Senior Data Engineer

Title: Data Engineer Location: Houston, TX (onsite) Duration: 12-month W2 contract Seeking a Senior Data Engineer to support AI and data initiatives. This is a senior, hands-on technical role requiring someone who can quickly understand complex business problems, provide technical leadership, and independently drive solutions from concept through implementation. The team is looking for an experienced engineer who can mentor others, navigate ambiguity, and immediately contribute alongside Software Engineers, AI Engineers, and Data Scientists. Skills • Expert Python and SQL development • Experience designing and building scalable ETL/ELT data pipelines • Strong cloud experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP) • Experience with distributed data processing (Spark, Databricks, etc.) • Data modeling, data architecture, and data integration expertise • Experience with orchestration tools (Airflow, ADF, Glue, etc.) • Experience working with structured and unstructured data • CI/CD, Git, and DevOps best practices • Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills • Excellent communication and stakeholder collaboration • Ability to mentor engineers and provide technical guidance Responsibilities • Design, develop, and optimize scalable cloud-based data pipelines and platforms. • Translate ambiguous business requirements into technical solutions. • Partner with Software Engineers, AI Engineers, Data Scientists, and business stakeholders to deliver data solutions supporting AI initiatives. • Lead the design and implementation of data architectures that are scalable, secure, and maintainable. • Improve existing data infrastructure through automation, optimization, and engineering best practices. • Ensure data quality, reliability, governance, and performance across enterprise data platforms. • Troubleshoot complex production issues and perform root cause analysis. • Mentor junior and mid-level Data Engineers while providing technical leadership across the team. • Drive engineering standards, documentation, and code quality. Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience). • 10+ years of Data Engineering experience. • Proven experience designing enterprise-scale data platforms and pipelines. • Strong expertise in Python and SQL. • Experience with modern cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP). • Experience with distributed data processing technologies such as Spark or Databricks. • Experience building solutions supporting analytics, AI, or machine learning workloads. • Ability to work independently, prioritize competing initiatives, and thrive in ambiguous environments. • Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership. • Strong verbal and written communication skills.