Arden University
Data Platform Engineer
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Salary: £52,000 - £58,000 per annum
Employment type: Permanent
Hours per week: 37
Reporting into: Lead Data Platform Engineer
Department: Analysis, Insight and Performance
Click here to read the full job description and view our excellent benefits here
Unfortunately we cannot sponsor skilled worker visas for this role.
This role operates primarily on a remote working arrangement that only requires a site visit roughly once every 2 months for team meetings. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.
About Arden University:
We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education.
There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.
About our Department:
The Data Platform Engineer sits within our Analysis, Insights & Performance department at Arden University which plays a vital role in driving data-driven decisions. By providing valuable insights, monitoring performance, and promoting innovation, the team supports the university's mission to enhance student outcomes and drive continuous improvement.
About the Opportunity:
As a Data Platform Engineer, you will play a key role in shaping and evolving Arden University’s data platform, using your expertise to drive improvements in student experience, student outcomes, and operational efficiency.
Working within the Data Platform squad, you will contribute to the development and optimisation of the University’s core data infrastructure, including the data lake and medallion architecture. You will ensure the platform is robust, scalable and reliable, meeting the needs and expectations of stakeholders across the organisation.
You will provide guidance on the effective use of modern cloud data technologies, including platforms such as Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, helping to maximise the value of data across Arden. Alongside this, you will support the development of a forward-looking data platform strategy, leveraging modern engineering patterns and technologies to enable analysts, data scientists and engineers to work efficiently and effectively.
Using your business insight, you will identify opportunities where enhancements to the data platform can deliver meaningful impact. You will also play an important role in supporting and coaching the wider data team, promoting best practice and ensuring the platform continues to evolve in line with the University’s ambitions.
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This is a hands-on role with a strong focus on platform engineering, architecture and continuous improvement, rather than traditional SQL development alone.
About You:
We are looking for a skilled and forward-thinking Data Platform Engineer with a strong foundation in modern data engineering and a passion for building scalable, high-performing data platforms. You will bring a blend of technical expertise and business understanding, with the ability to translate data requirements into effective platform solutions and support the wider organisation in unlocking the value of data.
Essential Skills / Experience:
- Familiarity with big data technologies and ecosystems such as Microsoft Synapse/Fabric/Databricks, Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, and others.
- Experience with programming languages such as Python, R or SQL
- Solid understanding of database design and theory, including SQL and NoSQL technologies
- Knowledge of data engineering principles, including ETL design and data lifecycle management
- Familiarity with data pipeline and integration tools such as Data Factory, Airflow or similar
- Understanding of CI/CD, DevOps practices and version control (e.g. Git)
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
- Demonstrable experience delivering business value through data and analytics
Desirable Skills / Experience:
- Formal Data & Analytics certifications (e.g. Certified Analytics Professional, Azure Data Engineer or Data Scientist Associate)
- Experience with big data technologies such as Spark, Kafka, or Hadoop ecosystems
- Familiarity with agile delivery methodologies such as Scrum
- Experience across multiple data disciplines such as data warehousing, BI, data governance, data architecture or data strategy
- Knowledge of lakehouse architecture and modern data platform patterns
- Experience working within the Higher Education sector
- Understanding of data science tools and techniques within Azure
- Awareness of data governance, security and regulatory requirements (e.g. GDPR)
Why Arden:
At Arden, you will become a part of a passionate and dedicated team who are committed to removing unnecessary barriers to learning and making education more accessible. Our people work hard to ensure our students journeys are the best they can possibly be, as such we want to reward our people with fantastic benefits. Employees benefit from:
- 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure!
- A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
- SimplyHealth plan option
- Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)
- Access to Perkbox benefits
- Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
- Plus, other excellent benefits
- Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education
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Our Values: Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness, reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you.
There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations.
Closing Date: 20th October
We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible.
If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:
Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you wish to be considered under this scheme, you can indicate via the application form below. By doing so, you are also consenting for this information to be shared with the hiring team. For more details on what qualifies as a disability under the Disability Equality Act 2010, please refer to the guidance here.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we make sure that our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups.
Sponsorship statement:
Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa under the points-based immigration system. However, we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route.
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