Job Description
Senior Data Engineer
Active security clearance is required
Reading (Hybrid – on-site as required)
Up to £84 p/h Inside IR35
A leading Defence prime based in Reading are looking for a security cleared Senior Data Engineer to play a key role in shaping data capability within a greenfield, mission-critical Defence & Aerospace environment.
This is a hands-on opportunity to design and deliver secure, scalable data pipelines and platforms supporting complex engineering and operational datasets including high-volume sensor and aerospace data
If you enjoy building from scratch, solving complex data challenges, and working in secure, high impact environments, this role is built for you.
Key skills
* Live security clearance (SC) - This is essential
* Proven experience as a Data Engineer in complex environments
* Strong Python and SQL skills, with experience building and optimising pipelines
* Solid understanding of SQL and NoSQL database architectures
* Experience working with large-scale or high-volume datasets (ideally aerospace or sensor data)
* Experience with ETL pipelines, orchestration tools and APIs
* Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
* Familiarity with Docker and modern engineering tooling
* Exposure to big data ecosystems (Spark, Hadoop, NiFi)
* Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible)
* Understanding of machine learning models and deployment
Key responsibilities
* Designing and delivering end-to-end data solutions (ingestion, integration, storage, processing, analysis)
* Building robust data pipelines and ETL workflows for complex, high-volume datasets
* Developing tools and automation to enable data-driven insights
* Working with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) in secure environments
* Supporting machine learning workflows and data science initiatives
* Collaborating with DevOps, Data Scientists, Analysts, and Cyber teams
* Leveraging big data and orchestration technologies (Spark and NiFi)
* Leading small work packages and mentoring junior engineers
* Contributing to technical design decisions and engineering best practice