Location
This post is based in London (1 Horse Guards Road). Any applicants who are already NISTA staff can also apply to be based from their existing locations in Birmingham (23 Stephenson Street), or Leeds (2 Whitehall Quay).
About The Job
Job summary If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.
Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more. We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a cross‑government hub bringing people together to tackle key national issues while working closer to the communities we serve.
Job Description
The Head of Data Engineering is a key leadership role within NISTA Data and Insight team. Working in close partnership with others in NISTA’s Data and Insight leadership, you will help shape the strategic direction for how we collect, store and use data, generate insight and develop AI‑enabled capabilities, both within NISTA and across the wider government Project Delivery Function.
In this role, you will lead and directly contribute to the design, build and operation of the cloud‑based data infrastructure that underpins NISTA’s data, insight and AI capability. You will manage a small but talented and motivated technical team, while remaining actively involved in technical delivery, owning architectural decisions, setting engineering and coding standards and leading work on the most complex or business‑critical parts of the platform.
You will act as the technical authority for cloud data services, ensuring infrastructure is resilient, secure, cost‑effective and able to scale as demand grows. Working closely with analysts, data scientists and infrastructure specialists, you will shape how data flows through the organisation, from collection and ingestion through to storage and access, balancing innovation with strong operational control. You will also have responsibility for the technical architecture for transforming that data into insights for access across government, through guiding the deployment of apps and looking for innovative technical solutions to support the deployment of advanced analytical solutions.
This role requires someone who can operate at pace across strategy and delivery, leading by example through hands‑on technical expertise while developing others and enabling the organisation to make effective, responsible use of modern data engineering by clearly explaining technical risks, options and trade‑offs to senior stakeholders.
You will also help set the strategic direction for developing the team’s technical capability, while nurturing a culture that encourages curiosity, experimentation and continuous improvement. You will provide technical guidance to our team's data scientists on advanced analytical solutions, providing advice on use of AI‑solutions (AWS bedrock) and how to deploy secure cloud‑based apps (building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and containerisation processes). Alongside this, you will actively support the personal growth of individual team members, helping them develop their skills, broaden their experience and realise their full potential. The role also offers significant opportunity to deepen your own expertise, both technically and as a leader, within a supportive, ambitious and forward‑thinking environment.
Key Accountabilities For This Role Include
* Design, build and evolve secure, well‑governed cloud data platforms and pipelines that reliably support complex analytical and operational needs.
* Provide strong technical leadership to the team, including setting direction, reviewing critical code, mentoring engineers and upholding high engineering standards.
* Define and enforce standards for data engineering, pipeline development and deployment to ensure platforms are scalable, maintainable and safe to change.
* Take hands‑on ownership of the most complex or high‑risk areas of the data platform to resolve issues, improve performance and reduce operational risk. This includes being fully across potential data security risks.
* Work closely with analysts, data scientists and infrastructure colleagues to shape robust technical designs that enable high‑quality analysis and insight.
* Act as a trusted technical adviser to senior stakeholders, clearly explaining options, risks and trade‑offs relating to data infrastructure, security and compliance.
* Drive continuous improvement in data services, improving quality, resilience and user experience for users and cross‑government partners.
* Design and create accessible data engineering solutions that can be utilised and understood by the wider team of analysts and scientists.
* Build a high‑performing, motivated team by fostering a culture of learning, experimentation and professionalism, and by being an effective, supportive line manager.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
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