Lead Data Engineer

Description

As a Lead Data Engineer or architect at Made Tech, you'll play a pivotal role in helping public sector organisations become truly data‑lead, by equipping them with robust data platforms. You’ll join a data team on its mission to get data knowledge and skills out of silos and embedded into delivery teams. You’ll help implement efficient data pipelines and storage.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, shape and perfect data strategies in central and local government.
• Help public sector teams understand the value of their data, and make the most of it.
• Establish yourself as a trusted advisor in data driven approaches using public cloud services like AWS, Azure and GCP.
• Contribute to recruitment efforts and take on line management responsibilities.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

We are looking for candidates with a range of skills and experience. Please apply even if you don’t meet all the criteria, as we can provide feedback.

• Proficiency in Git (including GitHub Actions) and ability to explain branch strategy benefits.
• Strong experience in IaC and guidance on deploying infrastructure into different environments.
• Knowledge of handling and transforming various data types (JSON, CSV, etc.) with Apache Spark, Databricks or Hadoop.
• Good understanding of modern data system design architectures (Data Warehouse, Data Lakes, Data Meshes).
• Ability to create data pipelines in a cloud environment and integrate error handling.
• Understand how to create reusable libraries to encourage uniformity across multiple data pipelines.
• Document and present end‑to‑end diagrams to explain a data processing system on a cloud environment.
• Knowledge of diagramming notations such as C4, UML, etc.
• Enthusiasm for learning and self‑development.
• Experience with agile delivery‑lead projects and applying agile practices such as Scrum, XP, Kanban.
• Own the cloud infrastructure underpinning data systems through a DevOps approach.
• Design and implement efficient data transformation processes at scale, both in batch and streaming.
• Skill in delivering data platforms as a Data Engineer.
• Knowledge of SOLID, DRY and TDD principles and practical implementation.
• Commercial mindset to grow accounts organically with senior stakeholders.
• Improve resilience in projects by checking for software vulnerabilities and implementing appropriate testing strategies (unit, integration, data quality).
• Guide on implementing a robust DevOps approach in a data project.
• Discuss tools needed such as DataOps in areas such as orchestration, data integration and data analytics.

Desirable Experience

• Working at a technology consultancy.
• Using Docker and virtual environments in development and CI/CD.
• Collaborating with senior stakeholders to gather requirements and maintain engagement.
• Using pair programming or mob programming techniques.
• Productionising machine learning models with data scientists.
• Working knowledge of statistics.
• Working with multidisciplinary digital and technology teams.
• Working within the public sector.

Benefits

• 30 days of paid annual leave.
• Flexible parental leave options.
• Remote working available part‑time for all staff.
• Paid counselling and financial/legal advice.
• Pension plan with 7% employer match.
• Optional social and wellbeing calendar of events.
• Smart Tech scheme, Cycle to work scheme, and individual benefits allowance (Health care cash plan or pension plan).

SC (Security Check) clearance is required for all successful candidates. Eligibility requires 5 years UK residency and 5 years employment history (or full‑time education). Ideally no more than 30 consecutive days spent outside the UK in the last five years. If at any point it is apparent that you may not be eligible for SC, we will not be able to progress your application.