Be at the heart of actionFly remote-controlled drones into enemy territory to gather vital information.

Apply Now

Principal Data Engineer. Job in Glasgow Education & Training Jobs

Police Scotland
Glasgow
2 days ago
Create job alert

The postholder will utilize their exceptional technical skills and experience to provide the highest level of expert technical leadership in Data Engineering to the design, development, implementation and maintenance of integrations and data flows that connect operational systems, enabling the provision of highly capable data for analytics and business intelligence services across Police Scotland and the SPA.


The role will involve designing, developing and implementing innovative, effective, efficient solutions to complex data integration problems, through the novel application of relevant technologies and techniques, in order to deliver secure, responsive, legislatively compliant data services across the organisation.


You will provide exceptional technical leadership to the data engineering team in relation to the control and management of all data systems and services to ensure best performance, and alignment with business requirements. This will include, but not be limited to enterprise data archiving, data platforming, data ETL, data analytics and reporting technologies and associated infrastructure involved in the provision of all data services across the estate.


Currently Police Scotland have guidance in place that allows appropriate roles to be operated on an agile basis.


This is a permanent post which requires MV clearance.


You will work 35 working hours per week, Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm


Educational/Occupational Essential

A degree in Data Science, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or other STEM-based subject, accompanied by experience in a data engineering or computer science environment. OR


Where no relevant formal qualifications exist a considerable track record of success within a data engineering or computer science environment.


Personal Qualities Essential

Experience participating in data science projects involving cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.


Experience in leading data science capability building across teams and wider organisations through the construction of robust, scalable integration processes.


Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to non-technical stakeholders.


Experience in re-engineering manual data flows.


Creativity to solve complex problems.


Ability to work under pressure and to demanding deadlines.


Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate, interact and influence at all levels of the organisation.


Excellent attention to detail


Personal Qualities Desirable

Experience of Continuous Integration/Continuous Development and Agile frameworks.


Experience creating/delivering complex technical messages for a variety of readers.


Proven ability to manage end-to-end enterprise data technologies.


Special Aptitudes Essential

Expert knowledge of the development and administration of relational and NoSQL database Systems and Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence concepts and best practices.


Expert in architecting, designing, developing and testing ETL solutions.


Good working knowledge with data governance principles, data privacy regulations (e.g. GDPR), and data security best practices.


Special Aptitudes Desirable

Experience with geospatial data preparation and related tools.


Knowledge and experience of programming languages such as Python, Java, or Scala.


Good knowledge of machine learning principles and their application in data engineering.


The Digital Division has more than 350 staff across 14 locations, supporting the technological provision, development and transformation of digital services to in excess of 22,000 Police officers and staff across the organisation.


We continue to introduce new technologies and systems to support continuous improvement as a catalyst to new ways of working and creating new options for business functions to improve efficiencies.


The division have delivered more than 10,000 mobile devices to our officers, implemented body worn video for our armed officers, supported the provision of virtual courts, plus progressing through the implementation of a single crime reporting system.


We continue to deliver innovative and enabling technology through the development and implementation of numerous projects which will transform our services for a digital future. We will completely transform our communication platform across the organisation and how the public interact with our contact centres. We will deliver an end-to-end service across the Criminal Justice sector which will collect, manage, and share digital evidence throughout the criminal justice process. We will introduce new technologies and systems to allow us to ensure that Data is at the heart of everything we do and is captured, managed, protected and accessible to the benefit of Police Scotland and its partners.


More than £1.4 million worth of training has been allocated to the Digital Division function in the last few years to ensure our people can continue to develop their skills to align with the future of the division. Digital Division have a range of training options available to staff, these include access to LinkedIn Learning licences, internal training and funded classroom training via our contracted training provider.


Why join us?

  • Competitive salary with annual increments
  • Full-time or part-time shift patterns
  • 28 days annual leaveand 6 public holidays
  • Local government pension scheme for long-term security
  • Ongoing training to develop your skills
  • Opportunities for career progression and professional growth
  • Comprehensive wellbeing support and dynamic work environment
  • Exclusive discounts and savings through our rewards and benefits network

Full details regarding this vacancy can be found in the attached Role Profile.


Applicants must be a British citizen, a member of the EU or other states in the EEA, a Commonwealth citizen or a foreign national free of restrictions.


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Principal Data Engineer

Principal Data Engineer

Lead Data Engineer

Lead Data Scientist

Senior Data Engineer

Data Scientist

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Machine Learning Hiring Trends 2026: What to Watch Out For (For Job Seekers & Recruiters)

As we move into 2026, the machine learning jobs market in the UK is going through another big shift. Foundation models and generative AI are everywhere, companies are under pressure to show real ROI from AI, and cloud costs are being scrutinised like never before. Some organisations are slowing hiring or merging teams. Others are doubling down on machine learning, MLOps and AI platform engineering to stay competitive. The end result? Fewer fluffy “AI” roles, more focused machine learning roles with clear ownership and expectations. Whether you are a machine learning job seeker planning your next move, or a recruiter trying to build ML teams, understanding the key machine learning hiring trends for 2026 will help you stay ahead.

Machine Learning Recruitment Trends 2025 (UK): What Job Seekers Need To Know About Today’s Hiring Process

Summary: UK machine learning hiring has shifted from title‑led CV screens to capability‑driven assessments that emphasise shipped ML/LLM features, robust evaluation, observability, safety/governance, cost control and measurable business impact. This guide explains what’s changed, what to expect in interviews & how to prepare—especially for ML engineers, applied scientists, LLM application engineers, ML platform/MLOps engineers and AI product managers. Who this is for: ML engineers, applied ML/LLM engineers, LLM/retrieval engineers, ML platform/MLOps/SRE, data scientists transitioning to production ML, AI product managers & tech‑lead candidates targeting roles in the UK.

Why Machine Learning Careers in the UK Are Becoming More Multidisciplinary

Machine learning (ML) has moved from research labs into mainstream UK businesses. From healthcare diagnostics to fraud detection, autonomous vehicles to recommendation engines, ML underpins critical services and consumer experiences. But the skillset required of today’s machine learning professionals is no longer purely technical. Employers increasingly seek multidisciplinary expertise: not only coding, algorithms & statistics, but also knowledge of law, ethics, psychology, linguistics & design. This article explores why UK machine learning careers are becoming more multidisciplinary, how these fields intersect with ML roles, and what both job-seekers & employers need to understand to succeed in a rapidly changing landscape.