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Head of Data Engineering

Scottish Government
Full-time
On-site
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Data Engineer
Description

Are you ready to join a team as passionate about public service and technical excellence as you are?  

The Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) Directorate of the Scottish Government is part of the DG Net Zero family of Directorates. ARE’s mission is to work together with stakeholders to enable vibrant and thriving communities and businesses, that protect and enhance Scotland’s nature.  

ARE relies on digital services to deliver its commitment to support Scotland’s sustainable economic growth in agriculture, the food industry and in rural areas. It does this through direct payments; a broad range of best practice support and education; and ensuring compliance with regulations. For example, approximately £600 million is paid annually to customers using the major Rural Payments and Services (RP&S) digital platform and other supporting systems. ARE Digital and Data (AD&D) is responsible for providing the capability and capacity that ensures these digital services are reliable, secure and up to date. This requires a broad range of technical competencies, mostly provided by in-house and contracted specialists working in multidisciplinary teams. 

In this newly created role you will build and lead the divisions data engineering function, setting its strategic direction as ARE transitions from a legacy data platform to a new cloud based Unified Data Platform (UDP). The UDP is a green field development and as such you will have full autonomy over the definition of processes, tooling and technology to enable the successful delivery of this business critical platform. As a key member of the Division's Senior Management Team you will work under the direction of the C3 Head of Digital Service Operations and collaborate closely with the divisions Platform Engineering, Software Engineering, Cyber Security and Architecture teams to deliver the Directorates key data outcomes.  

Responsibilities 

Leadership & Governance 

  • Represent the strategic data engineering perspective in challenging meetings with senior stakeholders, third parties, ministers, and other government department leadership teams. 
  • Manage resources to ensure that data services work effectively at an enterprise level. 
  • Set up robust governance processes to keep repositories up to date. 
  • Establish standards, keep them up to date, and ensure adherence to them. 
  • Keep abreast of best practice in industry and across government. 
  • Investigate emerging trends in data-related approaches, perform horizon scanning for the organisation, and introduce innovative ways of working. 
  • Anticipate problems and know how to prevent them, understanding how they fit into the bigger picture. 
  • Build problem-solving capabilities in others and help others identify and describe problems. 

Data Engineering & Integration 

  • Set direction for teams for approaches and techniques for data profiling. 
  • Establish enterprise-scale data integration procedures across the data development life cycle and ensure that teams adhere to them. 
  • Leverage the value of enterprise metadata repositories for strategic value. 
  • Define the modelling approach for the enterprise. 

Technical Standards & Development 

  • Set local or team-based standards for programming tools and techniques, selecting appropriate development methods. 
  • Advise on the application of standards and methods and ensure compliance. 
  • Take technical responsibility for all stages and iterations in a software development project, providing method-specific technical advice and guidance to project stakeholders. 
  • Set organisational standards and patterns for others to reuse. 
  • Apply knowledge of technical concepts and stay up to date with relevant technologies, concepts, and frameworks. 
  • Anticipate, advise, and set strategy for future opportunities. 

Testing & Quality Assurance 

  • Review requirements and specifications and define test conditions. 
  • Identify issues and risks associated with work. 
  • Analyse and report test activities and results. 
  • Oversee the generation of synthetic test data. 


Responsibilities

Success Profile 

Success profiles are specific to each job, and they include the mix of experience, skills and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. 

Experience:  

  • Lead Criteria 1 – You Own it: You can take technical responsibility for all stages and iterations in a software development project, providing method-specific technical advice and guidance to project stakeholders.  
  • Lead Criteria 2 – You Lead it: You have led and set direction for teams for a variety of data engineering approaches and techniques, ensuring successful results and an inclusive team dynamic.  
  • Criteria 3 – You Innovate it: You have investigated emerging data trends (including cloud), performed horizon-scanning for the organisation and introduced innovative ways of working, enabling your organisation to maintain a relevant data outlook. 
  • Criteria 4 – You Influence it: You have represented the strategic data perspective in challenging meetings such as governance, architecture, executive leadership, and other senior stakeholders, enabling holistic corporate decision-making incorporating data impacts. 

Experience is assessed at sift, along with a more in-depth assessment at interview. 

Technical Skills: 

This role is aligned to the Data Engineer – Head of Data Engineering job role within the Data Engineer job family. 

You can find out more about the skills required, here. 

These skills are assessed by technical assessment, designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed, plus the method of assessment.  

Behaviours: 

  • Leadership (Level 4) 
  • Delivering at Pace (Level 4) 

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here. 

Behaviours are assessed at interview. Full details will be shared in advance with all candidates invited to this stage. 

How to apply 

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet each of the 4 Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above.  

Candidates will have their applications assessed against all Experience criteria. If a large number of applications are received an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Criteria highlighted above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment 

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and DDaT Technical assessment where the behaviours, experiences and technical skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed. 

The sift is scheduled for w/c 20th October.  

Interviews and DDaT Technical assessments are scheduled for w/c 3rd November, however these may be subject to change. 



Qualifications

About us 

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including education, health, the economy, justice, housing, and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. 

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. 

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. 

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules. 

Working pattern 

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, we offer flexible working including full-time, part-time, flexitime, and compressed hours depending on the needs of the role. 

From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time either in an office or other agreed work location. 

If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact Digitalcareers@gov.scot  

Security checks 

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). 

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.  

DDaT Pay Supplement 

This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession, as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5,000.00 annual DDaT pay supplement, applicable after a 3-month competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.  

Equality Statement 

We are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.  

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. 

Further information 

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. 

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. 

Apply before: 19th October (23:59)









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