Senior Data Engineer - Contract - Columbia, SC

Senior Data Engineer / Data Solutions Architect – Java, Python & Cloud Data Engineering
Location: Remote

Interview Process: 1st Round Virtual Interviews followed by a 2nd Round Onsite Interview
Duration: 12 Months
Employment Type: Contract
Experience Required: 05+ Years

Candidate location: Candidate must be a CURRENT SC resident. No relocation allowed.

Project Scope:

We are seeking an experienced Data Engineer / Data Solutions Architect to join the Data Operations Hub Team.

The consultant will design, develop, and implement analytical data solutions aligned with the agency's strategic goals. The role requires strong expertise in data architecture, data modeling, data migration, and data integration.

The successful candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop scalable data solutions, support target-state architecture goals, evaluate emerging technologies, and implement production-ready data engineering solutions.

This is a hands-on technical role combining data architecture, system design, application development, and operational support.

Key Responsibilities:

• Represent the Data Operations Hub team in various forums and provide guidance on data solutions.
  
• Lead the design and maintenance of scalable data solutions, including data lakes and data warehouses.
  
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure data product solutions support business needs and enable data-driven decision-making.
  
• Evaluate and select data technologies and drive the adoption of emerging technologies.
  
• Develop architectural models using Sparx or other available data modeling tools.
  
• Prepare architecture models and supporting artifacts for data initiatives.
  
• Serve as a subject matter expert in assigned technical areas.
  
• Work with modern data processing technologies such as Python, Java, and Airflow, particularly in data mesh and data lake environments.
  
• Contribute to the data engineering community and promote agency data practices.
  
• Perform hands-on coding and solution design to implement production-ready solutions.
  
• Optimize system performance by identifying and resolving inefficiencies.
  
• Design reusable data frameworks using modern technologies.
  

Required Skills & Experience:

• 4+ years of experience as a Data Engineer or in a similar role, leading technical teams and managing complex technical challenges within the assigned domain.
  
• 4+ years of hands-on experience in system design, application development, and operational stability.
  
• 4+ years of experience in architecture disciplines and programming languages.
  
• 4+ years of experience in data architecture, data modeling, data integration, cloud data services, domain-driven data design, and data engineering best practices.
  
• 4+ years of practical experience with AWS or Azure services and data engineering disciplines.
  
• 4+ years of experience in one or more data engineering disciplines, such as ETL/ELT and event processing.
  
• 4+ years of proficiency in SQL, data warehousing solutions, and cloud-native relational databases such as:
  
• Snowflake
  
• Amazon Athena
  
• PostgreSQL
  

Preferred Skills

• 4+ years of experience in business architecture.
  
• Experience with architecture assessment frameworks.
  

Education:
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field.