Data Engineer

Somerset County Council; Taunton; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government office in Taunton seeks a Data Engineer to design and operate data pipelines on Microsoft Fabric. This role involves shaping data models and ensuring governance and quality in data. Candidates should have experience in Python, SQL, and cloud platforms, along with a relevant degree. Offering a salary of £37,280 - £41,771 plus benefits including flexible working and generous leave.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Staff discounts in gyms

Employee Assistance Program

Generous Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience building and maintaining data pipelines using Python, SQL, and JSON.
• Understanding cloud platforms and data governance.
• Degree or certification in relevant fields.

Responsibilities

• Design and operate data pipelines on Microsoft Fabric.
• Shape high quality data models and products for analysts.
• Implement governance and data quality from the start.

Skills

Data pipeline construction

Python

SQL

JSON

Data governance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Fabric

Power BI

Microsoft Purview

Job description

About the job

Some key information

• Hybrid working - County Hall, Taunton
• 30 days annual leave
• Fixed term position for 2 years

What will I be doing?

We're working to improve the lives of people in Somerset - and you'll be a key part of that. Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Build and run reliable data pipelines on Microsoft Fabric: You will design and operate repeatable ingestion patterns from our core business systems and trusted external sources. You will implement incremental loads, manage schema change, and orchestrate flows into OneLake across bronze, silver and gold style layers. You will write clean and well documented code, keep data moving on schedule, and resolve issues quickly so colleagues across the organisation can depend on timely data.
• Shape high quality data models and products: You will model entities and relationships, define clear data contracts, and publish curated tables and views that are easy to discover and reuse. You will build semantic models for Power BI with standardised definitions and measures so analysts and service teams can answer questions without rebuilding logic each time.
• Embed governance security and data quality from the start: You will implement validation rules for completeness accuracy and timeliness, monitor data quality, and document lineage in Microsoft Purview so teams can see how data flows from source to insight. You will apply role based access control, manage secrets with Key Vault, and follow information governance and GDPR requirements so sensitive data stays protected and useful.
• Work closely with analysts service leads and system owners to deliver outcomes: You will turn goals into technical work, iterate in small steps, and communicate progress clearly. You will collaborate across ICT analytics and operational services, contribute to shared engineering standards and reviews, and produce run books and handovers that help colleagues support and extend what you build.
• Modernise and improve the platform continuously: You will help migrate legacy data flows and reports into Fabric, simplify overlapping pathways, and improve performance reliability and cost efficiency. You will automate testing and release through CI/CD, stay current with modern data practices, and share learning through our community of practice.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Have experience building and maintaining data pipelines using Python, SQL, and JSON.
• Understand cloud platforms (especially Microsoft Fabric), lakehouses, and medallion architecture.
• Know your way around data governance, privacy regulations (GDPR), and secure-by-design principles.
• Can translate business needs into technical solutions across cross-functional teams.
• Hold a degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field - and ideally a cloud data engineering certification.

What\'s in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

Anything else I should know?

The salary for this role is £37,280 - £41,771 per annum.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Josh Pimm, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, [e-mail]

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you are internal and applying as a secondment opportunity, please discuss with your line manager before applying.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can\'t wait to hear from you.

DBS information

This role requires a criminal background (DBS) check via the Disclosure procedure.

Supporting documents and information

Please read any attached documents before applying for this job

RP259 Data Engineer - Job description (SCC05821).pdf
pdf, 168.89 KB