About the job

Job summary

About the organisation

The recently created Department for Business and Trade is at the heart of the UK’s relationship with the global economy. We have five key responsibilities but in essence, we are the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.Data, innovation, and data-centric decision making underpin the work of the department and in particular the way that digital services to support the businesses and the economy are delivered. Professionals like you will enable the department to continue to deliver at pace and achieve the ambitious departmental goals. 

This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Changes to these working arrangements are available in certain circumstances but must be agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role and can only be discussed with successful candidates. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered. Find out about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our recruitment video, visiting our website or reading our blog!

Job description

About the team

To enable the work of the department you will join our Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) team of over 400 colleagues working across the full spectrum of the DDaT specialisms, in a modern, user-centric, agile way.You will join the team that build and operate innovative tools and services such as great.gov.uk that support businesses in the UK and overseas. Our public-facing services are visited millions of times each year and the tools we develop for our staff, across the globe, help them be more efficient in their daily working lives.This is possible due to the state-of-the-art data infrastructure our teams build and maintain. We work on critical national infrastructure that powers trade at the UK border and innovative data projects looking at global supply chains and future ways of trading.We believe in creativity, curiosity, diversity of thought, entrepreneurship, delivery focus and collaboration. We embody the DBT values to be expert, enterprising, engaged and inclusive. These values have helped us become a high performing team that continuously delivers high quality outputs.

About the role

As a Data Engineer you will help us design, implement, test and operate our data products, pipelines and services. You will work in a cross-functional, agile, team to integrate them into wider systems and business processes.While you will have opportunities to contribute to the wider solution to satisfy our user needs, the team will rely on your hands-on expertise in querying and transforming data, automating common tasks, building efficient data pipelines and creating services that expose the data through APIs.To do this, you will work with multiple raw data formats like csv, json, xml, parquet, use languages like SQL and Python in multiple cloud-based solutions. 

The role follows the DDaT framework: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-engineer

As a Data Engineer, you will

• Design, build and test data products and services using standard techniques and tools.
• Deliver data solutions which are scalable, resilient and future proof.
• Understand typical problems in databases, data processes, data products and services. You understand and can apply typical solutions to those problems.
• Undertake data profiling and source system analysis including techniques like reverse engineering.
• Design, code, test and document, pipelines, Web APIs, services or scripts.
• Work in an Agile and cross-functional team

Person specification

You will need to have demonstrable skills and experience of:

• Agile methodologies. Experience in working in agile methodologies on data projects.
• Data development process. You can design, build and test data products based on feeds from multiple systems using a range of different storage technologies and/or access methods. You know how to create repeatable and reusable products.
• Data modelling. You understand the concepts and principles of data modelling and can produce, maintain and update relevant data models for specific business needs. You know how to reverse-engineer data models from a live system.
• Problem resolution (data). You know about the types of problems in databases, data processes, data products and services.
• Programming and build (data engineering). You can design, code, test, correct and document simple programs or scripts using Python and SQL. You can use source control to manage your code.
• Technical understanding (data engineering). You understand core technical concepts like data normalisation, modelling, performance of data intensive solutions. You understand basic software development concepts.

 Desirable Skills and Experience 

These are not necessary but would be ideal if you:

• Communication skills (data). You know about the need to translate technical concepts into non-technical language and understand what communication is required for internal and external stakeholders.
• Data analysis and synthesis. You know how to undertake data profiling and source system analysis and can present clear insights to colleagues to support the end use of the data.
• Testing. You can execute test scripts under supervision. You understand the role of testing and how it works.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Unless otherwise specified, all interviews are currently being held online. Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way. 

Sift will take place week commencing: 22/04/2024 

Interviews will take place week commencing: 6/05/2024

Please notes these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

 As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a CV and complete a personal statement outlining your experience, skills and fit for the role.At the sift stage for this role, we will assess your CV and personal statement against the essential skills and experience listed above, so please ensure these documents evidence these criteria. Your personal statement must be a maximum of 750 words. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer. As well as evidencing the criteria you should also touch upon why you're interested in DBT and in this role.

 If we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct a ‘short sift’ and read one element of your application. For this campaign a short sift would be conducted based on: CV only. 

How We Interview

This role involves a two step interview process. Applicants who are successful at the first interview will be invited to a second. The first interview will involve a technical test. You will be asked to share your screen and solve a series of Data Engineering related problems. The second interview will be a standard question and answer format. During both interviews you will be asked to demonstrate and assessed against relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. 

We will assess you against these Technical Skills during this process:

• Data development process
• Data modelling
• Communicating between the technical and nontechnical
• Programming and build (data engineering)
• Technical understanding
• Testing

Detailed explanations of each Technical Skill can be found on the DDaT Framework.We will also assess you against the following Behaviours:

• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others
• Manging a Quality Service

Reserve List

Appointments may be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences. Candidates who pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring will be held on a 12-month reserve list for future appointments. Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised. 

Security Clearance Details 

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.Checks will be made against:

• Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records).
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records.
• Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency.
• Security Services record.
• Location Details

Further Information

The Department for Business and Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. Click through to apply and find out more.  Our recruitment process is underpinned by appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. Click here to download a PDF about the Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Recording of interviews is not permitted except by prior agreement and where it is necessary as an evidenced reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010. If you make a recording of our employees without agreement, you should be aware that in collecting such personal data you would be deemed a 'data controller' under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and are therefore required to comply with all relevant data protection requirements. You would also be susceptible to enforcement action by the regulator and potential legal action. 

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.