Data Engineer

Job Description This is a remote position. Organization: Confidential client in HR industry; subject to client confidentiality requirements Location: Remote - open to candidates in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, or Oman Role Type: Full-time | Consultant-contractor | Fixed term (12-18 months) Reports to: To be confirmed The opportunity Our client is looking for a Middle+ Data Engineer to build and scale the data backbone behind their HR, Payroll, Finance, and Insurance products. In this role, you will design data models, build and optimize ETL/ELT pipelines, and strengthen data quality and governance, collaborate with engineering and BI stakeholders, and help deliver unified, trustworthy data across the platform. About the organization Our client is a UAE-based HRTech scale-up transforming workplace operations across HR, Payroll, Finance, and Insurance in the MENA region. It helps employers and employees manage the full workplace lifecycle through a unified platform. The data team is currently focused on maturing the organization's data warehouse, governance, and reporting infrastructure to support the company's continued growth. What you will do Own the design and maintenance of scalable data models (3NF, Dimensional, Data Vault) across the data warehouse and data lakes. Build, optimize, and monitor batch and real-time ETL/ELT pipelines and automation workflows to standards of reliability and performance. Partner with BI and analytics stakeholders to tune complex SQL queries and enable fast, reliable reporting. Use data governance, lineage, and Master Data Management (Customer 360) practices to improve data quality and integrity. Identify and address gaps in data integration across external and internal sources. Communicate progress, priorities, and trade-offs clearly to engineering and business stakeholders. What you bring Demonstrated ability to design and optimize complex data models and pipelines, shown through 3-4 years of professional Data Engineering experience. Experience with cloud Data Warehouses (BigQuery or Snowflake) and the AWS ecosystem, or a closely related equivalent. Strong written and verbal communication in English (B1+). The ability to work independently and collaboratively across distributed, cross-functional teams. Strong proficiency in SQL (complex query optimization) and Python. Helpful, but not essential Exposure to HRTech, fintech, or insurance domains. Experience in startup or scale-up environments. Familiarity with BI and data visualization tools such as Looker or Superset. How the engagement works Contracting party: You will contract directly with Apricot, which will manage contracting, invoicing/payroll, payments, and administrative support. Day to day, you will work with the client's data and engineering teams and report to the Data/Engineering Lead. For this consultant/contractor engagement, your work will be based on the agreed scope and deliverables. You are expected to provide your own laptop and basic equipment, maintain reliable connectivity and a secure working environment, and follow required security controls, including two-factor authentication. Any client-provided specialized equipment, leave, stipend, wellbeing benefit, or other support will be stated separately as an approved exception. Planned check-ins are at month 1 and month 3 to see how the engagement is working and help address issues. About Apricot Apricot is a nonprofit sourcing firm connecting displaced and underserved professionals from Palestine and the wider MENA region with global employment opportunities. We combine a clear social-impact mission with fast, high-quality recruitment delivery for international clients.