About the job

Job summary

The Prime Minister’s Office enables the Prime Minster to deliver the Government’s overall priorities and to communicate the Government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences. From the Policy Unit, Press Office, Switchboard and Custodians, to the Events & Visits team and the Private Office support; the diverse Downing Street team draws on varied expertise from across the Civil Service and beyond. The teams come together to deliver excellent service to the Prime Minister while also making No10 a great place to work.

Job description

We are recruiting a data engineer/architect to work within 10DS, to support the work carried out by the team on critical policy areas and the delivery priorities of No10. Current members of the team have provided advice on key decisions related to Transport Infrastructure, Health Policy and achieving Net Zero.

You will be key in contributing towards the design and implementation our data science platform, which is the foundation of the team’s ability to inform critical decisions and deliver impactful products.

You will build on cross-government projects to improve data sharing across Whitehall. This includes our open-source project rAPId GitHub - no10ds/rapid: Project rAPId which is a federated API that aims to help transform Government data sharing.

You will have the opportunity and freedom to contribute your technical knowledge in helping the team provide insight on the biggest challenges that face the country. Including how can we leverage AI at the heart of government to improve our decision making.

10DS has a programme of technological development, drawing on capabilities in python and cloud computing. Expertise in these areas will be beneficial and factored into the salary offered.

Responsibilities

• Build and design cutting-edge, scalable, data architecture within our AWS environment that will enable the development of rapid insights to inform key decisions.
• Use Python and SQL to design, build and maintain robust data pipelines that provide clean and well-structured data for analysis.
• Develop the capabilities data sharing across government by producing and integrating with products that will help to transform the public sector, like project rAPId - GitHub - no10ds/rapid: Project rAPId.
• Leverage the latest advancements in AI to improve our ability to produce meaningful and impactful insights.
• Work across the team and build relationships with the data scientists so that we can build immediately useful and impactful products.
• Stay abreast of the latest data engineering trends and technologies to implement innovative solutions and improve our data capabilities.
• Implement and enforce security and data governance best practices across the platform.

Person specification

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Strong coding practices in Python and SQL.
• Good architecture best practices when developing in cloud environments with infrastructure-as-code, such as Terraform.
• Excellent understanding of containerisation and experience with Docker.
• Experience working with databases, structured data, and large-volume raw operational data.
• Quality assurance - demonstrating excellent attention to detail and setting high standards.
• Experience of working effectively at pace. 
• Excellent communication skills, including in writing, with the ability to translate complex information into meaningful, easily understood narrative.
• Understanding of security and governance best practices when working with data and in the cloud.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience of test-driven-development.
• Development of CI/CD processes for automating deployments.
• Experience with orchestration and containerisation technologies such as Kubernetes and Dagster.
• Development of ETL tools for large volumes of data, using technologies such as Spark and DBT.

On the job training can be provided and pay will be commensurate with technical experience. 

We welcome a broad range of applicants and encourage you to apply even if you do not fully meet the listed qualifications. Strong candidates come from many different backgrounds and will not necessarily check every single box. Studies show that talented people, especially those from groups underrepresented in their field, are more likely to doubt themselves and feel like an "imposter". But unique perspectives enrich teams, so we urge you to have confidence in your potential contributions.

If aspects of this role resonate with you, please apply rather than prematurely excluding yourself. We look forward to your application highlighting your skills and experiences.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,800, Cabinet Office contributes £15,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Application process

Please include a CV to explain how you meet the and how your skills and experience make you a suitable candidate for the role.

Selection process

Applications will be sifted using the Experience element of the Success Profiles framework and the skills and experience listed in the job advert.

Candidates successful at sift will be invited to a technical assessment which will involve paired programming. Further information will be shared with shortlisted candidates.

The second round will involve a Behaviour and Strength based interview.

We may also offer ‘near-miss’ opportunities – meaning at the end of the recruitment campaign you may be offered a similar role at a lower grade.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – Late July
Expected interview date/s – August 
Interview location - TBC

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ 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.

Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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 the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

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.