Junior Data Engineer

School/Department:
School of Medicine & Population Health

Work Arrangement:
Full Time (Hybrid)

Contract Type:
Fixed-term

Closing Date: 17/09/2026

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Data Connect, a service within the University's School of Medicine and Population Health, is seeking an enthusiastic Data Engineer to support the delivery of regional and national health data assets. We work closely with key regional partners, including the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Yorkshire and Humber Secure Data Environment (Y&H SDE). Together, we make health and social care data securely accessible to researchers via our ISO
27001, NHS DSPT, and SDE-accredited platform.

Healthcare data is often complex and varied. As a Junior Data Engineer, you will have an important role in turning this rich data into clean, structured research assets that can support projects across the research data lifecycle. Working alongside Data Scientists, Data Engineers, and Data Managers, you will help build secure pipelines, curate datasets, and assist with mapping health data to standard models like OMOP (Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership).

You will also support researchers from initial feasibility checks through to final data delivery. You will join a collaborative team of project managers, delivery managers, and data engineers, working with leading experts on research that directly impacts public health.

As a Junior Data Engineer you will work alongside specialists in Data Connect to deliver data asset updates and health data extracts requests accurately and on time. You will troubleshoot technical challenges and help optimize data workflows for better performance and accessibility.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting in cleaning, mapping and standardizing health datasets. Eg, to the OMOP Common Data Model (CDM)
• Helping to develop reproducible and secure data pipelines for research projects, following data engineering best practices.
• Working on and maintaining data assets within secure data platforms and infrastructure.
• Assisting with data validation, feasibility checks, and ensuring data extracts for research match cohort specifications.
• Maintaining data dictionaries and metadata to enable stakeholders to understand what data is available and how to use it correctly.
• Contributing to clear technical documentation that is accessible to a multidisciplinary team.
• Working within strict data governance and security frameworks to ensure compliance and data safety.
• Providing technical support to regional programs, including the ICB and Yorkshire & Humber SDE.
• Communicating progress, technical blockers, and updates to the Data Technical Lead and Project Manager.
• Participating in knowledge sharing across the Data Connect team.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Degree in Computer Science, Health Informatics, Data Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Application/ Interview

Strong proficiency in SQL (joining, aggregating, subqueries, performance tuning).

Application/ Interview/ Test

Good foundational coding skills (e.g, python) with a structured approach to coding.

Application/ Interview/ Test

An interest in working with challenging real-world health care datasets.

Application/ interview/ Test

Clear written and verbal communication skills to interact confidently with technical peers and external researchers (including the NHS).

Application/ Interview/ Test

Awareness of sensitive data handling, data governance, and compliance standards.

Application/ Interview/ Test

Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure)

Application/ Interview

Awareness of health data standards such as OMOP CDM or clinical coding frameworks (e.g., SNOMED CT, ICD-10).

Application/ Interview

Application/ Interview

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£32,080 to £36,636 per annum (pro rata) with the potential to progress to £39,906 through sustained exceptional contribution.