Data Engineer – AWS, SQL & Python (1 Year Contract)

About the RoleWe are looking for a hands-on Data Engineer to support the development, operations and enhancement of a central enterprise data platform that consolidates workforce data from multiple source systems for analytics, reporting and data sharing.You will work across the full data engineering lifecycle—from ingestion and transformation through data quality, modelling and downstream consumption. The role involves working with complex and legacy datasets, building reliable data pipelines, investigating data issues and ensuring that data is accurate, traceable and ready for use.The current environment is built primarily on AWS, including Amazon S3 and Athena, with SQL and Python used for data processing and Tableau supporting downstream analytics and visualisation.What You’ll DoData Engineering & PipelinesDevelop, maintain and enhance ETL pipelines and file-based interfaces to ingest data from multiple source systems.Perform data profiling, mapping and transformation to onboard new datasets into the platform.Build and maintain SQL and Python processing logic for cleansing, standardisation, transformation and reconciliation.Work with historical, legacy and inconsistent source data to produce clean and reliable datasets.Data Modelling & Platform EnhancementMaintain and enhance existing data models, tables, datasets and dependencies to support evolving requirements.Define clear data mappings, processing rules and dataset definitions.Develop and maintain governed Athena tables, views and queries for downstream analytics and reporting.Support system enhancements and change requests through technical analysis, implementation, testing and validation.Data Quality & ReliabilityBuild and automate data validation, reconciliation and cleansing checks across pipelines and datasets.Investigate data anomalies and discrepancies across source, interface and transformation layers.Trace data lineage, identify root causes and implement or validate appropriate fixes.Monitor pipelines and interfaces, troubleshoot failures and perform reruns where required.Continuously improve pipeline reliability, performance and maintainability.Analytics & Downstream Data ServicesPrepare reliable datasets and data services for approved reporting and analytics use cases.Develop or maintain Tableau data sources and workbooks where required.Ensure downstream users have access to consistent, well-defined and trusted data.Collaboration & GovernanceWork closely with business users, technical teams, source system owners and vendors to translate requirements into practical data engineering solutions.Maintain clear technical documentation covering data mappings, transformation logic, lineage, testing and operational procedures.Support testing, change management, incident resolution and production implementation activities.Provide technical evidence and support for audits, access reviews and other data governance or assurance activities.What We’re Looking ForStrong proficiency in SQL and working proficiency in Python, with hands-on experience building data pipelines, transformations, validation and automation.Practical experience with ETL/ELT, data pipeline design, data warehousing and data modelling.Experience working with relational and file-based datasets, including complex, historical or legacy source structures.Experience with AWS data services, particularly Amazon S3 and Athena, or comparable cloud data platforms.Familiarity with data formats such as CSV and Parquet, data partitioning, access controls and cloud-based data processing.Strong understanding of data quality, reconciliation and lineage, with the ability to investigate discrepancies and identify root causes.Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to assess dependencies and risks and recommend practical solutions.Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with business users, technical teams and external partners.Strong documentation and communication skills, with the ability to explain technical findings clearly.Good to HaveExperience with Tableau or similar BI and data visualisation tools.Familiarity with Spark, Databricks or other modern data engineering technologies.Experience working with HR, workforce or other enterprise data domains.Experience supporting enterprise or government data platforms with established security, change management and governance processes.