Lead Data Engineer

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Data Engineering / Management

• Lead the data engineers to inform, estimate, monitor and deliver on sprint requirements agreed with the Data Engineering Lead.
• Develop, implement and support data solutions using a variety of technologies, tools and standards.
• Lead the process to support, maintain and contribute to the development of in-house systems, to ensure that the information generated and held by them is accurate and meets the requirements of the NHS data dictionary and mandated standards.
• Define and promote industry practice coding and development standards for SQL Server.
• Lead the support of and investigation, correction and prevention of issues relating to existing Trust-developed data solutions, systems and processes, identifying issues and implementing resolution in a timely manner.
• Responsible for day-to-day database administration of the Data Engineering servers, liaising with the Infrastructure team as required.
• Communicate with NHS staff at all levels on business or clinical processes.
• Attend meetings for project delivery, change management, communications and operational management where required.
• Participate in the development of the data strategy ensuring the development and structures are suitable for the NHS within a horizon of five years.
• Engage with NHS-Digital and NHS England technical forums ensuring the Christies technical profile and staying current with the national agenda.
• Review new technical development tools, languages, methodologies and advise of potential opportunities to adopt where appropriate.Research and advise management on new technologies, tools and standards, assessing potential for enhancement of existing services.
• Liaise, as necessary, with NHS staff at all levels to resolve faults across NHS organisations or external companies, and third-party suppliers where necessary to facilitate service delivery.
• Provide peer review, mentoring, training and assistance for Data Engineers development.
• Ensure data solutions are optimally configured.
• Ensure data solutions systems and processes are monitored for performance and advise on architecture and hardware requirements as required.
• Create and define policies and procedures for data solutions development in association with the Data Engineering Lead and Enterprise Architect.
• Ensure all knowledge base documentation associated with data solutions is kept up to date and frequently reviewed.

CORE SKILLS

Human Resources

• Responsible for line management of own team in line with appropriate policies, procedures, working practices and guidelines, ensuring all resources are deployed to maximise an efficient and effective delivery of support services to patients and users.
• Undertake and support the development of staff (if applicable) in line with personal development reviews and other associated guidance.
• Provide training for staff (if applicable) from own or other disciplines on own subject area, when required.
• On occasion the post holder may be required to work unsociable hours to support and/or enable the delivery of key programmes or projects.
• Provide regular performance reports on progress, status and achievements for own area to be used by both management and users.

Financial/Physical Resources

• Ensure the robust management of financial resources allocated to own areas and make proposals to maximise those resources through budget setting, recharges, long term financial planning and cost saving opportunities.
• Be responsible for the safe use of ICT hardware and software, including installation, repair and maintenance.
• Monitor the maintenance and support contracts allocated to own area, ensuring continuity of service and budget management. Liaise with third party suppliers to identify and evaluate potential value for money contracts.
• Liaise with external agencies, suppliers and contractors ensuring delivery of service is in line with agreed contracts.
• Contribute to business appraisals and business case production when required in partnership with NHS stake holders. Undertake solution searches and appraisals of supplier proposals.
• Ensure Trust procurement processes and procedures are followed in a timely and efficient manner and participate in the procurement process where relevant, providing assistance for the development and assessment of procurement documentation as required.
• Ensure the post holder adheres to Trust Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs).

Project Management

• Advise and participate in the development and implementation of projects, where required, ensuring Informatics provision of integrated solutions and user objectives are achieved.
• Ensure project tasks, where required, are successfully delivered in line with agreed timescales and budgets.
• Support the activities of project boards and project teams, when required, and making presentations, where required, to all levels of staff.
• Where required; lead work streams as part of projects for system implementations.
• Ensure any project management documentation or reports are delivered in line with agreed standards and timescales.

Policy/Service Development/Governance

• Act as an ambassador for the Christie Informatics Service by developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with users across organisations to deliver a high quality, standard IT culture to achieve local requirements and national targets.
• Lead in the development and maintenance of a culture of service provision and continuous improvement for own areas.
• Be responsible for implementing policies for own work area and for proposing changes to policies, in line with legislation, Trust and NHS policies and guidelines across the Trust, where appropriate.
• Pro-actively participate in ensuring that Informatics services delivered within the Trust reflect best practice with respect to organisational, NHS and legislative requirements and guidelines including IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Data Protection Act (1998), Information Standards, Information Security and compliance with NHS Information Governance.
• Participate in Information Governance and security as required and ensure appropriate governance and security in own area.
• Participate in quality management system, undertaking audits designed to improve IT systems and services.
• Ensure change management is applied in own areas and follows implemented policies and procedures.
• Ensure all documentation relating to own area is complete and fit for purpose and all releases relating to hardware, software and documentation is controlled.
• Ensure there is a proactive and comprehensive approach to risk management and be responsible for service continuity for own area and participate in the Informatics service continuity planning.
• Provide Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for allocated incidents and problems as directed; instigating emergency action, when required, liaising with other Trust Managers, as appropriate.

Business Continuity Management

• Contribute to the development, exercising, maintaining and reviewing of business continuity plans.
• Participate in the business impact analysis exercises highlighting critical business processes within own area.
• Be familiar with the Trust Business Continuity Plan and personal responsibilities within where applicable.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in an analytical subject or demonstrable equivalent experience
• Related technical qualifications or demonstrable equivalent experience

Desirable

• UK Council for Health Informatics Professionals registration or equivalent (UKCHIP)
• Agile development qualification
• Microsoft certifications/Equivalent technical qualifications.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of leading a team of developers and appraising the technical competence of their work.
• Track record of management/supervisory experience including managing staff development.
• Substantial experience of working in a complex and high dependency technical environment with multiple stakeholders.
• Substantial experience of SQL server database/data warehouse design, development and deployment in a large/complex organisation.
• Substantial experience of SQL server database administration, maintenance and support.
• Substantial experience of designing and implementing database security.
• Substantial experience of handling ETL issues and solutions across a range of systems.
• Substantial experience of working in a Business Intelligence development role and proven experience in the analysis, design, development and support of Information and IT systems
• Creating new policies, procedures and system documentation relating to Data management.
• Substantial experience with Azure DevOps or other equivalent products.
• Substantial experience of software version control using Git.
• Substantial experience of defect management and structured approaches to resolution of issues.
• Experience of successfully managing a number of equally important tasks successfully.
• Experience of Agile development methodologies.

Desirable

• Experience of .Net development framework
• Developing, Deploying, Monitoring using Microsoft Azure services.
• Experience of noSQL databases
• Successful track record of achieving service improvements through initiating the use of new technologies and supporting the management of change
• Experience of processing and developing data interchange using XML/JSON.

Skills

Essential

• Highly advanced T-SQL development in Microsoft BI stack.
• Highly advanced SSIS development including writing script components/tasks in C#.
• Highly advanced SQL Server server administration.
• Advanced database architecture and design.
• Data warehouse design and development.
• Advanced ability to influence staff at all levels to ensure that all members of the team including users and stakeholders own project objectives.
• Extensive ability to use own initiative, coach individuals and lead a team engendering enthusiasm and commitment.
• Ability to explain complex technical issues to a non-technical audience.
• Flexible, positive, resilient, methodical, team player.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to work to deadlines, prioritise and manage workload in a busy and changing environment.
• Strong problem-solving approach to live issue resolution.
• Able to learn new technologies and IT systems quickly through both self-study and professional courses.

Desirable

• Application of essential skills within NHS environment.
• Net development skills.
• Ability to communicate with staff at all levels on complex business or clinical processes.
• Ability to build good collaborative relationships with clinical stakeholders.

Knowledge

Essential

• Substantial knowledge of database security principles.
• Substantial knowledge of the full software development life cycle.
• Knowledge of practical application of agile development methodologies.
• Knowledge of data warehouse design methodologies.
• Practical knowledge of data warehouse operational development and benefits realization.
• Advanced knowledge and practical experience of change management.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the NHS data dictionary and standards.
• IT literacy in server and network infrastructure.

Other

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal Development.
• Travel to Christie managed sites as necessary.
• Ability to undertake work out-of-hours, on weekends and Public Holidays as required by exception.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).