Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build modern data pipelines for impactful digital services.
- Company: High-growth digital consultancy transforming the UK public sector.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, professional development, and generous leave.
- Other info: Great career progression and inclusive hiring practices.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and make a real difference with data.
- Qualifications: Strong SQL skills and experience in data engineering.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Meraki are working on behalf of a high-growth digital consultancy delivering mission-critical data platforms across the UK public sector. We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineer to design, build and operate modern data pipelines and analytics platforms that power secure, large-scale digital services. This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role within multidisciplinary agile teams. You’ll play a key part in enabling organisations to collect, process and use data effectively — supporting operational reporting, analytics and meaningful insight across complex environments.
This role would suit someone who enjoys solving well-defined problems independently, applying strong engineering judgement, and contributing to continuous platform improvement — rather than being tied to one specific technology stack or cloud vendor.
The Role
- Design, build and maintain reliable data pipelines to ingest, transform and serve data from multiple sources
- Develop analytics-ready data models to support reporting and operational insight
- Support the full data lifecycle (retention, archiving, decommissioning) in line with governance requirements
- Apply data quality, testing and monitoring best practices
- Translate user and business needs into practical, well-engineered data solutions
- Contribute to shared data standards, documentation and data dictionaries
- Collaborate with cross-functional delivery teams to drive improved data outcomes
Technical Experience
You’ll bring strong commercial experience across several of the following:
- Modern data engineering patterns (batch and event-driven pipelines)
- Strong SQL and at least one data-focused programming language (e.g. Python)
- Data integration, transformation and orchestration tooling
- Analytical data platforms (data warehouses, lakehouse architectures)
- Applying DevOps and software engineering practices to data (CI/CD, version control, automated testing)
- Working across cloud platforms in a vendor-agnostic way
- Contributing to open-source tooling where appropriate
What We’re Looking For
- Operates confidently at senior level
- Comfortable working independently within defined delivery scopes
- Strong communicator — able to explain data concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Collaborative, pragmatic and delivery-focused
- Comfortable in customer-facing environments
- Understands secure-by-design and government data principles
Security Clearance
Due to the nature of the work, candidates must:
- Be eligible for SC Clearance
- Have lived continuously in the UK for the past 5+ years
- Have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship
What’s on Offer
- Competitive salary with annual review
- Employer pension contribution starting at 5%, increasing with tenure
- Group life assurance
- Genuine hybrid working + home setup allowance
- 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (with buy/sell option)
- Fully funded professional certifications (AWS, GCP, Agile etc.)
- 5 days paid study leave + £500 annual personal development fund
- 1-2-1 coaching and structured career progression
- Private medical insurance
- Cycle to Work scheme
- 2 paid volunteering days per year
Inclusive Hiring
We strongly encourage applications from individuals who may not meet every single requirement. If you’re excited by the opportunity but don’t tick every box, we’d still love to hear from you.
Senior Data Engineer employer: Virtual Hire Staffing
Contact Detail:
Virtual Hire Staffing Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Data Engineer
✨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’s already in the data engineering field. You never know when a casual chat could lead to your next big opportunity.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just tell them what you can do; show them! Create a portfolio of projects that highlight your data engineering skills. Whether it’s a GitHub repo or a personal website, having tangible examples of your work can really set you apart from the crowd.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for those interviews by brushing up on common data engineering questions and scenarios. Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms, as you’ll need to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical folks. Confidence is key!
✨Apply Through Our Website
We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It not only shows your interest but also gives us a chance to see your application in the best light. Plus, you’ll be one step closer to joining our awesome team!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Data Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Senior Data Engineer role. Highlight your experience with data pipelines, SQL, and any relevant programming languages like Python. We want to see how you can contribute to our mission!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about data engineering and how your background aligns with our needs. Don’t forget to mention your ability to work independently and collaboratively in agile teams.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, give examples of how you've tackled complex data challenges in the past. We love candidates who can demonstrate strong engineering judgement and a knack for continuous improvement. Let us know how you’ve made an impact!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Virtual Hire Staffing
✨Know Your Data Engineering Stuff
Make sure you brush up on modern data engineering patterns, especially batch and event-driven pipelines. Be ready to discuss your experience with SQL and any data-focused programming languages like Python. The more specific examples you can provide about your past projects, the better!
✨Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills
This role is all about solving well-defined problems independently. Prepare to share instances where you've tackled complex data challenges. Think about how you applied strong engineering judgement and contributed to platform improvements in your previous roles.
✨Communicate Like a Pro
You’ll need to explain data concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely. Consider doing mock interviews with friends or colleagues to refine your communication skills.
✨Get Familiar with Governance and Security
Since this role involves working within the public sector, understanding secure-by-design principles and governance requirements is crucial. Brush up on these topics and be prepared to discuss how you've ensured data quality and compliance in your previous work.