Details
Reference number
431636
Salary
£59,238
Market Facing / Niche G7: £59,238 (National) £64,058 (London pay award pending)
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Grade 7
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
FSA - Information and Science - Openness, Data and Digital
Type of role
Digital
Senior leadership
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Homeworking, Job share, Compressed hours
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel within the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.
About the job
Job summary
We're looking for a Lead Data Platform Engineer to help shape the future of data at the Food Standards Agency. This is a hands-on leadership role at the heart of our digital transformation, where you'll oversee the development and operation of our new hybrid data platform (Databricks and Microsoft Fabric).
You'll lead a team of skilled engineers, driving innovation and best practice to ensure our platform is secure, scalable, and aligned with strategic goals. Working within the Data Team, you'll play a key role in enabling timely insights, evidence-based decision-making, and the delivery of modern digital services that support our mission: Food We Can Trust.
If you're passionate about data architecture, cloud technologies, and empowering teams to deliver high-impact solutions, we'd love to hear from you.
Job description
As Lead Data Platform Engineer, you'll be responsible for the full lifecycle of the FSA's data platform, ensuring it remains resilient, cost-effective, and fit for purpose. You'll design and maintain scalable architectures, lead integration efforts, and oversee platform operations to support both batch and real-time data processing.
You'll work closely with data architects, engineers, and analysts to enable high-quality, reusable data assets, while driving forward our data migration strategy and reducing technical debt. Governance and security will be central to your role, as you establish robust processes for access, compliance, and monitoring.
You'll also lead and mentor a team of engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement. Through stakeholder engagement and cross-government collaboration, you'll help shape the future of data engineering at the FSA, ensuring our platform supports open, trustworthy data across the food system.
Working pattern guidance
If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers?, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-)
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Person specification
Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Changing and Improving
* Communicating and Influencing
* Managing a Quality Service
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* Lead criteria: Architecture design (DDAT skill: Enterprise architecture) - Skill level: expert.
* Data governance processes (DDAT skill: Data governance) - Skill level: expert.
* Data lifecycle (DDAT skill: Data development process) - Skill level: expert.
* Data engineering (DDAT skill: Programming and build) - Skill level: practitioner.
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
* Lead criteria: Architecture design (DDAT skill: Enterprise architecture) - Skill level: expert.
* Data governance processes (DDAT skill: Data governance) - Skill level: expert.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £59,238, Food Standards Agency contributes £17,161 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack.
Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.
Essential criteria
Experience
* Experience deploying and managing Databricks in cloud environments, with a focus on operationalising and automating data pipelines (GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps), using infrastructure as code (e.g. Terraform for Databricks) and an understanding of Spark architecture and optimisation.
* Experience implementing platform security and governance controls through Unity Catalog to ensure governance best practices are followed
* Experience managing a team of data engineers or platform specialists
Technical
During the process, you will be assessed against the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.
* Lead criteria - Architecture design (DDAT skill: Enterprise architecture): design an architecture that defines the technology, people, process and other elements needed to achieve organisation objectives, and work with others across the organisation to ensure your design is used to achieve the organisation's objectives (Skill level: expert).
* Data governance processes (DDAT skill: Data governance): define the data governance strategy for the organisation, and connect it with the wider organisational strategy. Design, implement and monitor data governance within a large organisation, throughout the data life cycle. Set the strategy for applying end-to-end data governance frameworks, processes, operational policies, standards, compliance and assurance. Engage and work effectively with technical leaders and senior stakeholders to implement data governance and ensure compliance (Skill level: expert).
Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
Interview
If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in whichwe will assess you against the following Technical requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours.
Behaviours
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Changing and Improving
* Communicating and Influencing
* Managing a Quality Service
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.
Technical
* Data lifecycle (DDAT skill: Data development process) establish enterprise-scale data integration procedures across the data development life cycle, and ensure that teams adhere to them (Skill level: expert)
* Data engineering (DDAT skill: Programming and build): use agreed standards and tools to design, code, test, correct and document moderate-to-complex programs and scripts from agreed specifications and subsequent iterations. Collaborate with others to review specifications where appropriate (Skill level: practitioner)
Assessment exercise
As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a seen presentation. Further information will be provided to you on the invitation to interview email.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 19th October
Sift: Expected to take place from 20th October
Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 3rd November
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.
Determine your eligibility at
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.
Making a complaint
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA's Director of People at If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
* UK nationals
* nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
* Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name : Jesus Alvarez-Pinera
* Email : Jesus.Alvarez-
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
If you wish to raise a complaint then please email in the first instance.