Senior Data Engineer

Job Description: Data Engineer Location: Remote (Requires availability during core hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST) Position Type: 12+ months contract Role Overview The Data Engineer will provide technical engineering services to support the Data Management community and the Assistant Chief Data Officer (ACDO) in building and modernizing geospatial and environmental data infrastructure. The focus of this role is the practical implementation, automation, and optimization of data pipelines, cloud storage solutions, and enterprise data governance. You will act as the primary technical builder, translating strategies into executable code and resilient data products while enabling AI and advanced analytics across the portfolio. Key Responsibilities • Infrastructure Modernization: Design, implement, and maintain robust data infrastructure within a cloud environment. Develop detailed cost and timeline plans for multi-cloud modernization, including centralized storage and GIS server components. • Pipeline Engineering: Translate technical strategies into automated ETL/ELT workflows and connect disparate domain-specific sources into a unified framework. • Architecture Development: Collaborate with IT staff to analyze options and develop at least two detailed cloud architecture proposals and subsequent implementation plans. • Data Governance & Security: Establish governance standards, define logical structures for data domains, and develop microservices for high-priority data, including real-time streams. Ensure metadata management to maintain data integrity. • AI & Analytics Support: Provide foundational support for Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, including designing for the ML Ops Lifecycle and supporting diverse AI workloads. • Technical Auditing: Perform audits of existing domain-specific hardware and data stores to identify ingestion and policy requirements. Core Technical Competencies • Data Warehousing & ETL/ELT: Expertise in designing and managing large-scale data warehouses and integration tools. • Big Data Technology: Proficiency with big data ecosystems and distributed cloud-native processing frameworks. • Data Modeling: Experience selecting technologies and designing for both structured and unstructured data. • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Ability to create version-controlled templates for automated environment deployment. • Communication: Ability to act as a bridge between highly technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, articulating complex designs clearly. Required Qualifications & Experience • Relevant Experience: Must demonstrate "recent experience" (within the last 3 years) performing services of a similar scope, magnitude, and complexity to the tasks described above. • Security & Compliance: Must comply with IT Security policies and complete annual Security Awareness training. • Operational Requirements: • Must be able to work on Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and follow strict configuration management schedules. • Willingness to travel to the annual Data Governance Retreat. Key Deliverables • Cloud Architecture Proposals and Modernization Implementation Plans. • Version-controlled IaC templates. • Operational tools/scripts for automated metadata harvesting. • Monthly status reports on tasks and progress.