Senior Data Engineer
Job Description
Job Title: Senior Data Engineer
Salary: £54,600 – £73,650
Location: Cambridge, UK (Hybrid – 2–3 days per week in the office)
Contract Type: Full-time (35 hours/week), Permanent
Closing Date: 29 April 2025
Shape the Future of AI-Enhanced Education
Are you an experienced data engineer with a proven track record of building scalable, production-ready data pipelines? Do you thrive on creating efficient data workflows that power AI-driven learning and assessment innovations? Are you ready to take the lead on architecture, governance, and technical strategy? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
At Cambridge University Press & Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge, we’re a global leader in academic publishing and assessment. Our Applied AI team is looking for a talented Senior Data Engineer to build and maintain the infrastructure that drives our next-generation educational tools.
About the Role
As a Senior Data Engineer, you will:
Lead and mentor a team of data engineers to design high-performance, scalable data pipelines
Architect and optimise cloud-based data solutions to support ML and analytics workloads
Establish data governance and enforce best practices for data quality, security, and compliance
Introduce and evaluate new tools, technologies, and frameworks to ensure continuous improvement
Build monitoring and observability into our data systems for performance and reliability
Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers to align pipelines with AI/ML needs
Champion engineering standards and drive the evolution of data practices across the Applied AI function
Take ownership of technical leadership, delivery planning, and cross-team collaboration
About You
You’re a confident technical leader with a passion for data engineering, capable of balancing architectural vision, hands-on delivery, and people development. You enjoy solving complex data challenges and thrive in collaborative, agile environments.
Essential Skills & Experience:
Degree in computing, engineering, science, or a related field with strong analytical skills
5+ years of experience in data engineering, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead role
Expertise in SQL, Python, and shell scripting—writing clean, testable, production-grade code
Strong background in designing and managing large-scale data architectures
In-depth knowledge of cloud computing (especially AWS) and distributed systems
Experience in monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising complex data pipelines
Proficiency in implementing data governance, privacy, and security practices
Skilled in planning future capabilities and estimating solutions effectively
Committed to continuous learning and staying on top of emerging industry trends
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, particularly in Agile environments
Desirable:
Postgraduate degree in computing, engineering, or related discipline
Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using CloudFormation, CDK, or Terraform
Familiarity with orchestration tools like Apache Airflow, Prefect, or Dagster
Expertise in data modelling, schema design, and data warehousing
Experience supporting MLOps pipelines or ML lifecycle management
Proven leadership and mentoring experience within engineering teams
Contributions to open-source projects, technical writing, or community engagement
What We Offer
We’re committed to supporting your personal and professional well-being. Our flexible, world-class benefits package includes:
28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Private medical and permanent health insurance
Discretionary annual bonus
Group personal pension scheme
Life assurance (up to 4x salary)
Green travel schemes
Hybrid working and flexible arrangements from day one
We aim for colleagues in hybrid roles to spend 40–60% of their time in the office. If you require alternative working arrangements or adjustments due to a disability, we’re happy to discuss these with you.
How to Apply
If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We review applications on a rolling basis and may close the role early if suitable candidates are identified. Interviews are expected to take place shortly after the closing date.
Please note: Successful applicants will be required to complete satisfactory background checks, including a DBS check, due to the regulated nature of our work.
We are a licensed sponsor for Skilled Worker visa applicants. Please consult the gov.uk website to check eligibility based on this role.
Why Join Us?
Joining Cambridge University Press & Assessment is your chance to pursue your potential and make a global impact. You’ll be part of a collaborative team striving to serve students, educators, and researchers around the world. We support your growth, encourage innovation, and create space for every voice to be heard.
We are deeply committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, and we actively work to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive with us.
Ready to build the future of education with us?
Apply now and join a mission-driven organisation where your skills make a difference.
- #LI-SW1
