Data Engineer

We are looking for a Data Engineer to build the data foundations that help our Members save time and money through evidence-based decision-making and the digitalisation of current procedures. Using AF’s purchasing and supplier data, you will turn complex, multi-source information into reliable, trusted datasets that support better reporting and insight across the business.

This role will focus on integrating data from separate systems, building reliable ELT/ETL pipelines, and designing and maintaining a well-structured data warehouse. You will normalise, model and quality-assure data so colleagues can make decisions with confidence.

Working across AF’s purchasing and supplier systems and our cloud platform, you will transform messy, siloed data into clean, conformed and documented datasets that feed reporting in Power BI or Tableau.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Sponsorship is not available for this role.

• Manage batch, near-real-time and transactional data ingestion, including incremental loads, scheduling and dependencies.
• Build resilient pipelines with effective error handling, logging and alerting so issues are identified early.
• Transform raw data into clean, well-modelled layers, applying normalisation and denormalisation where appropriate.
• Build reusable and tested transformation logic using tools such as SQL, Python, dbt or equivalent frameworks.
• Clean, standardise, deduplicate and reconcile data across multiple systems, including supplier and product entity resolution.
• Standardise units, categories, reference data and master data so spend, and supplier information can be analysed consistently.
• Implement automated data-quality checks and validation before data reaches reporting and decision-making.
• Promote high standards of data quality, lineage, cataloguing, security, access control and responsible use of data and AI.
• Collaborate with procurement, finance, risk and member services teams to understand business needs and translate them into robust datasets, pipelines and models.

We’re looking for someone with experience in a similar data engineering role, a genuine interest in data, and a desire to make a practical difference.

You will bring strong technical capability alongside a collaborative, delivery-focused approach, alongside:

• Advanced SQL skills, including complex queries, joins, window functions and CTEs, with the ability to diagnose and tune slow-running queries.
• Experience designing, building and maintaining reliable, repeatable and monitored ELT/ETL pipelines.
• Strong understanding of data modelling and warehouse design, including dimensional modelling, normalisation and sensible denormalisation.
• Python skills for data engineering, including clean, reusable code for data processing, transformation and automation.
• Experience cleaning, deduplicating and reconciling data, including entity resolution across supplier and product records.
• Confident using version control and working with disciplined, documented engineering practices.
• Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to explain technical information to both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• A pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset with ownership, curiosity and the confidence to work through ambiguity.
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with a commitment to excellent customer service and AF’s core values.

We want AF to be somewhere people enjoy coming to work, feel valued and have the opportunity to thrive. We recognise the contribution our people make and offer a range of benefits designed to support you both at work and outside of it:

• Salary up to £45,000 per annum
• 8% employer pension contribution
• 26 days holiday per annum, plus bank holidays. This rises with each year’s service by an additional day, up to 4 extra days
• Have your birthday off as an extra day’s holiday, if it falls on your working day
• Free lunch daily from our onsite Café
• AF Membership (giving discounts at hundreds of retailers and suppliers)
• Life assurance (2 x salary)
• Private Health Insurance (available as an optional employee-paid benefit)
• Discounted gym membership
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary Sacrifice car scheme
• Hybrid working
• Free onsite parking