SecOps Data Engineer, Salford

About the job

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Home Office Digital, Data and Technology designs, builds and develops services for the rest of the department and for government. Every year our systems support up to 3 million visa applications, checks on 100 million border crossings, up to 8 million passport applications and deliver 140 million police checks on people, vehicles and property.

SecOps Data Engineers deliver on the data analytics vision for the organisation driven by the requirement to analyse, detect&respond to security threats against the organisation. You will focus on the design and implementation of numerous data flows to connect operational systems, data for analytics and BI systems.

Job description

As a SecOps Data Engineer, you will identify and deliver new data sources and develop Extract, Transform, Load (ETL)processes. You will also collaborate with the Data Acquisition, Analytics and Infrastructure teams to deliver the data strategy through the design and implementation of technology systems.

You will support Home Office Cyber Security (HOCS) in analysing problems and data analysis issues, looking for underlying causes and assisting in developing solutions. You will also be responsible for delivering data solutions in accordance with agreed organisational standards that ensure services are resilient, scalable and future-proof.

You will work closely with Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) Operations&the wider HOCS department, who will set the scope of your data engineering work through their pro-active research&understanding, in addition to retrospective implementations from known risks, incidents, intelligence originating from commercial, cross-government&international sources.

Key responsibilities:

• Assisting in the development of new data models and ETL processes, working collaboratively in the CSOC to build data streaming systems
• Designing, building and testing data products based on feeds from multiple systems using a range of different storage technologies and/or access methods
• Applying the concepts and principles of data modelling to produce, maintain and update relevant data models for specific business needs, including reverse engineering data models from a live system
• Assisting in designing, writing, iterating and optimising code from prototype to production-ready
• Undertaking data profiling and source system analysis and presenting clear insights to colleagues to support the end use of the data
• Assisting in the successful delivery of completed data loads for CSOC Engineering, Cyber Detection&Response, Threat Operations&Service Management functions, putting in place remedies and troubleshooting when required and assisting in the development of new data load programmes

Working pattern:

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. However, job-share and compressed hours are available

Travel:

Occasional travel to other home office sites may be required. All expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with home office policy.

Person specification

Essential Skills

• Experience in IT programming.
• Experience using tools such as industry standard ETL tools, network databases and scheduling and orchestration tools using languages such as SPL, KQL&Python within technologies delivered from Splunk, AWS&Azure.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders translating technical concepts into non-technical language
• Experience in managing the development and delivery of technical products
• Understanding Cloud Data technologies, solutions and future Cloud Data Strategies such as AWS or Azure.
• Ability to applying data development / engineering techniques - both in theory and practice or demonstrate a strong aptitude to learn

The essential skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework (based on the industry standard SFIA framework- Use the levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each technical skill listed). Please see below for the relevant skills for your role:

Strategy and Architecture

• Strategy and Planning
  • Innovation (INOV) - Level 2
• Advice and Guidance
  • Methods and Tools (METL) - Level 2

Development and Implementation

• Data and Analytics
  • Data Management (DATM) - Level 2
  • Data Modelling and Design (DTAN) - Level 3
  • Database Design (DBDS) - Level 2
  • Data Engineering (DENG) - Level 3

Desirable Skills

Ideally, you will also have the following skills or some experience in:

• Working with Big Data tools and data stores utilising SQL, KQL, SPL, Python.
• Using modern / open source programming languages and tools including to deliver data development / engineering products

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Innovation (INOV) - Level 2
• Methods and Tools (METL) - Level 2
• Data Management (DATM) - Level 2
• Data Modelling and Design (DTAN) - Level 3
• Database Design (DBDS) - Level 2
• Data Engineering (DENG) - Level 3

Benefits

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.

The advertised role is eligible for a Digital Capability Allowance. Successful candidates with exceptional skills and experience may apply for a Recruitment and Retention Allowance.

The allowance values are set by the Home Office, subject to remaining in a qualifying role. This allowance is non-contractual, subject to an annual review and could be withdrawn at any time. Please see the Home Office Digital Recruitment and Retention Allowance Careers page for more information.

For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance.

See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised

1. Application by 4th June 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour/sChanging and improving(maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of yourcareer history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

2. Sift - commencing 8th June 2026

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and CV.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement, CV and behaviour Changing and improving.

Candidates who pass the …