Data Engineer (AI Enablement)

Do you want to build the infrastructure that brings advanced analytics and AI from theory into reality? University College London Hospitals is looking for a Data Engineer (AI Enablement) to join the SAFEHR team.We are solving hard problems: building the secure, modern data infrastructure that lets advanced research and machine learning move from theory into reality. You will design data pipelines, evolve our data warehouse and metadata capabilities, prototype machine-learning workflows on real clinical data, and support data quality across the Trust. Our stack includes R, Python, and SQL with an ongoing move to a modern data platform. We develop our work as open source wherever feasible.You'll work alongside clinicians, researchers, and engineers on projects that directly improve patient care. Day to day, that means hands-on data engineering: building and improving pipelines, coordinating metadata systems, mentoring junior staff, and working with clinical experts and researchers. This role would also be well suited to a research software engineer with an interest in data engineering.The position is classified at Grade 7, offering a competitive salary (£58,133 - £65,261). If you want real-world data engineering challenges, serious technical development, and a direct line from your work to patient outcomes, we'd like to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

Data Pipelines

You will design, build, and maintain data pipelines that give clinicians, researchers, and operational teams reliable, timely access to UCLH's clinical data.

Data Warehousing and Transformation

You will develop and improve UCLH's data warehouse environments. Being involved in the transition from using an R-based data pipeline to Spark jobs running on a data platform. You will model and transform data from our Epic electronic health record system, coordinating closely with stakeholders to maintain robust metadata. Where existing systems carry technical debt, you will be expected to show initiative in proposing and delivering re-engineering work.

Data Quality and Documentation

You will specify and build reports that measure data quality. You will also develop documentation that enables the scalable, correct use of clinical datasets by reporting teams, clinical users, and research projects.

Collaboration and Open Source

You will work within a multidisciplinary team spanning engineers, clinicians, and data scientists, and collaborate with partners including UCL's Advanced Research Computing Centre and UCLH's Information Services teams. We develop our software as open source where feasible, and you will be expected to contribute to that culture through code reviews, automated testing, and clear, shareable code.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)

National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals

University College Hospital Grafton Way Building

Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine

University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases

University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Please note, due to anticipated high volumes of applications, this vacancy may close earlier than the listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

• UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential • Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent professional experience

• Understa