Senior Lead Data Engineer

hackajob is collaborating with Solirius Reply to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role. Lead Data Engineer 📍 Remote (UK-based) 🔐 Active SC Clearance Required 💼 Contract | Outside IR35 We are currently looking for an experienced Lead Data Engineer to support a major government programme within the Space/Defence sector. This role requires strong expertise in building scalable data solutions, alongside proven experience delivering within UK Public Sector environments and working to GDS (Government Digital Service) standards. This is an opportunity to contribute to critical national programmes, driving data strategy and engineering best practices in highly secure environments. Key Responsibilities • Lead the design and implementation of scalable, resilient data platforms and pipelines. • Build and optimise ETL/ELT processes for large and complex datasets. • Deliver solutions aligned with GDS principles, digital service standards, and government best practices. • Work closely with technical and non-technical stakeholders across government departments. • Ensure strong data governance, quality, security, and compliance. • Develop cloud-native data architectures and modern analytics platforms. • Support Agile delivery across multidisciplinary teams. • Provide technical leadership and mentor engineering teams. Required Skills & Experience • Strong experience as a Lead Data Engineer in complex enterprise or government programmes. • Proven experience working within the UK Public Sector. • Hands-on experience delivering projects aligned to GDS standards/frameworks. • Strong expertise in Python and SQL. • Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP). • Strong understanding of data lakes, data warehousing, and modern data architectures. • Experience with orchestration tools (e.g. Airflow). • Strong experience with CI/CD and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform preferred). • Excellent stakeholder engagement and leadership capabilities. Highly Desirable • Experience within Defence, Space, or National Security programmes. • Familiarity with geospatial, satellite, or observation data. • Experience working in secure and regulated environments. Essential • Active SC Clearance (mandatory). • UK-based. • Immediate or short-notice availability preferred. Contract Details • Outside IR35 • Fully Remote • Competitive Day Rate • Long-term government programme