Data Engineer (MoD DV Cleared)

SFIA 3 to 5 (Mid-to-Senior to Senior/Principal)

Flexible on Location (Regular trips to London)

£60,000 to £90,000 depending on experience

Most Defence data roles will tell you they’re “fast-paced,” “mission-focused” and “cutting-edge.”

But then you walk through the door and it feels like 1998, complete with outdated tooling and a culture that hasn’t moved on since the early internet.

This team is the opposite of that.

You’d be joining a younger, modern, people-first environment that actually invests in developing its engineers. Promotion isn’t something you wait years for; it’s something the business genuinely pushes you toward.

They actively track progression, support certifications and training, and create opportunities for their engineers to take ownership instead of being hidden behind layers of hierarchy.

Combine that with long-term Defence work and a roadmap full of high-priority projects, and you get somewhere DV-cleared Data Engineers actually enjoy working.

What you’ll be doing

From the official spec (interpreted for a more human read):

• Designing and building ETL frameworks that ingest, transform and validate large datasets
• Profiling data, validating requirements and ensuring accuracy across complex sources
• Creating data models and managing storage solutions (S3, Blob, BigQuery, Snowflake)
• Improving governance, interoperability and data standards across programmes
• Developing anonymisation, synthesis and security controls for sensitive datasets
• Monitoring and tuning workflows for performance, efficiency and reliability
• Supporting analytics teams by shaping the data backbone they rely on
• Researching emerging tech, evaluating new tools and contributing to engineering strategy

This is proper data engineering. Not BI cleanup. Not dashboard assembly. Real pipelines, real modelling and real ownership inside a high-side environment.

What you’ll bring

• Proven data engineering experience in complex, multi-source environments
• Proficiency in SQL and Python
• Experience with ETL tools and distributed frameworks (Airflow, Spark)
• Practical cloud experience (AWS, Azure or GCP)
• Solid grounding in data modelling, integration and governance
• Awareness of AI/ML data requirements and secure-domain constraints
• Strong problem-solving and the ability to work autonomously

You don’t need experience with every tool. You do need to think clearly, build well and operate confidently in sensitive domains.

Why people join this team

Feedback from Engineers that have already joined this team:

• The culture is young, modern and progression-focused
• Talent development and upskilling are treated as part of the job, not an afterthought
• Leadership is approachable, human and not ego-driven
• There’s long-term Defence work secured, giving engineers both stability and variety

It feels like the best parts of a consultancy without the stereotypical churn and burn.

Who is this right for...

• Data Engineers with ACTIVE DV clearance
• People frustrated with stagnant career paths in other Defence suppliers
• Those who can visit London semi-regularly and work high-side when required

...and not right for

• Pure analysts with minimal engineering delivery
• People who want narrow, repetitive work
• Engineers who avoid ownership or stakeholder engagement

Inclusion

If you don’t meet every requirement, you’re encouraged to apply. People from underrepresented groups often self-select out even when they’re highly capable. If you have DV clearance and strong data engineering foundations, you’ll be considered. Adjustments can be made throughout the hiring process.

As an industry leading, nationwide Marketing, Digital, Analytics, IT and Design recruitment agency, we are continually receiving new assignments to work on, so keep a close eye on our website, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages for a full list of current permanent and interim opportunities as well as marketplace news and fun stuff.
Forward Role is operating as an employment agency.