Company Description
About NIHR
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). We work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public.
The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. We are also a major funder of applied health research in low and middle income countries.
Further information on the NIHR can be found at: www.nihr.ac.uk. In particular, you are encouraged to review our operational priorities. DHSC contracts directly with a number of NHS Trusts, universities and life science organisations that together host our two coordinating centres:
- NIHR Coordinating Centre (NIHRCC), hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the University of Southampton, and LGC
- Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre (CRNCC), hosted by a consortium of the University of Leeds and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
These two coordinating centres share operational responsibility for the NIHR. Their work is directed by DHSC’s Chief Scientific Adviser and by the Director and Senior Management Team of DHSC's Science Research and Evidence Directorate. For more information, see NIHR’s governance page.
This role is within NIHRCC and your employer will be LGC.
Job Description
Role Overview
Reporting to our Data Analytics Manager, this is a fantastic opportunity to join the Data and Insight Team within LGC as a Data Engineer for up to 12 months. You will be the only Data Engineer in the team, so will be drawing on your professional experience and skills to review, recommend, and initiate implementation of innovations to enhance our data systems. This will enable colleagues in the Data and Insight Team, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Team and colleagues more widely across the organisation to use data to generate insight on the impact of our investment into health and social care research and to support more rapid responses to information requests.
For the duration of this fixed term post you will be an expert within the organisation, helping to set the agenda for effective use of data engineering to improve our processes. The ideal candidate would have experience in health and research funding or a strong track record in applying data engineering more broadly and an eagerness to learn about this sector.
The role is a hybrid role based partly in the LGC office in Twickenham (currently at least 4 days a month).
Key Responsibilities
- Review and and make recommendations to improve data infrastructure and SQL database structure
- Review and improve current ETL models (SSIS)
- Explore, design and develop processes and extraction routines (APIs etc) within Alteryx Server for acquiring data from external data sources
- Extract, collate, cleanse and migrate data that is not currently held in SQL database and develop Alteryx workflows within Alteryx Server to automate future data prep and cleaning
- Design data models and metadata systems to enable analysts to work more effectively with the data products we produce
- Develop clear instructional documentation to support ongoing maintenance of enhancements made to the data infrastructure
- Communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders of varying levels of seniority across the organisation
- Working across the organisation to understand need for data engineering to support organisational objectives
- Support the development of Data Analysts in good Data Engineering practice
- Recommendation of new analytical tools matching requirements and/or analytics strategy
Qualifications
Required Criteria
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or similar Analytical discipline or equivalent experience
- Demonstrated experience working in Data Engineering or closely related roles
- Extensive, demonstrable experience of Structure Query Language (SQL)
- Demonstrable experience working with SSIS packages and Microsoft Visual Studio
- Experience using Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Data Engineering
- Understanding of Alteryx or similar data processing tools
- Good understanding of data warehousing concepts and ETL processes
- Knowledge of a programming language (e.g. C#, Java, Python)
- Experience with AGILE methodologies
- Demonstrated experience of writing effective technical documentation for lay audiences
- Excellent organisational skills, including effective prioritisation and the ability to achieve targets to deadlines
- Highly motivated self-starter – ability to work independently and effectively in a team environment, collaborate both internally and externally and provide guidance to managers and staff
- Excellent attention to detail
Desirable Criteria
- Expertise deploying or writing bespoke algorithms to solve business challenges
- Knowledge of health or research funding