Regulatory Data Engineer

Department: Data Management

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Lancaster UK

Reporting To: Jonathan Holding

Role description

We are seeking a data engineer with strong data modelling and handling experience to join our Regulatory Data team. You’ll help shape and maintain systems that manage high-quality substance regulatory data, supporting both our new and legacy platforms.

Within this role, you would help drive the Extract, Transform, and Load process for structured regulatory list data, from diverse sources. The process takes the data through a raw, 'maximally granular' form, and into formats that are appropriate to both the target systems and the content of the original regulations. Someone able to keep an overview of the work required will be essential for the extensive migration program planned to move end users onto systems fed by enhanced data.

Due to the volume of (re)extraction, transformation, and quality control required for this program, we have a team of junior full and part-time personnel working effectively to perform data extractions, review work, and create transformed datasets from pre-set rules. You would be working with this existing team to review new jobs; analysing data sources to get to grips with the nature of the data, how best to extract it, and creating the rules to say what it should look like in the target data systems.

This will involve the selection or creation of appropriate schema compatible with both the legacy data system and the new one. As such, the role will feature an initial training program to get you familiar with the structure and philosophy of both the old and the new data systems, so that you are comfortable defining target data schemas for upload.

Although some hard technical skills are required, this role focuses on data analysis, schema design, and process definition rather than software development. You’ll work closely with technical and regulatory experts to ensure our data systems remain accurate, consistent, and future-ready.

Core responsibilities

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• Investigate the technical requirements of data extractions
  
• Perform final quality checks of extracted data and methods used
  
• Analyse extracted data objects for compatibility with target data structures
  
• Create transformation instructions for data sets, and configure target systems
  
• Work with data owners to ensure that data sets upload and display correctly
  
• Ensure data quality: at each step of the process and end-to-end
  
• Supported by...
  
• Developing knowledge of the meaning and context of both inputs and outputs
  
• Maintenance of a codebase of modules created by the extraction team
  
• Experimentation with new methods in data extraction
  
• Interaction with the team of Data Technicians and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for regulatory insight
  

Additional tasks

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• Design extraction strategies for extensive or problematic sources
  
• Respond to stakeholder queries and give status updates
  
• Document processes and decisions to support transparency and reproducibility
  
• Assist colleagues with data manipulation and validation tasks
  
• Design reusable tools and methods to assist data management
  

Essential qualities and skills

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• Experience with relational databases and structured data formats (e.g. XML, JSON, CSV)
  
• Experience with Python (in particular web scraping and data handling packages, e.g.: Selenium, Pandas)
  
• Experience with advanced data methods in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
  
• Strong logical and analytical skills, and an ability to visualise complex systems
  
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
  
• Experience working within a quality-focussed team
  
• Interest in chemical regulations and the context behind regulatory data
  
• A Grade 4/C in Maths and English GCSE or equivalent, plus Advanced Level (or equivalent) qualification in STEM subjects
  

Desirable qualities, skills, and qualifications

• 
  
• Professional experience in data modelling, ETL, or data quality control
  
• Undergraduate degree in a STEM field
  
• Experience with work management practices and frameworks (in particular: Kanban, Agile, Scrum)
  
• Experience with spreadsheet macro languages Visual Basic and/or Google Apps Script
  
• Familiarity with regulatory or scientific data
  
• Enthusiasm for researching topics and methods outside of your current areas of knowledge
  

Dependent on location, we offer an excellent range of staff benefits, including:

• 
  
• Pension Scheme and Medical Benefits
  
• Generous holidays
  
• Professional Development
  
• Social Culture
  
• Flexible working