Data Engineer

Lead Data Engineer (Contract) 5-Month Engagement | Extension Possible Location: Remote A technology consulting firm is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to join a major data and platform modernization program for a U.S. based financial lender that specializes in the agricultural industry . This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll own the architecture and delivery of a modern Azure-based data platform, while managing a small team of engineer s. The Opportun ity You’ll lead the design and build of a production-grade Azure Databricks lakehouse, replacing legacy reporting and ETL systems, and delivering scalable, governed data pipelines across multiple workstre ams. This is a player/coach role — ideal for someone who enjoys writing production code, setting engineering standards, and leading from the f ront. What You’ll Be • DoingOwn end-to-end technical architecture across multiple data works • treamsBuild and scale an Azure Databricks lakehouse (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, medallion archite • cture)Migrate legacy SSRS/SSIS logic into modern data pip • elinesDesign ingestion pipelines for external platform data (parquet- • based)Implement secure data-sharing frameworks for downstream pa • rtnersEstablish best practices across CI/CD, testing, observability, and data q • ualityLead code reviews, mentor engineers, and set engineering sta • ndardsPartner with stakeholders across security, infrastructure, and business • teamsLeverage AI coding tools (e.g., Copilot, Cursor, etc.) to accelerate development respo nsibly What We’re Look • ing For7+ years in data engineering, including leadership exp • erienceStrong expertise in Azure Databricks (Spark, PySpark, Delta Lake, Unity C • atalog)Experience modernizing legacy data systems (SSR • S/SSIS)Deep knowledge of the Azure ecosystem (ADLS, ADF, Key Vault, netw • orking)Advanced SQL and Python skills with strong software engineering funda • mentalsExperience leading teams in an agile, client-facing envi • ronmentFamiliarity with AI-assisted development tools and best pr actices Nice • to HaveBackground in financial services or lending p • latformsExperience with core systems (e.g., Loan Management Systems or banking pl • atforms)Exposure to data-sharing frameworks or partner data • exchangeDatabricks certif • icationsExperience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform , Bicep)