Senior Data Engineer

Based from any of our offices in London, Belfast, Edinburgh or Cardiff 

£Competitive

Team Overview

The Data Innovation Hub is expanding to improve Ofcom’s capability to process, analyse and extract insights across our work programme. We require a Senior Data Engineer to join our team to lead on the implementation of information pipelines that deliver accessible data for analysis.

The Data Innovation Hub works with colleagues across the organisation to improve Ofcom’s capability to process, analyse and extract insights from data. We crunch terabytes of data to give us an unparalleled understanding of the coverage and performance of the UK’s broadband and mobile networks. We are also exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning can help us extract more insights across our policy remit and help us deliver outputs more efficiently.

About Ofcom

Ofcom looks after communications in the UK. From phones and broadband to TV, radio, post and wireless devices, we regulate services at the heart of people’s everyday lives.

We make sure communications companies stick to the rules and treat their customers fairly. To support all that work, we carry out world-class research in exciting areas such as technology and consumer behaviour. We have been appointed as the Video Sharing Platform regulator and will be developing regulatory guidance to monitor harmful content and conduct.

Diversity and inclusion

Ofcom is a forward-thinking, inclusive employer. We are among the Times’ Top 50 UK employers for women. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident employer and one of Vercida’s Top 10 employers for black and minority-ethnic colleagues.

Reward and benefits

The reward package at Ofcom is based on more than just salary. Colleagues can choose the benefits of most value to them, using a flexible benefits package to suit individual needs. The range of benefits reflects the flexible environment we aim to create, such as the option to purchase additional annual leave, travel insurance, or private medical cover for your family.

Working environments and flexible working

We understand that the working environment is important to our colleagues, which is why we ensure that our offices are bright, modern places to work.

Ofcom has introduced an agile working model, making changes to our offices to transform how we work. Colleagues are free to move around our offices, enabling them to work alongside and collaborate with other teams and groups. 

Purpose of the Role

The analysis and interpretation of data is vital for us to deliver our regulatory duties. We are looking for someone who can perform a crucial role in this process, by building, developing and deploying systems that will help us get the best from data.

We need someone who can work with colleagues to understand requirements and put in place the necessary services to extract, transform and load data for analysis. The role will use data engineering skills to deliver a continual improvement of standards, the provision of technical guidance, and will enable insights to be derived from the accessible data pipelines you produce.

Requirements of the Role

As a Senior Data Engineer, you will identify, specify, and innovate fit-for-purpose, scalable and future-proof data services to meet complex user needs and will be able to:

- Specify, build, and deploy systems to extract, transform and load (ETL) data

- Develop our application programming interfaces (APIs) to expose data from multiple systems for internal and external stakeholders

- Share and embed best practice 

- Continuously seek ways to improve our data services and pipelines

- Lead initiatives to locate, catalogue and integrate data sets to derive actionable insights

- Provide our data scientists and analysts with the data and infrastructure required to undertake their analysis, be that traditional database tables or unstructured big data

- Develop systems that are compliant with our information security and data management principles

- Represent Ofcom as we build our thought leadership for data innovation through engagement with regulators, stakeholders and at external events

Skills, knowledge and experience

Applicants should be able to demonstrate capability in:

- Developing, coding, testing, correcting and documenting programs or scripts

- Using technical tools such as Python, C++, Java, PHP and Spark

- Developing and enhancing complex databases and environments such as PostgreSQL, Cosmos, Azure and Linux to support SQL and NoSQL operations

- Communicating technical concepts across organisational and technical boundaries, including to senior colleagues

- Building strong and trusted relationships between colleagues across organisational boundaries

Qualifications

Technically qualified in a computer science subject or with equivalent experience.

Competences

Applicants should be able to demonstrate a working awareness of:

- Information management and collection processes

- Data engineering processes, which transform raw data into a state fit for subsequent analysis

- Engaging across organisational boundaries to understand requirements, translate these requirements into technical specifications and deliver business outcomes

- Presenting clear insights to colleagues to support the end use of the data

To apply for the role of Senior Data Engineer, please apply via the button shown. 

This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency. 

Other organisations may call this role Senior Systems Engineer, Lead Data Analyst, Senior Data Systems Analyst, Data Systems Engineer, or Data Engineer.