RAF Digital: Senior Data Engineer

Ministry of Defence

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 25th June 2023

Details

Reference number

280138

Salary

£41,000

(For RAF High Wycombe only) £2,000 pa (pro-rata) recruitment and retention allowance payable to staff located at RAF High Wycombe.

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MOD - Air - RAF Digital Services

Type of role

Architecture and Data
Digital
Information Technology

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Location

This role will be based in either RAF High Wycombe or RAF Benson. We operate a hybrid working / remote working model that allows you to work between home and on-site, giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work. We would encourage you to discuss your anticipated working arrangements for this role with us during the recruitment process.

About the job

Job summary

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. We pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has and promote inclusivity and equality of opportunity for all.

Are you an experienced Data Engineer looking for your next challenge?

It’s an exciting time to join RAF Digital as we grow our organisation and become a key enabler to the RAF’s Astra Campaign to become a dynamic, digital organisation which provides high quality, innovative, customer-centric services.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week

Job description

The Senior Data Engineer role aligns to the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) framework from the Data DDaT job family.

We believe that Data Engineers play an important role in making RAF Digital Services simple and easy to use for all user groups. The successful candidate will be responsible for both conducting data engineering on projects (~50%) and leading the practice of data engineering across the RAF, supporting data engineers across the organisation to be as effective as possible in their roles.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work on digital services that have a real impact and to work in a high performing team that actively shares knowledge and experiences.

Responsibilities

Implement and automate data flows to connect operational systems, data for analytics and business intelligence (BI) systems.
Write scripts to extract, transform and load (ETL) data and code to make sure the ETL process performs optimally.
Develop and implement data engineering best-practice (e.g., source-to-target mappings, coding standards, data quality, etc.).
Support, mentor, and coach other data engineers across the RAF.
Setup and administer global polices for data.
Work with other Data Engineers across the RAF on setup and administration of local data policies.
Support wider data and digital transformation as required.

Person specification

Essential:

Experience using SQL in a professional context
Experience using Git-based version control
Experience using Python in a professional context

Desirable:

Degree in a STEM discipline such as Computer Science or commensurate professional experience
Experience using Apache Airflow
Experience using Apache Spark
Knowledge of the Scrum Framework

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Leadership
Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Data analysis and synthesis
Data innovation
Data modelling
Metadata management

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

Data analysis and synthesis

Benefits

We are passionate about delivering great things for our customers. But we also know you will have a life outside of work; we respect your priorities, and our industry leading flexible working practices will give you real freedom to balance work and life.

We employ dedicated people who challenge and guide each other. Air Commercial is a highly capable team who will support you to develop your skills, knowledge and experience.

Professional and personal development of skills
Flexi-time scheme upon completion of six months’ service
Alternative working patterns
25 days paid annual leave rising (by one day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
In addition to eight public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period for volunteer reserve commitments
Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to six days per year
Enhanced parental and adoption leave
Excellent travel links with free car parking, Gym access and onsite coffee shop / café
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six month probation period.

Please note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.”

“MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment by 31st December 2022. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles to assess your Behaviours (Behaviour format guidance), CV for your Experience and DDaT for Technical skills. To apply for this role, you will need to supply / prepare the following information:

At application sifting stage you will be assessed against the following:

Experience:

CV: Job History, Full Qualification Details and Previous Skills & Experience.
Behaviours: We'll assess you against the Civil Service Behaviours framework during the selection process:
Leadership
Technical skills: We'll assess you against the Senior Data Engineer DDaT framework technical skills during the selection process:
Data analysis and synthesis

At interview stage candidates will be assessed against the 2 behaviours listed below using Success Behaviours at the SEO level:

Leadership
Delivering at Pace

We'll also assess you against the following Senior Data Engineer DDaT framework technical skills:

Data analysis and synthesis
Data innovation
Data modelling
Metadata management

Candidates may also be asked questions related to their experience and how that relates to the advertised position.

Sifting will take place week commencing DATE.

Interviews will take place week commencing DATE.

n.b. Interviews are currently taking place Face to face, or remotely (by exception) via MS Teams.

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months. It is also possible that we may offer similar lower graded role/s to reserve candidates or, if no reserves are appointed, candidates that meet the lower grade criteria in merit order.

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.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and 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.

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 security check (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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.