Data Engineer, Data Practice

The Government Technology Agency (GovTech) is the lead agency driving Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives and public sector digital transformation. As the Centre of Excellence for Infocomm Technology and Smart Systems (ICT & SS), GovTech develops the Singapore Government’s capabilities in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, Application Development, Smart City Technology, Digital Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity.

At GovTech, we offer you a purposeful career to make lives better. We empower our people to master their craft through continuous and robust learning and development opportunities all year round. Our GovTechies embody our Agile, Bold and Collaborative values to deliver impactful solutions.

GovTech aims to transform the delivery of Government digital services by taking an "outside-in" view, putting citizens and businesses at the heart of everything we do. Play a part in Singapore’s vision to build a Smart Nation and embark on your meaningful journey to build tech for public good.

Join us to advance our mission and shape your future with us today!

Learn more about GovTech at tech.gov.sg

GovTech Data Practice

The Data Practice drives innovation and sets best practices for the effective and responsible use of data across the Whole-of-Government (WOG). We work at the intersection of data engineering, AI, privacy, and governance - developing standards, platforms, and tools that enable agencies to build high-quality data products and unlock the value of data for public good.

Today, most organisations still struggle with data that is fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to use, alongside AI that is powerful but brittle without strong data foundations, and privacy policies that are difficult to operationalise. We are changing that at a national scale.

We are reimagining data engineering itself through AI for Data Engineering (AIDE), which introduces self-improving data pipelines that detect, fix, and optimise themselves, AI-assisted data modelling and quality management at scale, and semantic, context-aware data layers that make data instantly usable for AI. Underpinned by standardised, AI-native architectures, this ensures every agency can build strong foundations from day one.

At the same time, a Trusted Data Nation only works if data can be used without compromising privacy or security. We operationalise Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) into real capabilities, including federated computing to unlock insights without moving data, differential privacy and synthetic data to enable safe sharing, and trusted execution environments to compute on sensitive data securely. Alongside this, we build the golden paths for Singapore by creating reference architectures, reusable components, standard data platforms, and engineering playbooks that scale quality across government.

[What you will be working on]

You will be involved in:

1. Experimentation and exploration
   a. Explore AI possibilities that can supercharge data engineering processes.
   b. Experiment with the latest advancements and translate them into practical capabilities for government.
   c. Make what is possible accessible to all, driving impact across government
   and beyond Singapore.
   d. Build an AI-ready Singapore.
   
   
2. Agency Partnership & Pilot Implementation
   a. Collaborate directly with government agencies to deeply understand their unique privacy challenges and operational constraints
   b. Design and execute pilots at agencies to test prototype solutions
   c. Systematically gather user feedback and iterate on solutions based on practical deployment experiences and lessons learned
   d. Provide ongoing technical consultation and hands-on support to agencies
   
   
3. End-to-End Solution Innovation & Development
   a. Identify opportunities where exploratory technologies can address current common data challenges across government
   b. Architect and develop scalable solutions designed for widespread adoption across the Whole of Government ecosystem
   c. Establish clear implementation pathways and adoption frameworks for new technologies
   
   
4. Cross-Functional Collaboration
   a. Work as a collaborative team player alongside fellow data engineers, data
   scientists, software engineers, and product managers
   b. Partner strategically with government agencies to align technical solutions with the evolving landscape of regulatory requirements and governance frameworks
   
   
5. Strategic Direction & Technical Leadership (for more senior hires)
   a. Identify and evaluate emerging technologies and their relevance for government use cases
   b. Shape the team’s direction by defining high-impact problem areas and prioritising initiatives
   c. Scope and drive projects end-to-end, from early exploration through to scaled deployment across agencies
   d. Engage stakeholders across policy, engineering, and vendors to align on problem framing and solution design
   e. Mentor team members and contribute to building a strong, high-performing team
   
   

[What we are looking for]

1. Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Data Science, Business Analytics or a related field, with at least 5-8 years of relevant professional experience.
   Candidates will be assessed based on their experience and may be considered at the intermediate or senior level.
   
   
2. Core Data Engineering skillset
   • Deep understanding of system design, data structure and algorithms, data modelling, data access, and data storage.
   • Demonstrated ability in using cloud technologies such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
   
   
3. Prior experience
   • Experience in architecting data and IT systems.
   • Strong SQL skills and experience working with analytical data warehouses
   • Strong Python engineering skills
   • Experience working with LLM APIs or AI-assisted engineering workflows
   • Prior experience working in multi-disciplinary teams.
   
   
4. Mindset & Collaboration
   • Curiosity and willingness to learn new domains
   • Inclination to work in a collaborative, fast-moving Agile environment.
   • Strong in communication with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audience

What we offer you:

GovTech is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that values diverse voices and perspectives, as we believe that diversity is the foundation to innovation.   

Our employee benefits are based on a total rewards approach, offering a holistic and market-competitive suite of perks. These include leave benefits to meet your work-life needs and employee wellness programs. 

We champion flexible work arrangements (subject to your job role) and trust that you will manage your own time to deliver your best, wherever you are, and whatever works best for you. 

Learn more about life inside GovTech at go.gov.sg/GovTechCareers.
Stay connected with us on social media at go.gov.sg/ConnectWithGovTech