Data Engineer (Defence)

• Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
• Security clearance: must be eligible for UK SC-level security clearance (UK national)
• Visa sponsorship: we are not able to sponsor visas for this role
• Closing date: applications reviewed on a rolling basis

The role

We’re looking for Data Engineers to build the data foundations that our defence work depends on. This is a hands-on engineering role where you will have impact across a wide variety of projects.

Potential projects might include fully engineered production pipelines, Proof of Concepts (POCs), and applied work to make sensitive or hard-to-reach data usable in operational settings.

Responsibilities

• Design and build data-intensive applications and pipelines, from ingest through to consumption
• Test, troubleshoot and improve data products, ensuring reliability and quality
• Provide technical expertise when it is required within the organisation and in client engagements
• Demonstrate flexibility in taking on work aligned to evolving company priorities
• Play an active role in sharing expertise to raise and re-use capability

What makes a great candidate

You don't need to meet every requirement to apply. If this role excites you, we'd like to hear from you.

Data Engineer:

• Experience designing and building data intensive applications and pipelines
• Strong SQL skills and comfortable working with large, complex datasets
• Experience with distributed computing, cloud platforms and orchestration tools, such as Spark, Databricks, AWS, Azure, GCP or Airflow
• Skill in preparing and cleaning messy data, including feature engineering for machine learning
• A practical approach to keeping pipelines reliable and the data they produce trustworthy
• Experience designing how data is modelled and stored so that others can use it effectively
• Ability to work with analysts, scientists and engineers to understand what they need from the data
• An analytical mindset, with the statistical understanding to question data

General:

• Strong programming skills, typically in Python, with the flexibility to pick up other modern languages
• A solid grounding in software engineering best practices and a commitment to maintain high engineering standards in all your work
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including the ability to explain technical limits to non-technical colleagues
• Ability to work effectively with ambiguity, while maintaining a disciplined, outcome-focused approach
• Experience working as part of a team, with enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and collaborating
• Strong academic foundations, typically a first-class from a leading university in Computer Science, Mathematics, AI, or a data related discipline
• Experience in defence or national security is a strong plus

What you can achieve

• Contribute to data capabilities that strengthen UK defence and national security
• Build a strong foundation in production data engineering and engineering best practices that will shape your career
• Develop your skills across the full data stack and a variety of technologies
• Learn from experienced data and software engineers who are invested in your growth
• Contribute to meaningful technical decisions as part of a collaborative, low-ego engineering team

Travel

Neptune North works with clients across the UK’s defence sector. Many engagements involve regular travel and time on client site. This could mean two to three days per week over an entire assignment, or shorter periods of full-time on-site working anywhere in the UK, at sites including Cheltenham, Bristol, Glasgow, Portsmouth or other defence hubs. We support travelling staff with full expenses and hotel arrangements, and we discuss client placements with you in advance. We are looking for engineers who see this variety as part of the appeal of consultancy work rather than a downside.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Neptune North we are committed to a work environment that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences help us attract, develop and retain the best talent. We do not discriminate based on gender, age, race or ethnicity, identification as an LGBTQIA+ individual, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by relevant local law.