Lead Data Engineer (contract)

Title: Lead Data Engineer Location: 2222 W Rose Garden Ln Phoenix, AZ Alternate Location: 1525 W WT Harris Blvd Charlotte, NC Duration: 6 months Work Engagement: W2 Work Schedule: 3 days in office/2 days remote Benefits on offer for this contract position: Health Insurance, Life insurance, 401K and Voluntary Benefits Summary: We are seeking a highly skilled Lead Data Engineer to drive the design, development, and optimization of large-scale data processing frameworks aligned with enterprise strategy. This role combines hands-on engineering expertise with leadership responsibilities to deliver robust, scalable, and high-performance data solutions. Responsibilities: • Lead moderately complex technology initiatives and contribute to enterprise-scale data processing frameworks • Design, build, and maintain optimized, highly available data pipelines for analytics and reporting • Analyze and solve complex business, operational, and technical challenges involving multiple variables • Oversee data integration efforts, including: • Data modeling • Data warehouse and analytics environment management • Development of data integration and analysis scripts • Ensure adherence to data governance, policies, procedures, and compliance standards • Troubleshoot and resolve complex data engineering issues while guiding teams to successful delivery • Conduct code reviews with emphasis on scalability, testability, and coverage • Collaborate with cross-functional teams and leadership to achieve strategic data initiatives Qualifications: • Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. • Strong background in Data Engineering or equivalent experience • Expertise in Ab Initio and Apache Spark (Core, SQL, DataFrames, Datasets) • Proficiency in Python or scripting languages • Experience with cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure) • Strong SQL and data warehousing skills (Teradata, PL/SQL, Oracle) • Experience with Hadoop ecosystem tools (Hive, Airflow, BigQuery, SparkFlow, Autosys) • Deep understanding of distributed systems and Spark architecture • Experience delivering end-to-end data engineering solutions in Agile environments • Strong communication and collaboration skills • Experience leading teams and large-scale initiatives • Knowledge of NoSQL databases (MongoDB) and streaming (Kafka) • Experience with ML/AI pipelines and tools (Spark, H2O, LLMs, Agentic AI, Vertex AI) • Ability to optimize real-time, high-throughput data pipelines • Familiarity with CI/CD, infrastructure as code, and cloud deployments • Strong Unix and shell scripting skills • Advanced ETL experience using Ab Initio, Airflow, SparkFlow, BigQuery