The position is a 20 Month Fixed Term Appointment. You will be responsible for finding a permanent post after your apprenticeship ends, and we will offer appropriate support to you in relation to career development. In addition to completing a Level 5 Data Engineer apprenticeship, you will also: Learn the fundamental skills you need to begin your career as a Data Engineer. Gain invaluable knowledge, experience, behaviours and transferable skills, and be able to immediately apply these in the workplace. Have ring-fenced off-the-job training/study time as part of your apprenticeship pathway. Be supported by experienced mentors and managers who will guide you through your apprenticeship, and career development. Flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application. The data engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the infrastructure and systems required for data storage, processing, and analysis. They play a crucial role in building and managing the data pipelines that enable efficient and reliable data integration, transformation, and delivery for all data users across the enterprise. Responsibilities • Designs and develops data pipelines that extract data from various sources, transform it into the desired format, and load it into the appropriate data storage systems • Collaborates with data scientists and analysts to optimise models and algorithms for data quality, security, and governance • Integrates data from different sources, including databases, data warehouses, APIs, and external systems • Ensures data consistency and integrity during the integration process, performing data validation and cleaning as needed • Transforms raw data into a usable format by applying data cleansing, aggregation, filtering, and enrichment techniques • Optimizes data pipelines and data processing workflows for performance, scalability, and efficiency • Monitors and tunes data systems, identifies and resolves performance bottlenecks, and implements caching and indexing strategies to enhance query performance • Implements data quality checks and validations within data pipelines to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of data • Takes authority, responsibility, and accountability for exploiting the value of enterprise information assets and of the analytics used to render insights for decision making, automated decisions and augmentation of human performance • Works with board members and other executives to establish the vision for managing data as a business asset • Establishes the governance of data and algorithms used for analysis, analytical applications, and automated decision making If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer for up to a maximum of 23 months. At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information. If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information Person specification Apprenticeships are funded by the UK Government and there are some rules which we need to consider to establish eligibility for this opportunity. In particular: You will have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years prior to the start of the apprenticeship or fit the criteria of eligible residency status in the Apprenticeship Funding Rules. Less than 2 years in a data engineering role, or would incur a funding reduction No formal Training or qualifications in the subject.(Examples: Data Engineering at Level 4, 5, or 6) Level 2 Maths and English (GCSE 4-9/A-C) (Scottish National 5) is a requirement. Any experience of SQL, Python and Pandas is beneficial. As part of this role, you will undertake a Data Engineer Level 5. You will be enrolled onto the apprenticeship shortly after you join, and it will typically take 20 months to complete. Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made. If successful you will be asked to provide evidence that you meet the stated qualification criteria Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Qualifications Level 2 Maths and English (GCSE 4-9/A-C) (Scottish National 5) Learners should be operating at Level 2 to be successful in this programme. Experience of SQL, Python and Pandas is beneficial. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Changing and Improving Making Effective Decisions Developing Self and Others Managing a Quality Service Benefits Alongside your salary of 29,580, Ministry of Defence contributes 8,569 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. We truly believe that the MOD is a great place to work, and we offer a unique employeeexperience. We want to ensure that every single employee feels appreciated & fairly rewarded and offer the following additional benefits: Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days upon completion of 5 years service On-site Gym (Optional depending on site) Cycle Loan (Advance on Salary) Thank You Scheme Defence Sports & Recreational Association (DSRA) Defence Discount Service On-site Nursery (Depending on site) Please note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. The post does not offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. 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. When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected. Stage 1: Fill in your first stage short application form where you will be required to fill in details of your eligibility including details of your nationality and contact details. Stage 2: Complete the full application form which will include: Job history Full qualification details Previous skills/experience Your behaviour (competency) statements (up to 250 words each). Please write behaviour (competency) questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format. If we receive a high volume of applications, we will only be sifting against the lead behaviour. Changing and improving lead behaviour Making effective decisions Developing self and others Managing a quality service Please allow sufficient time to complete these details before the closing date. Use the Success Profiles link for information on format and style, ensure you provide evidence for each Behaviour requested within the application. Stage 3: Your application be taken forward to the sifting stage.The sift assessment will be based on the required behaviours, CV and previous skills and experience. Stage 4: Bench marking will take place as part of the sifting stage, with successfully sifted candidates (in merit order) being invited to an interview. Interviews are expected to take place on MS Teams. Please write behaviour (competency) questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format. Nationality Requirements - Further Information for Candidates 1. This post is classed as Reserved as per Civil Service Nationality Rules Section 3. In accordance with these rules, only UK nationals may be employed in reserved posts in the Civil Service1 (Paragraph. 3.1). UK National Definition 2. The definition of a UK National can be found at Paragraphs. 1.4-1.8 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules Dual Nationals As per Paragraph. 1.43 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules : a. Candidates with dual nationality are in principle eligible for employment in the Civil Service provided that they meet the requirements in relation to one of their nationalities [i.e. UK National]. They may not be eligible, however, for employment in certain reserved posts where additional nationality requirements are imposed. Additional Restrictions for Reserved Posts As per Paragraphs. 3.10-3.11 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules: departments and agencies are entitled to impose additional requirements in reserved posts if this is considered necessary. This could include, for example, requirements as to the residency of the applicant or the nationality of one or both parents of the applicant. 5. As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process or, in some cases, result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage. 1Irish nationals and Commonwealth citizens are also eligible for employment in reserved posts if they were in the Civil Service at 31 May 1996 or before, or were appointed from a recruitment scheme with a closing date for receipt of applications before 1 June 1996. (Paragraph. 3.1) You will also be expected to achieve Developed Vetting clearance, above the normal clearance level expected for the MoD. Please note offers of employment are subject to achieving satisfactory pre-employment and security checks. These include an Occupational Health Assessment and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). As part of this you will need to confirm your identity, employment/education history, nationality and any criminal record (unspent convictions only). The level of security needed is Security Check (DV) and you should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for 5 years immediately before clearance action commences. If you have lived overseas or travelled extensively during this period, it may affect the length of time to obtain full security clearance and this may affect your offer of employment. It is essential that ALL requests for information are completed fully and timely, as incomplete information may result in significant delays. Offers of employment are also subject to candidates achieving acceptable grades where predicted. No application can be accepted after the closing date. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements Open to UK nationals only. Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information 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 : dno-dne-talent@mod.gov.uk Email : dno-dne-talent@mod.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DBSCivPers-AMO@mod.gov.uk Attachments Defence Civil Servant Offer Letter External Opens in new window (pdf, 333kB) Apprenticeship Funding Criteria Opens in new window (pdf, 134kB) MOD Privacy Policy Notice Opens in new window (docx, 30kB)