Lead Data Engineer
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 9th February 2025
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About the job
Job summary
This role requires you to pass Security Check vetting. For information on the required UK residency requirements, please read the 'Security Clearance Requirement' section.
Would you like to build and lead your own team of data engineers whilst also being ‘hands on’? Does the opportunity to transform both the data landscape and customer experience for millions of UK citizens sound interesting?
If so, this role may be perfect for you.
DWP is the UK's largest government department. We help people into work and make payments worth £195bn a year to support the most vulnerable people in our society.
Joining Retirement Services, one of DWP’s biggest areas, you’ll lead a team that helps deliver an enjoyable customer journey to millions of citizens using our digital services.
If you’d like to join one of DWP’s biggest digital transformation projects, use modern cloud-based data engineering tooling and deliver impactful improvements for millions of citizens, we’d love to hear from you.
Job description
In Retirement Services, we ensure people over state pension age can plan for and secure all the support they need to live a life without unnecessary hardship. Every year we pay over £120billion to 18 million citizens, including 1 million overseas citizens residing in 229 countries.
Retirement Services is merging pension credit and state pension data to ensure a much better journey for our customers, UK citizens. The platform this data will sit in is currently being developed via a third-party supplier – you will manage the supplier team whilst recruiting a small team of data engineers. You will then manage the platform’s transition from supplier to inhouse build team, driving infrastructure development to make this transition a success.
Once up and running, you will steer the strategic development of event and common data platforms, strategic architecture, data models, and data quality using Databricks, Power BI and AWS tooling.
This role combines hands on data engineering, line management and technical leadership. There’ll be lots of connecting and interaction with stakeholders, and you’ll oversee specialist contractor data engineers whilst managing a small team of data engineers. You will explore new ideas and support your team in developing their technical and interpersonal skills.
Longer term, this is an opportunity to shape the strategy on how Retirement Services works across the wider Digital & Analytics business unit, and how the Data Engineer profession can collaborate with and support Operational colleagues.
Working in DWP Digital you will benefit from a brilliant learning and development offer plus a collaborative environment that encourages continuous professional development. You will join a Data Engineer community where you will have the opportunity to share experiences and knowledge with colleagues.
We need your help to transform operational MI and analytics into the onward modernisation of data platforms. Join us an enjoy an environment that is family-friendly, supportive, and inclusive in an organisation with real social purpose.
Person specification
When giving details in your employment history you should highlight your experience in line with the essential criteria below:
- Experience line managing a data engineering team, mentoring and leading the team through best practice and career development.
- Experience and deep understanding of AWS, Databricks, Power BI or other similar tooling.
- Experience advising on technology and standards, setting direction, building and maintaining networks and collaborating across teams with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Desirable criteria
- Data engineering background within a large and complex organisation.
- Knowledge and experience of using SQL, Spark, or Python programming.
- Experience with project and team finance and budgeting.
- Experience transitioning a platform from a supplier to an inhouse team.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Tell us about your experience of technical leadership in a data service environment, including advising on data solutions and setting direction for and managing other data engineers.
Benefits
We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
- Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
- Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
- Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
- Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
- An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Salary Information
Pay for this role is from £72,664 to £77,740.
The maximum salary for the grade is £77,740, however a Digital Allowance of up to £12,255 per annum is available for exceptional candidates. Digital Allowance is non-salary, and non-pensionable, and is classed as a temporary allowance. It is reviewed annually where it could be retained, amended, or removed.
Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.
Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.
Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Stage 1: Application
Your application will consist of three parts:
1. A Personal Details application form.
2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided. When giving details in your employment history you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria detailed within the person specification section:
3. Technical statements (up to 250 words):
Tell us about your experience of technical leadership in a data service environment, including advising on data solutions and setting direction for and managing other data engineers.
Please use an example from your experience, using the STAR technique to structure your example.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the technical statement stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.
The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and technical statements to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
Important Information
- You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
- Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
- If your employment history and technical statements contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Stage 2: Interview
If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria and Technical statement.
You will be asked to do a 5 minute presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.
Interviews will take place from early March 2025. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Further information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.
All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Security Clearance Requirement
You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Richard Hanley
- Email : Richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
