Post: Data Engineer (E2 Grade)
Directorate: Policy, Insight & Analytics
Line manager: Senior Data Engineer
Purpose:
At Scottish Funding Council, we’re embarking on an exciting digital transformation to redefine how we use data to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to our customers. Central to this journey is the creation of the Azure-based data ecosystem, enabling us to unlock the full potential of our data through transformative and intelligent solutions.
Our Data Engineering team plays a pivotal role in this mission. We manage the entire data lifecycle—from integrating diverse data sources and optimizing storage and processing pipelines to delivering actionable insights—while ensuring compliance with company standards and data protection regulations.
As a Data Engineer, you will be a part of this dynamic team, driving innovation and engineering excellence. You’ll work closely with teams across the organisation, including Analytics and Cloud Engineering, to cultivate a data-driven culture and lead initiatives that turn data into a powerful tool for transformation.
This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of post-16 education in Scotland. By delivering innovative, data-driven solutions, you will enable institutions, and policymakers to make informed decisions, enhance learning outcomes, and create opportunities that empower students to thrive in an increasingly data-centric world.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide technical guidance and advice to help in the design and development of data solutions for data modelling and warehousing, data integration, and analytics.
• Implement and optimise data pipelines to connect operational systems and data for analytics, data science and business processes.
• Design and develop scalable data ingestion frameworks to transform a wide variety of datasets.
• Research, analyse and help implement technical approaches for solving complex development and integration problems, supporting the build out of a strategy and roadmap.
• Working with other areas of SFC and our partners, identify and build data products that will aid with robust data integrations, analysis, goal setting and tracking with insights.
• Support the development of product roadmaps.
• Provide appropriate advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders.
The above list is not exhaustive, and the job holder may be required to undertake such duties commensurate with their grade or that may reasonably be required of them.
Skills, qualifications and experience
Essential Criteria
It is important through your CV / Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:
• Operational experience on ETL pipeline development and handling different types of data sources.
• Strong experience in Python and SQL for data ingestion and data transformation.
• Good Knowledge with Git for version control and CI/CD.
• Experience with cloud platforms preferably Azure.
• Good team player who will work well with colleagues.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Degree level education (SCQF level 9) or equivalent experience, preferably in a subject with a substantial technical content such as Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics.
Desirable Criteria
• Exposure to Azure utilising some of the following: Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake, Azure DevOps and PowerBI.
• Azure Data Engineer Associate certification or higher OR Azure AI Engineer Associate certification or higher.
Status of Vacancy Outline
This outline has been created to describe the nature of appointments at this level. It is an indicative document, and the exact nature of these duties will vary with time and from post to post. Post holders will be expected to carry out any work that is commensurate with their grade or that may reasonably be required of them.
Committed to equality of opportunity.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .