Data Engineer NEW

Taunton, Somerset
UCS College Group

We re looking for an experienced and proactive Data Engineer to join UCS College Group as part of our Digital Development team. This is a mid-level role suited to someone who already has solid commercial experience building and supporting data solutions within a Microsoft ecosystem and is ready to take ownership of core data processes.

Salary – £37,514 – £40,444 per annum Plus 20.3% Employer pension Contribution.

The immediate focus of the role is to strengthen how we extract, structure, analyse, and interpret data across the organisation. You ll play a key role not only in improving ETL/ELT processes and building reliable data structures, but also in transforming raw data into clear, actionable insight that supports academic performance, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making.

You will work closely with reporting teams and business stakeholders to understand analytical requirements, shape datasets that answer real organisational questions, and ensure that insight is accurate, timely, and trusted. This role requires someone who can bridge the gap between data engineering and practical analysis – ensuring that data is not only well-engineered, but genuinely useful.

In addition to day-to-day delivery, you ll help shape our broader Data Strategy and Digital Roadmap as we transition to a lakehouse-supported medallion architecture.

You ll work closely with software engineers, DevOps colleagues, reporting teams, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable data solutions in a hybrid-cloud Azure environment.

What You ll Be Doing

You ll take responsibility for the design, development, optimisation, and support of our data platform.

This includes:

• Designing and maintaining robust ETL/ELT processes to extract data from internal and external source systems
  • Building and managing structured holding tables, staging layers, and views to support operational systems and reporting
  • Developing and optimising SQL-based data models to improve performance and reliability
  • Supporting and enhancing datasets used for Power BI dashboards and operational reporting
  • Ensuring data quality, consistency, validation, and appropriate governance across platforms
  • Monitoring data flows, diagnosing performance issues, and implementing improvements
  • Working with stakeholders to translate reporting and analytical requirements into scalable data solutions
  • Applying secure data practices, including role-based access controls and appropriate handling of sensitive information
  • Contributing to documentation, standards, and best practices for data architecture and engineering

Our Technology Stack

We build and operate primarily within the Microsoft ecosystem, so you ll work hands-on with technologies such as:

• SQL Server (on-prem and Azure-hosted)
  •Azure SQL Database
  • Data Factory (Azure / Fabric)
  • Azure Functions
  • Azure Storage (Blob / Data Lake where applicable)
  • Power BI datasets and integration

The Impact of the Role

This role is central to improving how the College Group uses data. Your work will:

• Enable accurate, timely statutory and operational reporting
  • Improve visibility of performance and business outcomes
  • Reduce manual data handling and spreadsheet dependency
  • Increase automation and reliability across core systems
  • Strengthen confidence in data quality and governance
  • Support evidence-based decision making at all levels of the organisation

Growth & Development

As a Data Engineer, you ll be encouraged to:

• Contribute to architectural discussions and roadmap planning
  • Support the evolution of our Data Strategy towards a more structured, layered data platform
  • Propose improvements to data tooling and engineering practices
  • Mentor junior colleagues where appropriate
  • Develop deeper expertise in Azure data services
  • Work towards advanced Microsoft certifications in Data Engineering

You ll have autonomy, ownership, and the opportunity to help shape how data engineering evolves within the organisation – while being supported by an experienced technical team.