Senior Data Engineer

• 1 x permanent position

• 1 x fixed term position for 1 year.

Secondments considered for internal applicants, please inform line manager before applying.

• Hybrid working – County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY

• 33 days annual leave, plus bank holidays

We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that. Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Lead and deliver robust data platforms:

You’ll architect and build scalable, secure data platforms using Microsoft Fabric and Azure, ensuring our data infrastructure is reliable, future-proof, and aligned with Somerset Council’s strategic goals. You’ll design and optimise data lakes, warehouses, and integration frameworks to support analytics and innovation at scale.

• Oversee complex data engineering projects:

You’ll take ownership of high-impact data projects, managing the end-to-end delivery of cross-departmental pipelines and solutions. This includes translating business needs into technical work, coordinating across teams, and ensuring solutions meet quality and compliance standards.

• Mentor and develop the data engineering community:

You’ll provide technical leadership and support to Data Engineers and colleagues across the organisation, sharing expertise, reviewing solutions, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, agility, and learning.

• Drive innovation and continuous improvement:

You’ll stay ahead of emerging technologies, lead trials of new tools (such as real-time streaming, AI/ML integration), and help modernise our data platform. You’ll automate testing and deployment, streamline legacy processes, and share learning through our community of practice.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Extensive hands-on experience in data engineering:

You have a strong track record designing, building, and maintaining complex data pipelines and infrastructure, delivering end-to-end solutions across multiple business domains and at enterprise scale.

• Deep expertise in modern data platforms and cloud technologies:

You are highly skilled in Microsoft Fabric and Azure data services, with advanced knowledge of ETL/ELT, APIs, and integration patterns to support scalable, secure, and responsive data platforms.

• Strong programming and problem-solving skills:

You are proficient in Python, SQL, and JSON, and enjoy tackling complex data challenges with creative, practical solutions.

• Leadership and mentoring abilities:

You have experience leading and supporting engineering teams, setting technical standards, reviewing solutions, and guiding colleagues to deliver high-quality, secure, and privacy-compliant data products.

• Relevant qualifications and certifications:

You hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Data Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, and have professional certification in cloud/data engineering (such as Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer or Azure Data Engineer).

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.

• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave

• Staff discounts in gyms.

• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.

• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.

• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.

• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

The salary for this role is £49,282 per annum.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Josh Pimm, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, josh.pimm@somerset.gov.uk

Please state on your application which position you are interested in.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.