences. Share stories where you successfully communicated technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders or collaborated on cross-functional projects. This will demonstrate your ability to thrive in a remote, multi-country team environment.
