Shape the Future of Digital ArchivesAt The National Archives, we don’t just record history—we transform how it’s preserved, accessed, and understood. We are the guardians of the UK’s digital Public Records, ensuring that government decisions, events, and societal moments are accessible for generations to come. Digital records aren’t just files on a server; they are our collective memory, shaping the future of research, democracy, and public engagement.
As a Senior Data Engineer, you’ll play a crucial role in designing, building, and optimising the data infrastructure that powers our digital archive. You will engineer scalable, secure, and resilient data pipelines that ensure public records remain structured, searchable, and reusable for researchers, educators, and policymakers.
This is not just a technical role—it’s an opportunity to influence how the UK’s most valuable digital assets are accessed. You’ll be working with cutting edge technology to solve some of the most complex and meaningful data engineering challenges in the public sector.
Why Join Us?
• Your work will ensure that raw government records are transformed into a structured, accessible digital archive that empowers researchers, educators, and the public.
• We embrace innovation, leveraging AWS, scalable data pipelines, machine learning, and graph databases to tackle unique challenges.
• Work alongside data engineers, digital records specialists, designers and developers who are passionate about shaping the future of digital archiving.
• Whether it's technical, leadership training or mentoring opportunities, we invest in your career development.
• Based in an iconic riverside location on the banks of the Thames, with access to an onsite gym and green spaces for the perfect balance of work and outdoor time.
What You’ll Be DoingEngineering Data Platforms• Designing, implementing, and optimising scalable data platforms and pipelines that support digital archiving.
• Automating data cleansing, validation, standardisation, migration, and transformation, ensuring high-quality and structured data delivery.
• Engineering secure and reliable data processes that meet the needs of diverse user groups, from government departments to academic researchers.
• Managing data migrations across platforms, ensuring data integrity and security throughout the process.
• Advocating for best practices in data governance, ensuring data remains secure, structured, and reusable.
Who We’re Looking For
• Proven hands-on experience with large-scale data querying, transformation, and integration using tools like Talend, Python, SQL, SPARQL, and Shell scripting.
• Strong knowledge of data models and structures (JSON, XML, CSV, RDF, relational and graph databases).
• Experience with problem-solving complex data challenges, balancing innovation with practical implementation.
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills, capable of working across teams to influence data strategy and best practices.
SC clearance/willingness to obtain SC clearance will be required for this role. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past three years. Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than three years as your application will be rejected.
