Data Engineer

Job Role: Data Engineer Location: Greenwood Village, CO (Onsite) Experience: 8 + Years Contract: W2 Only/ No C2C Visa: All Visa except OPTs Client: Kforce / Confidential Kforce has a client in Greenwood Village, CO that is seeking a skilled Data Engineer to support a high-impact data engineering initiative focused on AWS infrastructure, Spark-based transformations, and orchestration tools. This individual contributor role requires hands-on experience building data pipelines, processing large-scale JSON messages, and deploying solutions in cloud environments. The ideal candidate has a solid foundation in data engineering within enterprise environments, strong Spark/PySpark expertise, and experience with AWS-native services and modern orchestration tools. Responsibilities: · Build and optimize scalable data pipelines to process and transform structured and semi-structured data using PySpark and SparkSQL · Work with JSON objects to parse messages and send MDK messages via Kafka to S3 · Create and manage data endpoints with defined schemas, orchestrated through RabbitMQ and Kafka · Execute data transformations from JSON to RDDs using Spark on AWS EMR/EC2 · Support orchestration through AWS Step Functions with a future transition to Airflow · Use SQL to extract, transform, and load data into reporting and dashboarding tools · Collaborate with DevOps and CI/CD teams to maintain GitLab pipelines and automate infrastructure deployment using Terraform · Maintain version-controlled ETL code in GitLab and participate in testing, deployment, and monitoring workflows · Participate in cross-functional engineering discussions, aligning with best practices and timelines Primary Skills: · 5 years of experience in data engineering with strong hands-on development skills · Proficiency in Spark and PySpark, including SparkSQL for distributed data processing · Strong programming experience in Python and solid SQL query skills · Experience working with AWS services such as EMR, EC2, and S3 · Familiarity with JSON-based messaging systems, message parsing, and stream processing · Exposure to Kafka, MSK, or RabbitMQ for message queueing and data delivery · Experience working with GitLab and Terraform in a CI/CD environment · Ability to work independently and contribute effectively in a fast-paced team setting Preferred Skills: · Background in enterprise-level data engineering environments · Experience with Airflow for workflow orchestration · Familiarity with AI/ML pipelines or advanced analytics systems · Understanding of ETL lifecycle management, including staging, deployment, and teardown processes