Principal Data Engineer – £92,500 Salary | Bedford | Permanent Hybrid Job
Principal Data Engineer Job – UK
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is recruiting for a Principal Data Engineer to join its Technology & Change team in Bedford.
This is a senior technical leadership opportunity for an experienced data engineering professional with strong expertise in Azure cloud technologies, modern data architecture, data platforms and engineering leadership.
The successful candidate will provide strategic and technical leadership for MaPS’s data engineering function and help shape the future direction of its data platform.
Job Highlights
- Job Title: Principal Data Engineer
- Employer: The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)
- Salary: £92,500 per year
- Location: Bedford, UK
- Contract: Permanent
- Working Pattern: Full-time, flexible working
- Working Arrangement: Hybrid
- Department: MAPS – Technology & Change
- Job Type: Information Technology
- Reference Number: 478932
- Job Reference: MaPS01306
- Vacancies: 1
- Closing Date: 11 September 2026 at 11:55 PM
About the Principal Data Engineer Role
The Principal Data Engineer will report to the Head of Data and Analytics and will serve as the most senior technical leadership role within the data engineering function.
The position is aligned with the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework and involves responsibility for the strategic direction, technical architecture and engineering standards of the organisation’s data platform.
You will work across Technology & Change and the wider organisation, providing technical leadership and helping ensure that MaPS has scalable, secure, reliable and effective data engineering capabilities.
Key Responsibilities
Data Platform Strategy and Engineering Leadership
The Principal Data Engineer will:
- Own the strategic direction and roadmap of the MaPS data platform.
- Define the overall technical architecture of the data platform.
- Ensure the platform supports current and future organisational requirements.
- Establish and maintain engineering standards, patterns, frameworks and best practices.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend approaches that improve scalability, reliability and efficiency.
- Provide technical assurance across major data engineering initiatives.
- Ensure data engineering activities remain aligned with enterprise architecture.
Data Engineering Capability Leadership
The successful candidate will provide leadership across the data engineering function.
Responsibilities include:
- Leading and developing the data engineering capability.
- Ensuring the right skills and operating model are in place.
- Establishing effective ways of working.
- Coaching and mentoring data engineering professionals.
- Supporting career development and professional growth.
- Working with delivery and technology leaders on resource planning.
- Helping prioritise engineering capacity across the organisation’s portfolio.
Data Platform and Architecture
The role will involve significant responsibility for data platform architecture, including:
- Defining and maintaining target-state data platform architecture.
- Designing strategies for data platforms, pipelines and supporting services.
- Ensuring engineering solutions meet organisational standards.
- Embedding security requirements and architectural principles.
- Maintaining platform resilience and scalability.
- Improving performance and operational effectiveness.
- Promoting reusable engineering patterns.
- Encouraging metadata-driven and automated engineering approaches.
- Reducing complexity and improving delivery efficiency.
Azure Cloud Data Engineering
A major part of the role involves strategic oversight of cloud-based data technologies.
The successful candidate will provide leadership around:
- Cloud data platforms
- Data storage technologies
- Data integration services
- Analytics infrastructure
- Microsoft Azure services
- Microsoft Fabric
- Azure Data Factory
- Azure Synapse Analytics
- Azure Data Lake Storage
You will also help drive platform optimisation and ensure cloud technologies are used efficiently and cost-effectively.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Leadership
The Principal Data Engineer will act as a senior technical adviser for data engineering across the organisation.
The role requires collaboration with:
- Data Product Managers
- Data Scientists
- Data Analysts
- Enterprise Architecture teams
- Security teams
- Delivery teams
- Technology & Change leadership
- External suppliers and technology partners
You will provide technical leadership across complex initiatives and communicate technical decisions effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Data Governance, Security and Quality
The successful candidate will help ensure that data engineering practices support strong governance, security and compliance.
Key responsibilities include:
- Embedding data governance controls into engineering processes.
- Supporting secure data platforms and products.
- Promoting reliable data engineering practices.
- Working with data governance colleagues.
- Supporting data quality and operational best practice.
- Ensuring engineering solutions meet relevant security and compliance requirements.
Essential Requirements
Applicants should have substantial experience in senior data engineering leadership roles.
The essential requirements include:
- Extensive experience in senior data engineering leadership.
- Significant experience delivering cloud-based data platforms.
- Strong knowledge of modern data architecture principles.
- Experience with data lakes.
- Knowledge of medallion architecture.
- Experience with data products.
- Understanding of distributed data platforms.
- Significant experience with Azure data technologies.
- Experience with Microsoft Fabric.
- Experience with Azure Synapse Analytics.
- Experience with Azure Data Factory.
- Experience with Azure Data Lake Storage.
- Experience defining technical strategies.
- Experience establishing architecture standards.
- Experience creating engineering roadmaps.
- Proven experience leading high-performing engineering teams.
- Strong knowledge of data governance and security.
- Understanding of resilience and operational best practice.
- Experience providing technical leadership across complex transformation programmes.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Strong influencing skills.
- Commercial awareness.
- Ability to balance technical decisions with organisational priorities and value.
Salary and Employment Details
The role offers a salary of:
£92,500 per year
The position is:
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Flexible working
- Hybrid
- Based in Bedford
The MaPS headquarters in Bedford is the contractual place of work.
Hybrid Working
MaPS operates a flexible approach to working.
Hybrid working is described as a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement. The amount of home working available will primarily depend on business requirements, while personal and other relevant circumstances may also be considered.
Successful candidates will discuss potential hybrid working arrangements before taking up the position.
Employee Benefits
The Money and Pensions Service offers a range of benefits, including:
Annual Leave
- 30 days of annual leave
- Plus Bank Holidays
Pension
- Pension contributions matched at 2:1
- Employer contribution of up to 10% of salary
Travel and Lifestyle Benefits
- Interest-free season ticket loan for buses and trains
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Subsidised eye tests
- Subsidised flu vaccinations
Health and Wellbeing
- Life assurance scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- PAM Assist
- PAM Life wellbeing scheme
- Enhanced family pay
- Enhanced sick pay
Additional Benefits
- Give As You Earn scheme
- Two days of paid volunteering per year
- Recognition Scheme
- Discounts portal offering access to numerous retailers
About the Money and Pensions Service
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford and works to help people across the UK.
The organisation is built around three core values:
Caring
MaPS cares about its colleagues and the people whose lives the organisation aims to transform.
Connecting
The organisation aims to transform lives by creating positive connections.
Transforming
MaPS is committed to making a positive societal impact and transforming people’s lives.
Inclusive Working Environment
MaPS promotes an inclusive working environment and welcomes applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds.
The organisation views diversity as a strength and is committed to inclusion, equity and belonging.
Its colleague and ally networks include areas such as:
- LGBTQ+
- Neurodiversity
- Women’s health
- Men’s health
- Ethnicity
- Diversity
Recruitment and Selection Process
The recruitment process consists of several stages.
1. Initial CV Review
A recruiter will review submitted CVs.
If your experience appears to match the requirements, the recruiter may contact you to arrange an initial call.
2. Hiring Manager Review
Candidates considered suitable by the recruiter will have their CV passed to the hiring manager.
The hiring manager will then determine whether the candidate should proceed to interview.
3. Interview
Selected candidates will participate in a virtual interview.
The process is described as a single-stage interview involving competency-based questions.
Candidates will also be required to deliver a short presentation.
Career Development
MaPS places emphasis on career development and encourages applications from existing colleagues.
Recruitment follows the relevant Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, meaning candidates participate in a full, open and fair recruitment process.
Reserve List
Candidates who successfully complete the interview may be placed on a reserve list.
Successful candidates can remain on the reserve list for up to six months.
If another vacancy becomes available during this period with the same essential criteria, candidates on the reserve list may be offered the position without further assessment.
Artificial Intelligence and Applications
Applicants may use artificial intelligence tools to support their applications.
However, information included in an application must be:
- Truthful
- Factually accurate
- Based on the applicant’s own experience
Applications may be withdrawn where plagiarism is identified, including presenting other people’s ideas or experiences as one’s own.
Security Checks
Successful candidates will be required to undergo a basic or equivalent criminal record check.
People working with government assets must also complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks.
Nationality Requirements
The position is broadly open to eligible:
- UK nationals
- Republic of Ireland nationals
- Commonwealth nationals who have the right to work in the UK
- Eligible EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals and qualifying family members with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Eligible individuals with limited or indefinite leave to remain who met the relevant EUSS eligibility requirements
- Turkish nationals and certain qualifying family members who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Applicants should check the applicable UK nationality and right-to-work requirements before applying.
Visa Sponsorship / Certificate of Sponsorship
Important: The supplied job advert does not state that visa sponsorship or a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is available for this position.
Applicants who require sponsorship should confirm their eligibility and sponsorship position directly with the employer or recruitment team before relying on this vacancy for visa purposes.
Disability Confident Employer
The Civil Service promotes equal opportunities and operates the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for eligible candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Application Deadline
The closing date is:
Friday, 11 September 2026 at 11:55 PM
Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline.
Once the vacancy closes, the original advert may no longer be available, so applicants may wish to retain a copy of the vacancy information for their records.
Job Reference Information
Civil Service Reference: 478932
MaPS Job Reference: MaPS01306
Number of Positions: 1
Recruitment Contact: Marty Sikora
Recruitment Email: marty.sikora@reed.com
Recruitment Team: moneyand.pensions@reed.com
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity may be particularly suitable for experienced professionals working in areas such as:
- Principal Data Engineering
- Senior Data Engineering
- Data Platform Engineering
- Azure Data Engineering
- Cloud Data Engineering
- Data Architecture
- Data Platform Architecture
- Microsoft Fabric
- Azure Synapse
- Azure Data Factory
- Azure Data Lake
- Data Engineering Leadership
- Enterprise Data Platforms
- Data Transformation
- Data Governance
Candidates should ensure that their CV clearly demonstrates their senior-level leadership experience, Azure expertise, architecture experience and ability to lead complex data engineering programmes.
How to Apply
Applications should be submitted through the employer’s designated application platform.
Full Details and Application
Principal Data Engineer – The Money and Pensions Service
Salary: £92,500
Location: Bedford
Closing date: 11 September 2026
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, flexible and hybrid
Final Reminder
This is a senior-level £92,500 Principal Data Engineer opportunity with the Money and Pensions Service in Bedford.
The role is particularly focused on Azure cloud data engineering, modern data architecture, data platform strategy, engineering leadership, governance and technical transformation.
If your background matches the essential requirements, review the full vacancy information and submit your application before 11:55 PM on 11 September 2026.