Backend Engineer (Data Infrastructure / Data Quality)

Aquent; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with match

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Aquent is assisting a client in hiring a Backend Engineer for Data Infrastructure and Data Quality. The role focuses on building backend services and observability tooling to reduce operational risk and improve data reliability.

You will work with Python and Java on cloud-native pipelines across GCP, Databricks, and Snowflake in a hybrid NYC setting. Requirements include strong backend experience, systems design, and collaboration with data engineers and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Backend engineer with platform engineering experience or large-scale data pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of Python/Java and data tooling.
• Experience designing robust systems with data quality and observability considerations.
• Ability to work with stakeholders to clarify requirements and define APIs/contracts.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain backend services to support large data use-cases.
• Design and implement AI integrations for data quality and observability.
• Develop tooling to promote best practices for AI development company-wide.
• Create infrastructure to democratize data usage across the company.
• Collaborate with teammates and leaders to scale systems.

Skills

Python

Java

Platform Engineering

Data pipelines

Systems design

Tools

GCP

Databricks

Snowflake

Kubernetes

Job description

Our client is looking to bring on a Backend Engineer – Data Infrastructure / Data Quality.The Data Quality and Observability team builds backend systems used by Data Engineers across the company to verify accuracy, enhance reliability, and transform collaboration on platform-wide improvements to our clients data infrastructure.

We are looking for someone whopossess strong hands-on expertise in Python, Java, and modern cloud/big data platforms (GCP, Databricks, Snowflake, Kubernetes) with a proven track record of building production-grade backend pipelines and enterprise data tooling. Systems design experience is strongly preferred, alongside a deep focus on reducing operational risk through robust data quality validation, monitoring, and observability frameworks.

*** PLEASE NOTE: This role is hybrid, requiring 2-3 days onsite in NYC ***

What You’ll Do

• Build and maintain backend services to support their largest and most critical data use-cases.
• Design and implement new AI integrations to power the future of data quality, observability, and support.
• Design and build brand new tooling to define and promote company-wide best practices for AI development.
• Create tooling and infrastructure to democratize data and enhance data usage across the company.
• Participate in scaling systems while collaborating with teammates, stakeholders, and leaders.
• Gain hands-on experience in understanding user workflows to create tools that improve data quality, observability and reliability.

Who You Are (Requirements)

• You are a backend engineer with specific experience in Platform Engineering or working with large-scale data pipelines.
• Your skills include Java (or similar object-oriented programming language), and a strong understanding of systems design, data structures, and algorithms.
• You thrive in an environment where engineers are empowered to solve meaningful problems with autonomy.
• You can work directly with stakeholders to clarify requirements, write clear technical docs, and design APIs/contracts that are easy to adopt.
• You care about code quality, testing, and maintainability—and you know what it means to ship reliable software.
• You enjoy breaking down complex technical problems and iterating quickly, taking ownership from ideation to production.

Nice to Have

• Experience with technologies such as Scala, Flyte, Apache Iceberg, Dataflow, Airflow or collaborating with data engineers to build impactful tools and pipelines.
• Experience working in data quality or data monitoring using tools such as Great Expectations or SQL Soda, and with concepts such Counters or Data SLOs
• Strong Java backend development experience (we also use Python).
• Experience with agentic coding tools and AI-assisted development workflows (with strong judgment around correctness, security, and reviewability).

Tech Stack (What You’ll Likely Work With)

• Languages: Java, Python
• Infrastructure: Kubernetes on GCP
• Storage/Data: Iceberg, GCS, BigQuery, CloudSQL, Scala, Flyte, Dataflow
• Misc: Bazel, VictoriaMetrics, Great Expectations (GX)

Skill connects the best professional, IT, engineering, financial and administrative talent with the world’s biggest brands. Our eligible talent get access to benefits such as health benefit contributions, retirement plans with match and flexible spending accounts.

Skill is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.