AMS PSR

On behalf of DSIT we are looking for a Principal Data Engineer (Inside IR35) for a 3 month contract (until 31/03/26). Remote working. 

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) brings together the relevant parts of the former Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the former Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The responsibilities for the DSIT are:

• Positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement.
• Driving innovations that change lives and sustain economic growth.
• Delivering talent programmes, physical and digital infrastructure, and regulation to support our economy, security, and public services.
• R&D funding.

The Technology & Science Insights (TSI) team in the Government Office for Science has recently completed a major data transition project, moving from API ingestion to internally hosted data on a cloud platform. This strategic shift has improved cost efficiency, data quality, and automation.

We are seeking a highly skilled Principal Data Engineer to stabilise and optimise our data estate, lead technical improvements, and support succession planning.

As a Principal Data Engineer your main responsibilities will be to: 

• Update and maintain existing datasets (OpenAlex, Patstat, S&P, UN Comtrade) for Q1 2026.
• Document infrastructure decisions and data architecture.
• Optimise Azure Data Factory pipelines for scalability and improved data quality.
• Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for data ingestion and pipeline maintenance.
• Deliver comprehensive documentation and a formal handover plan.
• Conduct knowledge-sharing sessions and walkthroughs of key systems.

Essential:

• An active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. (Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.) 
• Strong Data Engineering experience.
• Azure experience, with knowledge of Azure Data Factory and cloud-based data infrastructure.
• Ability to manage complex data pipelines and optimise performance.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with datasets such as OpenAlex, Patstat, S&P, and UN Comtrade.
• Experience in government or public sector data environments.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, DSIT guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

DSIT guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".