AI and Data Engineers/Architects (Security Cleared) in London

AI and Data Engineers/Architects (Security Cleared) in London

London Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Working from home possible
Sanderson Government and Defence

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Design and build AI-ready data infrastructure for critical government projects.
  • Company: Fast-growing data consultancy focused on national security and innovative solutions.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, private medical insurance, remote-first culture, and annual training allowance.
  • Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with excellent career growth opportunities.
  • Why this job: Join a team of top engineers and work on mission-critical data infrastructure.
  • Qualifications: 5-6+ years in data engineering or architecture with AWS experience.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

About the Opportunity

Sanderson G&D are partnering exclusively with a fast-growing data consultancy specialising in designing, building, and operating AI-ready data infrastructure for some of the UK's most complex and sensitive programmes. They work across government and national security, delivering secure, scalable, cloud-native solutions that handle data at scale - in real time and in batch. They are growing and looking for senior data professionals across three disciplines.

Roles We're Hiring For

  • Data/AI Architect - Shape data strategy and architecture across high-profile, secure programmes. You'll design and implement scalable, cloud-native solutions on AWS and other platforms, provide technical leadership across cross-functional teams, and engage directly with senior stakeholders to translate requirements into actionable technical plans.
  • AI Platform Engineers - Lead the development of backend services for a government client, with a focus on high availability, low latency, and scalability. You'll design, build, and deploy backend features, own continuous deployment pipelines, and operate within agile, cross-functional delivery teams.
  • Data & AI Engineers - Build and maintain secure batch and real-time data pipelines for government clients. You'll work across data ingestion, modelling, and pipeline development, ensuring data is available, reliable, and aligned to target architectures.

What We're Looking For

Across all three roles, the following experience is relevant:

  • 5-6+ years in a senior data engineering, architecture, or platform role
  • Strong hands-on experience with AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, Redshift, Glue, Athena)
  • Experience with real-time and batch data processing - Apache Flink, Kafka, Spark, or similar
  • Proficiency in one or more of: Python, Java, Scala
  • Experience with data modelling, ETL processes, and distributed systems
  • Comfortable working in agile and DevOps environments
  • Experience in sensitive or regulated data environments is highly desirable
  • eDV eligibility is an essential requirement - candidates must be a sole UK national

Why This Opportunity?

This is not a typical consultancy. The bar to get in is high - deliberately so. You will be working alongside some of the best data engineers in the country, on platforms that genuinely matter. These are not internal IT projects. This is mission-critical infrastructure that underpins national security. Beyond the work itself, this is a business that is growing quickly, investing heavily in its technology, and giving its people real ownership of that journey. If you want to be at the leading edge of secure data infrastructure - surrounded by engineers who take their craft seriously - it is worth a conversation.

Benefits include:

  • Pension
  • Private Medical Insurance (company provided, with buy-up for family)
  • Annual wellbeing allowance
  • Virtual GP
  • Employee Assistance Programme (mental health, legal support, and more)
  • Annual training allowance (post-probation)
  • Tech scheme and voluntary benefits including dental, critical illness, and travel insurance
  • Remote-first working culture

Further Details

  • Location: Cheltenham
  • Salary: £80,000 - £140,000 depending on role and experience
  • Clearance: eDV eligibility essential - sole UK nationals only

Reasonable Adjustments: Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients. If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.

Sanderson Government and Defence

Contact Details:

Sanderson Government and Defence Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land AI and Data Engineers/Architects (Security Cleared) in London

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Apply Directly through Our Website

When you find a suitable opening like AI and Data Engineers/Architects (Security Cleared) at Sanderson Government and Defence, 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 AI and Data Engineers/Architects (Security Cleared) in London

AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, Redshift, Glue, Athena)
Real-time Data Processing (Apache Flink, Kafka, Spark)
Batch Data Processing
Python
Java
Scala
Data Modelling

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 Sanderson Government and Defence, 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 Sanderson Government and Defence. 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 Sanderson Government and Defence

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 Sanderson Government and Defence!

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.