Junior Data Engineer – Public SectorContract: Initial 7 months (extension possible) Rate: £310 per day, Inside IR35 Location: Remote with travel to Waterloo (2–3 days per month) Security Clearance: SC‑eligible (5 years UK residency required)We’re working with a key consultancy delivering a major UK public sector programme and are looking for a Junior Data Engineer to join a mixed delivery team building and operating secure, reliable data platforms that support critical public services.This role is designed for someone early in their data career who wants to develop strong engineering fundamentals in a real production environment.The role – a junior, generalist data engineering positionThis is an engineering‑led role, not a specialist or senior position. The team is ideally looking for a generalist in their first few years within data engineering or data science, who is building breadth across data platforms, pipelines and operations.You’ll focus on:
1. Designing, building and maintaining data pipelines
2. Supporting the operation of data lakes and data warehouses
3. Implementing and improving ETL / ELT processes
4. Using Python and SQL to transform, validate and move data
5. Working with analysts and developers to turn data requirements into technical solutions
6. Monitoring data quality, documenting data models and lineage, and resolving issues
7. Automating data workflows and operational tasks
8. Participating in Agile delivery, sprint work and collaboration
9. Supporting incidents and helping improve platform reliability over time
10. Working within public sector dataernance, security and privacy standards
This role offers exposure to how data platforms are built, operated and supported in a regulated environment — forming the foundations of a long‑term data engineering career.What this role is notTo avoid misalignment, it’s important to be clear about what this role is not focused on:
11. Not a Data Analyst role
12. Not a Power BI / dashboard developer role
13. Not an insight, reporting or MI position
14. Not a modelling, ML or research‑focused role
15. Not an LLM, AI or advanced data science role
While you may work alongside analysts and data scientists, this role does not centre on:
16. Building dashboards
17. Producing insights or reports
18. Statistical modelling
19. Predictive or machine learning solutions
The emphasis is on data engineering foundations and platform delivery.Ideal candidate profileThis role is best suited to someone who:
20. Is in their first few years of a data engineering or data science career
21. Wants to build core engineering skills rather than specialise immediately
22. Has hands‑on experience with SQL and Python
23. Understands basic data modelling and ETL concepts
24. Isfortable learning through delivery in a production environment
25. Is interested in how data platforms work end‑to‑end, including operations and support
26. Is keen to grow within public sector data platforms
Who this role is unlikely to suitThis role is unlikely to be appropriate for candidates who:
27. Are very senior data engineers or architects
28. Have primarily worked in advanced ML, AI, or research‑focused roles
29. Are specialised Power BI, reporting or MI developers
30. Are looking for a role centred on analysis, insights or modelling
31. Are seeking leadership, ownership of platform strategy, or advanced optimisation work
Applications that demonstrate significant seniority or deep specialisation rather than junior‑to‑mid generalist experience may not be progressed.Required skills and experienceYour CV should clearly demonstrate:
32. A degree in a technical discipline puter Science, Data Science, Mathematics or similar)
33. Hands‑on experience with SQL
34. Experience using Python, Java or Bash
35. Understanding of ETL processes and data modelling fundamentals
36. Experience with version control ( Git)
37. Awareness of data security and privacy
38. Eligibility for UK SC clearance
Nice to have (but not essential)
39. Exposure to AWS, Azure or GCP
40. Familiarity with tools such as Airflow, dbt, Spark
41. Awareness of CI/CD pipelines or containerisation
42. Experience in public sector or regulated environments
Important note for applicantsThis role is deliberately positioned as a junior, generalist data engineering role. Please ensure your CV clearly demonstrates hands‑on data engineering fundamentals, rather than senior leadership, advanced AI/ML work, or analytics‑only experience. #4790246 - Jonathan Clough