This role has a starting salary of £24,330 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week. This role is a 24-month fixed term apprenticeship opportunity.

We are excited to be recruiting a Level 5 Data Engineer Apprentice to join the dynamic Data Insight Team with the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Based at Woodhatch Place in Reigate, this role operates on a hybrid working model, with a minimum of two days per week in the office. There may be occasional travel within the county, and when appropriate, you'll also have the flexibility to work from a local fire station or a Surrey County Council premises.

Our Offer to You

The chance to get paid to learn and use your own personal talents to shape your future
26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (prorated for part time staff)
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
2 paid volunteering days per year
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About Us

Our Data Insight Team at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service plays a vital role in keeping our communities safe. We manage and analyse life-critical information that supports operational decision-making and risk management. From creating and maintaining accurate data systems to developing innovative solutions, our work ensures firefighters have the information they need when it matters most. We work collaboratively with other data and technology specialists to deliver reliable, effective tools that meet business needs.

About your Apprenticeship

We want this apprenticeship to be an opportunity for you to gain experience across a wide range of duties putting you in the best position to succeed in your apprenticeship qualification and take the first steps on your career journey!

This apprenticeship is a 24-month development programme, consisting of 20% off the job training (e.g. attending lectures, online learning, shadowing, learning support, written assessments) and 80% on the job learning.

In this role, you will:

Design and build data pipelines to collect, transform, and load data for analytics and reporting.
Re-engineer manual data flows into automated, scalable Extract, Transform, Load or streaming solutions.
Support and manage data streaming systems, monitoring performance and resolving issues promptly.
Ensure data quality, accuracy and compliance with governance and security standards.
Collaborate with technology teams and communicate solutions clearly to non-technical stakeholders.

We won't be expecting you to jump in and be able to do this all from day one. You'll first go through an induction period allowing you to get used to the office and the team. As you gain more confidence in your role, you'll be supported to do more and more!

The learning side of your apprenticeship will be delivered by a provider of your choice from our approved list. We will support you throughout the process to help you select the provider that best fits your needs and preferences.

As your qualification comes to an end and you begin to turn your eye to the future, we have a fantastic support programme in place that will put you in the best position to take the next step on your exciting career journey. Our desire is for all our apprenticeships to be the first step on a long and successful career journey within SCC.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

Attention to detail and accuracy.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking
Ability to learn new technologies quickly and adapt to evolving tools and processes.
Effective communication skills

To apply, we request that you submit a CV, and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

Why are you interested in becoming a Data Engineer? Describe your interest in data, technology, or analytics and how you have explored these areas so far.
This apprenticeship involves learning new technologies and concepts quickly. How do you approach learning something unfamiliar?
Tell us about a time you had to communicate complex information to a non-technical audience. How did you ensure they understood?
Describe a situation where you worked as part of a team to achieve a goal. What was your role?

Skills and Knowledge

Training will be provided as part of the apprenticeship, ensuring you have the support you need to develop all the required skills. However, having a basic understanding of data or some initial familiarity or experience with data engineering concepts, tools, or programming languages would be beneficial. For example, exposure to tools such as FME (Feature Manipulation Engine) for spatial data processing, SQL for database querying and management, Python for data transformation and automation, or Excel for data manipulation can help you adapt more quickly. Any existing knowledge in these areas will support your learning and enable you to contribute effectively to our data‑driven projects.

Please note: This apprenticeship is only available for those who will not be enrolled in another government funded programme as of 1st September 2025 and do not possess a qualification at a higher or the same level as this one in the same or similar subject. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility please contact .

If you do not hold an English and Maths GCSE graded A-C or 4-9, you will be required to complete these in addition to the apprenticeship. Additional tutoring and support will be provided.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 04/03/2026 with interviews to follow.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

Surrey County Council

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Level 5 Data Engineer Apprentice