Data Engineer - GCP
First seen by Alion on Oct 5, 2026.
DATA ENGINEER - GCP
Location: London, Bristol or Manchester - Flexible Hybrid Working
Contract: 6 months
Engagement: Inside IR35
Clearance: BPSS with eligibility for SC clearance
We're looking for an experienced Data Engineer to join a large-scale digital and data environment, helping develop and mature the infrastructure used to collect, process and make analytical data useful.
This is a hands-on technical role working across data engineering and wider technical teams. You'll work on complex data flows, scalable data models and cloud-based data infrastructure, while contributing to strong engineering practices and standards.
The environment is heavily focused on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), with BigQuery, Dataform and Airflow/Cloud Composer forming key parts of the technology stack.
WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING
* Designing and implementing complex data flows across operational, analytics and BI systems.
* Building and refining robust data models that make data easier for teams to consume and use.
* Developing and improving cloud-based data infrastructure within GCP.
* Collecting and integrating data from multiple sources, including APIs and digital channels.
* Improving data tooling, technologies and engineering practices.
* Supporting strong data quality, governance and infrastructure standards.
* Working collaboratively with developers, analysts and other data professionals.
* Independently investigating technical problems where the requirements or solution may not initially be clearly defined.
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
* Strong hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
* Strong experience with BigQuery.
* Experience using Dataform.
* Experience with Airflow / Cloud Composer.
* Strong data engineering fundamentals, including building scalable and robust production data solutions.
* Experience working with data quality, governance and appropriate data controls.
* Confidence operating in environments where requirements may initially be ambiguous.
* An investigative approach, with the ability to ask the right questions, find answers and independently move work forward.
* At least 5 years' experience in a data-related profession, including at least 2 years within an engineering-focused role.
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE
* Terraform / Infrastructure as Code.
* Python.
* SQL.
* GitHub / Git-based development.
* Code reviews and CI/CD.
* API-based data collection and integration.
* Analytical or behavioural data.
* Data governance and regulatory requirements such as GDPR.
* Data quality frameworks and controls.
* Cross-domain data collection.
* GCP certifications or accreditations