Senior Data Engineer

Senior Data Engineer – SC Cleared (Inside IR35) Location: Reading (Hybrid – 4 days on site) Contract: 6 months initially Clearance: Active SC required (Sole UK Passport Holder) We’re supporting a major Defence & Aerospace programme and are looking for an experienced Senior Data Engineer to help build new data capabilities in a secure, greenfield environment. This role suits someone who thrives in complex technical landscapes, enjoys shaping modern data services, and is comfortable working with high‑volume engineering or sensor datasets. Key Responsibilities • Design, build and maintain secure, scalable data pipelines across acquisition, integration, storage, processing and analysis. • Develop automation, tooling and analytical capabilities to support data‑driven insights. • Evaluate and adopt emerging data technologies suitable for secure environments. • Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to define data, tooling and workflow requirements. • Work across cloud platforms and diverse operating systems in mission‑focused settings. • Support ML model development and data science workflows. • Lead small work packages and mentor junior engineers. • Contribute to architectural decisions and ensure high‑quality engineering outputs. Essential Experience • Proven background as a Data Engineer with strong ownership of deliverables. • Strong Python and SQL skills. • Experience with SQL & NoSQL database architectures. • Hands‑on work with ETL/ELT pipelines and orchestration tools. • Cloud experience (AWS, Azure or GCP). • Exposure to Docker and API‑driven systems. • Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to work collaboratively. • Experience with aerospace, sensor, telemetry or other high‑volume engineering data is highly desirable. Desirable • STEM/Data/AI‑related degree. • Experience influencing technical design decisions. • CI/CD exposure. • Familiarity with big data ecosystems (Spark, Hadoop, NiFi). • Knowledge of Kubernetes, IaC (Terraform/Ansible), or ML deployment patterns.