Ministry of Justice UK
Senior Data Engineer (Ref: 19568)
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Senior Data Engineer (Ref: 19568)
Senior Data Engineer
Location: National* Closing Date: 10/08/2026 Interviews: Rolling – from w/c 13th July – w/c 31st Aug Grade: SEO (MoJ candidates on a specialist grade retaining it on lateral transfer) Working Pattern: Full-time, part-time, flexible working Contract Type: Permanent
Job Summary
This is a national role at the Ministry of Justice.
About the Role
Known for leading cloud technology and driving impactful change, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is recruiting for a Senior Data Engineer to play a pivotal role in positioning data at the heart of decision-making within the organisation.
You will join a warm, collaborative community of Data & Analytics Engineers, collaborating closely with Analysts, Tech Leads, and Product Owners. This multi-disciplinary team carries significant operational influence while operating at an ethical and principled level with strong consideration for diversity, inclusion and well-being.
This role aligns against the Senior Data Engineer framework from the Government Digital and Data Skills Framework (by the Institute of Operational Research and the British Computer Society).
Key Responsibilities
Senior data engineers design, build, and optimise automated data infrastructure, enabling the organisation to make informed decisions through data. You will be accountable to the Technical Lead, reporting on operational progress and delivering tangible outcomes.
Core focus areas:
- Design and build scalable data pipelines to connect operational systems with analytics and reporting needs
- Recognise sustained reuse opportunities and optimise data flows
- Develop ETL scripts and code to streamline data extraction, transformation, and load processes
- Collaborate with data users to identify needs and translate into technical requirements
- Use AWS cloud services to deploy reliable, sustainable solutions
- Manage infrastructure-as-code (AWS Cloud Formation, Terraform) for scalable environments
- Create tools and services that enable effective data usage
Additional daily tasks include:
- Designing and maintaining technical documentation
- Driving best practices within teams and broader channels
- Responding to incidents with prioritisation and investigations
- Developing novel solutions for diverse stakeholder data needs
- Supporting Platform users in efficiently accessing our data tools
- Building team morale through collaboration and professional development
- Line-managing a junior colleague
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Why Join Us?
- Purpose & Impact: Shape the way data transforms public sector operations.
- Improvement & Change: Be led by a data-driven decision-making mission.
- Relevant Experience Breadth Welcome: We value candidates from varied technical paths, such as analysis, software engineering, data science, etc.
Benefits
MoJ’s exceptional benefits include:
- Civil Service pension – ** employer’s £28.97%** contribution
- Generous leave policy: Up to 30 days annual leave (after 5 years), and 8 bank holidays (prorated) plus yearly privilege day.
- Legally recognised contract flexibility: Hybrid/part-time/compressed working patterns tailored to support a balanced work-life.
- Professional development investment:
- 10% of working time allocated for personal/improveable skills.
- £1,000 annual per-employee learning and development budget with access to accredited training from upper management to learning platform subscriptions.
- Holistic family leave policies:
- Maternity: 26 weeks’ full pay, + further 13-week period at paid partial rate.
- Parental leave: shared parental benefits mirroring maternity coverage.
- Extra care policies for foster parents and adopters.
- Equal opportunities framework rooted in diversity, inclusion, equality, and accessibility.
- Regional salary support (when applicable).
Full details are available in [our benefits guide](link placeholder).
Requirements & Qualifications
Essential
- Experience working in a technical team, preferably one embedding Python & SQL with strong skill proficiency
- Understanding of software development lifecycle concerns including
- Testing (pytest or similar test frameworks)
- Version control (Git ecosystem)
- CI/CD (e.g., GitHub Actions)
- Experience documenting/streamlining data projects
- Knowledge of data systems including ETL, pipelines, codes
- Ability to collaborate with stakeholders, including translating business needs into technical specs
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Assured Eligibility
- Pre-assessed eligibility for Government/SC Security Clearance
Salary Information
Base Salary Range:
- London-based applicants: £49,325 – £53,081 (possibleáj allowance up to £7,440)
- National locations: £42,914 – £46,182 (possibleáj allowance up to £9,424)
Civil Servants adjusting restart on minimum pay or retain existing base when laterally transferred. Specific allowance may vary.
Selection Process
Stage 1 – Application & Shortlisting
- Anonymised CV + supporting cover letter (required) assessed against defined criteria.
- Personal statement outlining experiences, skills, outlined per criteria section to be explicitly addressed. 750 words max.
- Working in a technical team using Python/SQL with strong skills.
- SDLC and testing (pytest), version control (Git), and CI/CD.
- Data work including wrangling/analysis.
- Collaborating with stakeholders and translating technical needs.
Stage 2 – Interview
-
Zoom/Teams interview comprising:
- Coding assignment (screen-shared session)
- Whiteboarding task scenario analysis
- Technical queries and behavioral questions
Diversity & Inclusion
Incorporating inclusivity strategies, MoJ promotes equal opportunities aligning with Civil Service People Plan (opens in link) and Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Security & Clearances
- Non-specified roles requiring checks only: UNLESS noted, applicants must clear SC level security.
- Ensuring security compliance through pre-employment-vetting standards.
Nationality & Eligibility Standards
Open to:
- UK citizens/nationals of Republic of Ireland intending to work under UK/EU frameworks post-Brexit.
- Additional qualification requirements for home-grown and UK-recognized post-Brexit EU nationals qualifying for equivalent access(ex).
Associated Benefits
- Pension Benefits (Government schemes with 28.97% employer contributions)
- Professional Development opportunities (name of curated programs)
- Regional Salary Support Scheme (where applicable)
- Advance Symposium Ticket (Support) scheme while available
For security protocols, please review our vetting charter.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location