Data Platform Engineer

This is a 1 year Fixed Term position on Crick Terms and Conditions of Employment.

About us… The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role… We are looking for a Data platform engineer to join the Data Management & Analytics Platform Team. If you have a degree in Computer Science or a related field, or have work related experience, this may be the perfect opportunity for you. The focuses of this role will be the management and optimisation of the trusted research environments (TRE), Trellis, the Crick data platform to support the development and utilisation of the Crick data platform and the associated processes (backup, recovery, archive, performance optimisation, feed monitoring, etc) to help us meet our world-class aspirations. You will be using platforms such as Snowflake, ServiceNow as well as scripting. You will also have the opportunities to expand in other projects, which is why knowledge of programming in Python, and database technology (relational or NoSQL) will be key. As a Data platform engineer at the Crick, you will be working in an open and collaborative environment, which will give you the opportunity to grow and expand your skillset, exploring new dimensions and ways of working. Collaboration is key at the Crick, therefore you’ll be able to engage with colleagues across various departments and be able to foster positive relationships with stakeholders, contributing to a collaborative work environment. You will be joining a skilled team of diversely experienced staff, the collaborative nature of the Crick, will give you an opportunity to tap into the wider team expertise across department and develop your own skillset.

What you will be doing… As a Data platform engineer at the Crick, you will:

• Work on the Trusted Research Environment, TRELLIS, on process improvement, implementation and ongoing onboarding of new projects using this service.
• Liaise with internal scientists and external institutes to ensure the service is provided at the highest levels.
• Work with multiple teams and support training for other members of ITO, where applicable.
• Contribute to the infrastructure for all data transfer tools within the system administration team, including experiences with but not limited to Lambda function, GitHub actions and snowflake services.
• Contribute to the delivery of new and enhanced infrastructure services and service components, including working with small teams to deliver technical evaluation, proof of concept demonstrations, acceptance testing and user- and process-focused deliverables.
• Define key actions for delivery of the project, project plan and outline appropriate timelines.
• Transform, cleanse, and target data for immediate consumption by business intelligence and advanced analytics solutions and support the migration of specialist prototype data solutions into production quality services for the Crick, with exposure to Power BI and Power Platform components to support dashboarding and reporting processes.
• Integrate pipelines with both internal and external APIs and platforms, with varying complexity and requirements.

About you… You will bring…

• An undergraduate degree in Computer Science (or similar), other science discipline or non-degree equivalent experience considered.
• Experience of Snowflake data platform - infrastructure setup, development, maintenance and support.
• Exposure to Enterprise Business Intelligence tools such as Power BI and IT Service Intelligence tools such as Splunk.
• Development skills using scripting languages such as PowerShell and Python.
• Experience with both relational and non-relational databases such as MSSQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and MongoDB.
• Experience of database design, development and management and knowledge & understanding of ETL tools.
• Experience with object-based storage solutions such as Azure Blob Storage and AWS S3.

About Working at the Crick… Our values Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture! We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we will make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply.

What will you receive? At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.
• Development & Recognition: Comprehensive training, mentoring, and a pay structure with performance-linked progression.