Lead Data Engineer / Data Architect (Hands-On) Location: Houston, TX (4 days onsite per week) Contract: 6 months initially (extendable or potential to go permanent) Rate: Up to $120/hour Industry: Global leader in energy & commodity trading A world-leading trading firm is looking for a hands-on Lead Data Engineer / Architect to join their Front Office Technology Team, working directly with traders and analysts on business-critical data initiatives. You’ll be leading the build and migration of data pipelines and architecture using Databricks, enabling fast, reliable insights for trading decisions. What you'll be doing: • Embedded in the front office, partnering with global trading desks • Migrating complex datasets from RDBMS systems into Databricks • Designing and implementing scalable ETL pipelines with Python and SQL • Supporting advanced analytics, reporting, and risk management systems • Driving architectural decisions and contributing to technical best practices What we're looking for: • Expert-level Databricks experience (certification highly preferred) • Strong hands-on skills in Python, SQL, and data modeling • Solid understanding of cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP) • Proven experience building data pipelines in production environments • Excellent communication and stakeholder-facing skills • Experience in trading or commodities is a bonus, not a requirement This is a great opportunity to work in a high-impact front office role, delivering real-time value to a global trading operation. If you're passionate about building data systems that matter, we'd love to speak with you.