Job Description
About Us
At Oakland, we help businesses unlock the power of their data. Whether it's data strategy, governance, engineering, analytics, or AI, we work with our clients to turn data into real, impactful results. Our team is made up of friendly, hands-on experts who love solving problems and making a difference. We don’t just advise, we roll up our sleeves and get stuck in, working alongside our clients every step of the way.
Founded in 1986 out of our Leeds HQ, we work with a diverse range of clients across all sorts of industries including Utilities, Telecommunications, Media, Financial Services, Public Sector, and many more! Our projects range from multi-year data transformations to specific, shorter-term assignments, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to diversify your skillset.
We meet high standards for social and environmental impact, transparency, and accountability. We believe businesses should be a force for good, so we make sure our decisions don’t just benefit the bottom line but also our people, communities, and the planet.
And it’s not just us saying we’re a great place to work... we were recently named the Best Consultancy to work for in the UK through Best Companies! We’re all about creating an environment where people can grow, do meaningful work, and enjoy the journey.
In April 2025, Oakland was acquired by Softcat, a leading provider of IT infrastructure services to corporate and public sectors. By combining Oakland's deep expertise in data and AI consulting with Softcat's extensive portfolio and market presence, we can deliver unparalleled value and innovation to our clients. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we’re looking forward to achieving great things together.
Hybrid working policy:
We operate a hybrid working arrangement from our Head Office in Leeds, designed to balance your commitments and preferences with our client’s needs. Whilst we support flexible working, we expect our team members to be in the office or with clients at least twice per week. This balance helps us stay connected, learn from each other, and build strong relationships - both within our team and with the businesses we support.
The role:
As a Data Engineer at Oakland, you’ll be at the heart of delivering impactful technical solutions for our clients. No two projects are the same, so you’ll work across varied industries, technologies, and project sizes, constantly learning and sharpening your problem-solving skills.
Our work spans Data Strategy, Management, Data Platforms, AI, and Analytics, and you’ll help shape solutions that deliver real business value. We’re tech-agnostic and client-first, choosing the right tools for the job - whether that’s leveraging our bespoke platform or partnering with major data platform and engineering providers.
You’ll be part of a collaborative team of 15+ Data Engineers, with access to shared resources, support, and expertise to help you thrive and grow.
What we are looking for:
Ideally, you’ll be a programmer at heart, and you are excited by the prospect of working across different problems, projects, and clients. At mid-level, we expect you to have a good grasp of core concepts of Data Engineering (data structures, databases, data manipulation, ETL, data quality), enabling you to write pipelines of moderate complexity in a consistent style.
The technology we use varies between clients, so although we value specialists, we encourage our engineers to become technology polyglots and provide training and mentoring to support you with this. This means an appetite to learn is a must.
Our Data Engineers work closely with Oakland clients, so experience working with business stakeholders and understanding commercial objectives is advantageous.
The skillset
We always pick the right tool for the job so we look for Engineers with a mix (but not all!) of the below:
- Proficient with one or more programming languages such as: Python, SQL, C#, JavaScript etc.
- Experience designing and implementing data solutions in the cloud, e.g. Azure (preferred), AWS or GCP.
- Experience working with and manipulating structured & unstructured data.
- Experience working with modern data platforms e.g. Fabric, Snowflake, Databricks .
- Web application design and build.
- Experience using Data Visualisation tools such as Power BI.
- An understanding of the broader data ecosystem, including data modelling, DevOps, platform design, and governance, and understand how these intersect with your work.
- Experience in gathering requirements and using this to design solutions.
- Client/stakeholder management experience.
Benefits that put you first
At Oakland, we believe in taking care of our people - both inside and outside of work. Here’s what you can expect when you join us:
- Health & Wellbeing – Enjoy Private Healthcare from day one for you and your household, including dental cover, physiotherapy, mental health support, and access to a range of wellbeing services to keep you feeling your best.
- Discretionary Bonus – Your hard work won’t go unnoticed. When we do well, you’ll do well.
- Generous Pension – We invest in your future with a 10% employer contribution, plus flexible options so you can adjust to your investment preferences.
- Electric Vehicle Scheme – Drive greener with tax-efficient options to get behind the wheel of an electric car.
- Giving Back – Support causes you care about with our Payroll Giving Scheme and Matched Charitable Giving program.
- Bike to Work Scheme – Save money, stay active, and enjoy tax savings on a new bike.
- Family-Friendly Policies – We support all paths to parenthood with:
-
- Enhanced Maternity Pay – 16 weeks full pay, 10 weeks half pay.
- Enhanced Paternity Pay – 2 weeks full pay, 2 weeks half pay.
- Adoption, Surrogacy & Shared Parental Leave.
- Fertility Treatment Support – Because your family matters.
- Time to Recharge – 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (and your allowance grows the longer you’re with us!).
- Learning & Development – We invest in you with:
-
- Personalised development plans tailored to your goals.
- Full support for certifications.
- Access to The Oakland Academy for a suite of learning materials.
- An annual Personal Learning Budget to upskill in ways that matter to you.
- Refer & Earn – Know someone great? If they join us, you’ll get a referral bonus as a thank you.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at Oakland
At Oakland, we believe that diverse perspectives drive better outcomes for our people, our clients, and our business. Our commitment to DEIB isn’t just about policies; it’s about creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered to thrive.
We are building a truly inclusive Oakland where you can be yourself, no matter your background, gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that makes you, you.
Fair & Inclusive Hiring – Every interviewer completes recruitment and unconscious bias training, and our hiring process is skills-based and structured to ensure fairness and consistency for all candidates.
Support Throughout the Interview Process – If you require any reasonable accommodations to make your interview experience more accessible, our Talent team is here to help. Just let us know.
