Application Support Engineer

Financial Times

ABOUT US The Financial Times (FT) is one of the world’s leading business news and information organisations. We are recognised globally for our authority, integrity, and accuracy. We provide a broad range of essential services, including news, comment, data, and analysis, to a growing audience of internationally minded business people. Here at the FT, gold-standard journalism is just the beginning. Our 500-people-strong Product & Tech team keeps us ahead of the ever-changing digital landscape by delivering cutting-edge products to over one million digital subscribers every day. Our plans for growth rely on a diverse, dedicated, and dynamic group of product, tech, delivery, and data specialists – everyone’s welcome in this friendly, forward-thinking team. STORYFINDING TEAM The Storyfinding team sits at the heart of innovation between the FT’s newsroom and technology. We collaborate closely with the Computational Journalism team to uncover and scale new ways of finding stories hidden in complex or unstructured data. Our mission is to turn bespoke investigations into reusable tools and data products that empower more journalists to tell stories that otherwise would be untold. This is where engineering meets journalism — you can see the direct impact of your work on the FT’s homepage. Since the team was formed, Storyfinding has helped uncover more than 10 exclusive stories, including Europe builds for war as arms factories expand at triple speed and Prices for used Teslas drop in US and Britain. We are a cross-functional team of Software Engineers, Data Engineers, ML Ops Engineers, and Product Managers. We balance strong engineering practices with the fast-moving needs of the newsroom, delivering quickly while keeping our systems reliable, secure, and easy to evolve. ABOUT THE ROLE OVERVIEW We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer 1 to play a key role in designing, building, and operating the backend systems and services that power Storyfinding’s investigative and editorial work. This is a hands-on senior individual contributor role with a primary focus on backend software engineering. You will be responsible for designing and building robust backend systems and services, while also maintaining that data engineering is a key component of the work. You will contribute to and maintain critical data pipelines and data products, helping to establish patterns and standards that enable the team to scale its impact. WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON Some example projects include: * Designing and operating data pipelines that ingest, clean, enrich, and model complex datasets for investigative reporting. * Building resilient, observable data workflows to support high-traffic and time-critical newsroom events such as elections or major economic announcements. * Developing shared data infrastructure and tooling that turns one-off investigations into reusable capabilities for the wider newsroom. * Working with unstructured and semi-structured data sources (documents, filings, scraped content, APIs) to create high-quality, queryable datasets. * Collaborating with journalists, product managers, and engineers to translate editorial questions into scalable data solutions. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES * Design, build, and maintain scalable and resilient backend services, APIs, and infrastructure. * Ensure high standards of software quality through testing, documentation, observability, and security across all systems. * Design, build, and maintain scalable, reliable data pipelines and datasets in a cloud environment. * Work across OLTP and OLAP data stores to support both application-driven and analytical use cases. * Partner closely with journalists and other technical colleagues to shape data solutions that directly support storytelling. * Lead by example in engineering best practices, including code review, documentation, and pragmatic architectural decision-making. * Support and mentor more junior engineers through pairing, feedback, and knowledge sharing. * Identify areas where AI and new technologies can help in the newsroom and be able to propose ideas. * Actively participate in the process of requirements gathering and have the desire to have regular catch-ups with editors and journalists if that’s needed. ABOUT YOU We’re looking for someone curious, pragmatic, and motivated by impact. You enjoy working with messy real-world data, care deeply about reliability and clarity, and are comfortable operating in an environment where priorities can shift quickly around editorial deadlines. ESSENTIAL SKILLS * Strong experience as a backend engineer designing and building production-grade distributed systems and APIs in a cloud environment. * Excellent Python skills for developing backend services, system integration, and data processing. * Solid experience as a data engineer with a vital skill set in maintaining production data pipelines and using workflow orchestration tools like Apache Airflow. * Experience working with cloud platforms, particularly AWS. * Familiarity with modern engineering practices including version control, CI/CD, and automated testing. * The ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. * Interest in exploring new technologies and approaches related to AI and Agentic AI. * An interest in journalism, investigations, or using data to answer real-world questions. * Data Science (DS) experience or education is highly valuable for this role, as we leverage AI heavily for many of our use cases. DESIRABLE SKILLS * Strong SQL skills and experience designing and working with relational and analytical databases. * Experience with databases such as BigQuery, Redshift, PostgreSQL, SingleStore, or MongoDB. * Experience working with unstructured or semi-structured data at scale. * A solid understanding of data modelling, data architecture, and trade-offs between different storage and processing approaches. * Comfort contributing to backend software engineering tasks beyond pure data pipelines. * Exposure to building internal tools or lightweight user-facing applications. * Experience with building simple user interfaces or/and the desire to do so (e.g., using frameworks like Streamlit). CHARACTERISTICS WE VALUE * Inquisitive and analytical, with strong problem-solving skills. * Pragmatic and delivery-focused, able to balance technical quality with newsroom deadlines. * Collaborative and generous with your knowledge. * Comfortable working with ambiguity and evolving requirements. * A systems-level thinker who can see how individual pipelines and tools fit into a broader platform. * Motivated by learning and continuous improvement. * A collaborative team member who thrives in cross-functional environments and values collective success. OUR TECHNOLOGY We don’t expect you to be an expert in everything. Our current stack includes: * Languages: Python, SQL * Cloud & Infrastructure: AWS * Data Pipelines & Orchestration: Apache Airflow, AWS ECS * Databases: BigQuery, Redshift, PostgreSQL, SingleStore, MongoDB * Version Control & CI/CD: GitHub, CircleCI * Frontend (small part of the role): Streamlit This is a unique opportunity to use your technical skills to contribute to data journalism. You’ll be making content for the FT’s readership, using data to make news accessible, understandable, and impactful. If this sounds like a role that aligns with your expertise and ambitions, we’d love to hear from you!   IN RETURN, WE CAN OFFER YOU * Annual bonus scheme * 25 days paid leave * 24/7 Employee Assistance Program * Life Insurance * Enhanced Parental Leave policy * Food Allowance * Multisport Card * Both in house and external training programs * Your own training dedicated budget (for conferences, courses etc.)   We currently operate a hybrid model which requires staff to work onsite 50% of the time, subject to role requirements & regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for all roles. We believe this balanced approach supports flexibility and protects our culture, making collaboration and communication easier, building stronger relationships and team cohesion, and supporting peer learning.  We reserve discretion on reasonable notice to change this approach either generally or for specific individuals or teams.    Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion  We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.   Accessibility We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email talent@ft.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.   Further information At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may leverage AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essential that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications. Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all. Please beware of fraudulent job postings and offers claiming to be from the Financial Times. All legitimate opportunities will direct you to apply through the official Financial Times careers site, and the FT will never ask for financial information, payments, or referrals to third parties during the hiring process. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a job posting or suspect any scam activity, please contact talent@ft.com.  Interested in the FT but don’t see the right role yet? Join our Talent Community to receive exclusive updates, featured jobs, and insights into working at the FT. #LI-MG1

Valtech

Why Valtech? We’re the experience innovation company - a trusted partner to the world’s most recognized brands. To our people we offer growth opportunities, a values-driven culture, international careers and the chance to shape the future of experience.  THE OPPORTUNITY At Valtech, you’ll find an environment designed for continuous learning, meaningful impact, and professional growth. Whether you're pioneering new digital solutions, challenging conventional thinking or building the next generation of customer experiences, your work will help transform industries.  We are proud of:  * The work we do and the innovation we drive  * Our values of share, care and dare  * A workplace culture that fosters creativity, diversity and autonomy  * Our borderless, global framework, which enables seamless collaboration  The role   We are looking for an experienced Senior Data Engineer to design, build, and optimize modern, cloud-based data platforms that power analytics, AI, and data products across the organization. Beyond technical delivery, we're looking for someone genuinely curious about the business problems behind the data — someone who can apply common sense thinking, detailed analysis, and experience-based recommendations to help derive and shape business requirements, not just implement them as given. You will work on scalable batch, streaming, and near-real-time pipelines, enabling high-quality, curated datasets while ensuring robust data governance, security, and observability across the data ecosystem. You will also play a key role in supporting AI and GenAI systems, enabling pipelines for machine learning, causal modeling, and LLM-powered applications such as RAG and agent-based systems. Our preferred platforms are Microsoft Azure / Fabric (primary), GCP, AWS, Databricks, and Snowflake, with Azure experience being highly transferable to Fabric. You will collaborate closely with data scientists, ML engineers, and platform teams to ensure the data foundation supports production-grade, decision-oriented AI systems. Role responsibilities Build & Data Platform Engineering Design and implement scalable data platforms and pipelines across cloud environments (Azure/Fabric, AWS, GCP, Databricks, Snowflake). This includes developing reliable batch, streaming, and near-real-time pipelines using technologies such as Spark and Delta Lake, and building ingestion, transformation, and curation workflows for both structured and unstructured data. You will implement modern data architectures including lakehouse patterns and medallion layering (bronze, silver, gold), ensuring systems are reusable, scalable, and aligned with enterprise needs. Enable AI, GenAI & Data Products Deliver high-quality datasets that support analytics, machine learning, causal modeling, and optimization systems. You will enable data pipelines for GenAI use cases (including LLMs, RAG pipelines, and vector-based data flows), as well as agent-based architectures and intelligent workflows, ensuring that data is model-ready and production-grade. Data Modeling, Orchestration & Automation Design scalable logical and physical data models for analytical and operational use cases, ensuring consistency across domains. Orchestrate workflows using tools such as Airflow, dbt, Lakeflow, or equivalents, with strong focus on automation, reliability, and maintainability of end-to-end pipelines. Architecture, Governance & Observability Apply modern architecture patterns including event-driven and streaming architectures, and ensure adherence to best practices in data governance, lineage, quality, and access control (RBAC/ABAC). Establish strong data observability, including monitoring of data freshness, pipeline reliability, and SLA adherence, ensuring systems remain trustworthy and production-ready. Data Serving, Integration & Optimization Enable data serving layers (APIs, feature inputs, analytical endpoints) to support downstream systems, including ML and AI platforms. Continuously monitor and optimize pipelines and infrastructure for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency. Requirements Discovery & Business Partnership Bring genuine curiosity to every engagement — ask the right questions to understand not just what stakeholders are asking for, but why. Apply common sense thinking, detailed analysis, and experience-based recommendations to help derive and refine business requirements, surfacing gaps or better alternatives where they exist rather than simply executing a brief as written. Collaboration Work closely with data scientists, ML engineers, analysts, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into robust data solutions. Support adoption of data products and contribute to best practices across the data and AI ecosystem. Must have qualifications Technical skills Strong hands-on experience with Apache Spark and Delta Lake, and strong programming skills in Python and SQL. Proven experience building batch and streaming data pipelines and production-grade data platforms, with solid understanding of data modeling, data quality, and governance principles. Cloud & Platforms (Key Requirement) Experience with one or more major cloud platforms, with preference for Microsoft Azure / Fabric, as well as AWS or GCP. Familiarity with modern data platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake is expected. Architecture & Systems Thinking Experience with lakehouse architectures and distributed data systems, and strong understanding of scalability, reliability, and performance considerations in data pipelines. Mindset Naturally curious, with strong problem-solving skills focused on scalability and reliability, and a collaborative approach to working in cross-functional teams. Comfortable applying common sense thinking, detailed analysis, and experience-based recommendations to help derive and challenge business requirements rather than taking them at face value. Experience in Agile or consulting environments is beneficial. Nice to have qualifications   Experience with GenAI and AI data systems (e.g., RAG pipelines, vector databases, LLM data preparation), as well as CI/CD for data pipelines and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform, ARM, or CloudFormation.  Additional exposure to streaming technologies (e.g., Kafka), Spark optimization, or advanced analytics and ML workloads (including causal or experimentation platforms) is valuable. Experience building data products or large-scale analytics platforms is also beneficial.  Commitment to reaching all kinds of people  We design experiences that work for all kinds of people - and that starts with our own teams. At Valtech, we’re intentional about building an inclusive culture where everyone feels supported to grow, thrive and achieve their goals. No matter your background, you belong here. Explore our Diversity & Inclusion site to see how we’re creating a more equitable Valtech for all.  THE BENEFITS   Beyond a competitive compensation package, we offer:  * Flexibility, with hybrid work options and 25 vacation days for a healthy work-life balance. * Co-subsidized transportation & Multisport cards. * Premium health insurance for fast and easy access to top healthcare services. * Training policy for technical and other skills-related events, courses and certifications. * Personal career development roadmap guided by performance evaluations. * Self-care program offering psychological consultations & discussions for you and the team. * Cozy office space designed for comfort and productivity. * Exciting team events and company gatherings. YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS Once you apply, our Talent Acquisition team will review your application. Your CV should cover key information on relevant experiences and expertise. We do not require information such as age, gender, marital status, or a headshot in your application. We review all candidates based on skills, experience, and potential. ⚠️ Beware of recruitment fraud! We are committed to inclusion and accessibility. If you need reasonable accommodations during the interview process, please either indicate it in your application or let your Talent Partner know.  ABOUT VALTECH Valtech is the experience innovation company that exists to unlock a better way to experience the world. By blending crafts, categories, and cultures, we help brands unlock new value in an increasingly digital world.  At the intersection of data, AI, creativity, and technology, we drive transformation for leading organizations, including L’Oréal, Mars, Audi, P&G, Volkswagen Dolby, and more.  At Valtech, we don’t just talk about transformation. We make it happen. Our people are the heart of our success, and we foster a workplace where everyone has the support to thrive, grow and innovate.  Are you ready to create what’s next? Join us.

Baringa

ABOUT BARINGA  Baringa is a global consulting firm that partners with leaders to drive change and create value. With deep industry expertise, and enabled by advanced technology, the firm helps clients to deliver with greater confidence and certainty. With over 2,000 people across the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, the firm combines global insight with local understanding. The firm works across energy and resources, financial services, government and public sector, consumer products and retail, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, manufacturing, and technology, media and telecoms, with capabilities spanning strategy, transformation and operational excellence – all powered by advanced technology, data, AI and digital innovation. Clients value Baringa’s collaborative approach and the way its teams integrate seamlessly – all working with a shared understanding of what matters most. The firm is known for its kind, curious experts who listen closely and care deeply about client success as they help clients transform energy markets, modernise financial platforms, expand telecoms and digital networks through advanced data analytics, enable digital services in government, and unlock growth in consumer sectors. Certified as a Great Place to Work around the world, Baringa has been recognised by the Financial Times in 22 categories of its UK Leading Management Consultants rankings, and by Forbes for four consecutive years as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. OUR DATA, AI, SOLUTIONS & ENGINEERING PRACTICE ARE LOOKING FOR CONSULTANTS TO JOIN THE TEAM.  Our Data, AI, Solutions & Engineering  team really likes helping our clients solve their complex problems with data, by implementing controls and governance of data, creating actionable insights, embedding machine learning solutions or building data platforms. We bring the right team and skills on the table and can offer deep expertise across Data Strategy, Data Science & Engineering, Data Visualisation, Data Management, Data Architecture and Software Development. WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING You will be using your experience to help our clients solve their most important data challenges.  You would be also responsible to support the growth of our team, helping them to build the skills they need to solve our client’s challenges.  Typical engagements include: * Defining and implementing on premise or cloud architectures, for example, a cloud data warehouse, data lake or a data platform to enable digital transformation * Working with clients in more traditional areas of data engineering such as, data warehousing, building operational ETL/ELT data pipelines across a number of sources, and constructing relational and dimensional data models * Performing maturity assessments across clients’ data capabilities and recommending improvements * Building technology blueprints and advising clients on the different technology options * Translating business requirements (both functional and non-functional) into solutions, ensuring compliance with the organisations strategy, policies and standards and in some cases, help customers to define new policies, principles and standards * Helping clients to identify risks and mitigations for their complex data programmes, as well as transition to modern cloud-based infrastructures (AWS, Azure, GCP) by leveraging related architecture patterns (e.g., APIs, events) * Working with clients in key areas of data governance, such as in defining principles including, but not limited to Master Data Management, Data Lineage and Data Security   YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE   We are seeking passionate and dynamic data engineers who are excited by empowering decision making with data, and keen to take an active part in the growth of the company. We’re looking for people who can both advise our clients and, when needed, get hands on in technical delivery to bring a solution to life.  Below we list some of the skills we are looking for. Of course, do not expect you to be an expert in all areas and we understand that experiences vary based on the background and years of experience:   * Passionate individual who is excited by problems with data and can bring a good mix of technical delivery and core consulting skills in client engagements  * Ability to design and maintain robust data pipelines and architectures on modern delivery frameworks to meet functional business requirements * Experience in using cloud technologies such as AWS or GCP or Azure, as well as big data platforms (e.g., Spark, Hive, Databricks) * Working knowledge of relational databases and NoSQL database technologies. * Ability to understand and design CI/CD pipelines * Competent in SQL and or at least one modern programming language, such a Python * Experience with BI visualisation tools would be beneficial, but not required * Be a ‘lifelong learner’ and can demonstrate a drive to always be learning and developing your skillsets * Hold a bachelor’s degree across any discipline. A master’s degree in a technical discipline (computer science, engineering or another STEM discipline) would be helpful but is not essential for success * Candidates should be comfortable with international travel, which may be required for up to 30% of the time. Candidates must be able to travel and work within the EU/UK.   WHAT A CAREER AT BARINGA WILL GIVE YOU  PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST. BARINGA IS A PEOPLE FIRST COMPANY AND WELLBEING IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR CULTURE. WE RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND FLEXIBLE WORKING AND PROVIDE OUR STAFF AMAZING BENEFITS. SOME OF THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE:  * Generous Annual Leave Policy: We recognise everyone needs a well-deserved break. We provide our employees with 5 weeks of annual leave, fully available at the start of each year. In addition to this, we have introduced our 5-Year Recharge benefit which allows all employees an additional 2 weeks of paid leave after 5 years continuous service.  * Flexible Working: We know that the ‘ideal’ work-life balance will vary from person to person and change at different stages of our working lives. To accommodate this, we have implemented a hybrid working policy and introduced more flexibility around taking unpaid leave.  * Corporate Responsibility Days: Our world is important to us, so all our employees get 3 every year to help social and environmental causes and increase our impact on the communities that mean the most to us.  * Wellbeing Fund: We want to encourage all employees to take charge and prioritise their own wellbeing. We’ve introduced our annual People Fund to support this by offering every individual a fund to support and manage their wellbeing through an activity of their choice.  * Profit Share Scheme: All employees participate in the Baringa Group Profit Share Scheme so everyone has a stake in the company’s success.  DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that creating an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging is central to our culture and that diversity is paramount to driving creativity, innovation, and value for our clients and for our people.  AN AWARD-WINNING WORKPLACE You can be a part of our ‘Great Place to Work’ – with our commitment to women and well-being in the workplace for all. Click here to see some of our recent awards and how we’ve achieved this.  USING BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD.  We maintain high standards of environmental performance and transparency, which can be seen through our commitment to Net Zero with our SBTI-verified Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduction targets and our support of the Better Business Act. We report our progress publicly and ensure that we are also externally assessed and scored through organisations like CDP and EcoVadis - helping us to continually identify where we can improve.  We have a long legacy of supporting the communities in which we work, and offer a variety of ways to contribute, by putting people first and creating impact that lasts. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda is about giving back to the communities in which we live and work by sharing our skills, talent and time. In essence, we aim to empower and encourage everyone in the firm to contribute to the things we care about, and support registered charities and organisations with a clear social or environmental purpose to increase the positive impact they can have.   JOIN US All applications received will be reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team. We never rely solely on automated screening or AI tools to make hiring decisions. Your application will be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, age, faith or social background. We do not filter applications by university background and encourage those who have taken alternative educational and career paths to apply. We would like to actively encourage applications from those who identify with less represented and minority groups. We operate an inclusive recruitment process, ensuring reasonable adjustments where needed. Please contact a member of our Recruitment Team to discuss further.   BARINGA PRIVACY NOTICES For UK & EU Your personal data will be retained by Baringa for up to two years, in accordance with our UK Recruitment Privacy Notice / EU Recruitment Privacy Notice, to evaluate your application and meet our legal and reporting obligations. In line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to request access to, rectification, or erasure (subject to legal limitations) of your personal data. For more information, please contact us at privacy@baringa.com For the USA Your personal data may be retained by Baringa for up to two years, as outlined in our Recruitment Privacy Notice (AMER & APAC), to support the recruitment process and internal reporting requirements. Where applicable, and in accordance with relevant federal and state laws, you may have the right to request access to or correction of your personal information. For further details, please contact privacy@baringa.com For Australia & Singapore Your personal data will be retained by Baringa for up to two years, in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice (AMER & APAC), to assess your application and meet applicable reporting and legal obligations. In line with the Australian Privacy Act and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), you may have rights to access, correct, or request limited deletion of your personal data. For more information, please contact us at privacy@baringa.com