Chief Data Engineer

CACI International Inc; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 115,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

CACI International Inc. seeks a Chief Data Engineer to lead the design and delivery of an enterprise data platform in secure Azure Government environments.

You will architect cloud-based pipelines, drive data integration across DHS-related sources, and oversee a team of data engineers to deliver scalable, governed data assets. The role emphasizes data quality, security, governance, and enabling AI workloads through lakehouse architectures and Delta Sharing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 15 years in data engineering, data architecture, software engineering, or related field (Master's +12, 21 with no degree).
• Proven leadership in delivering enterprise-scale data integration and ETL/ELT solutions.
• Deep expertise with Azure data services or equivalent cloud platforms (AWS/GCP).
• Hands-on data pipeline development using Python, SQL, PySpark; knowledge of lakehouse and Delta Lake.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, testing, and deployment of enterprise data ingestion and transformation pipelines.
• Oversee migration from legacy ETL platforms to cloud-native data integration solutions (Azure Databricks, Data Factory).
• Architect scalable data integration patterns with batch, streaming, and metadata-driven pipelines.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud data engineering

Python

SQL

PySpark

Data modeling

Data quality

Pipeline architecture

Governance

Education

Bachelor's degree + 15 years experience in data engineering/architecture

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Azure Databricks

Azure Data Lake

Azure Synapse

Delta Lake

Informatica PowerCenter

Informatica Data Quality

Python

SQL

PySpark

Job description

Job Title: Chief Data Engineer

Job Category: Information Technology

Time Type: Full time

Minimum Clearance Required to Start: None

Employee Type: Regular

Percentage of Travel Required: None

Type of Travel: None

The Opportunity

CACI is seeking an accomplished Chief Data Engineer to support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). This role offers a unique opportunity to lead the technical implementation of an enterprise data platform that centralizes critical investigative, audit, and oversight data to strengthen national security operations. As the Chief Data Engineer, you will architect and lead the development of cloud-based data pipelines that ingest, transform, and integrate data from diverse sources including investigative systems, hotline complaints, DHS component datasets, and external federal data. You will oversee the migration from legacy ETL platforms to modern cloud-native solutions, establish data integration patterns with DHS data fabric and Delta Sharing, and ensure data quality, governance, and security across all pipelines. Leading a team of data engineers, you will coordinate data onboarding priorities, provide technical leadership for complex analytical needs, and enable AI and advanced analytics through authoritative, governed datasets. Working within secure Azure Government environments, you will build the data foundation for a transformational program of national importance. Join us to make a meaningful impact by engineering the data infrastructure that powers next-generation federal oversight capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, testing, and implementation of enterprise data ingestion and transformation pipelines that consolidate investigative records, hotline data, DHS datasets, and federal/commercial data sources into a centralized, governed data platform
• Oversee migration from legacy Informatica PowerCenter, Informatica Data Quality, and on-premises Python scripts to modern cloud-based data integration solutions using Azure Data Factory, Databricks, or equivalent technologies
• Architect and implement scalable data integration patterns supporting batch processing, incremental updates, streaming ingestion, and metadata-driven pipelines with comprehensive error handling and monitoring
• Lead ongoing operation, automation, monitoring, and reporting of production data pipelines, including performance optimization, failure remediation, data quality validation, and SLA compliance
• Design and implement integration with DHS data fabric, Delta Sharing, APIs, secure file transfer mechanisms, and data-sharing protocols while preserving DHS OIG independence and preventing unauthorized reciprocal access
• Coordinate phased data onboarding approach based on Government priorities, including technical discovery, source system analysis, data profiling, pipeline design, testing, and production deployment
• Provide technical leadership for data architecture and cloud analytics engineering, including lakehouse design, data modeling (relational, graph, geospatial), and optimization for analytical and AI workloads
• Lead and coordinate data engineering resources, including surge support for complex analytical needs, forensic data reconstruction, and specialized technical problem sets
• Develop and maintain comprehensive technical documentation including data lineage, pipeline architecture, integration specifications, operational runbooks, and data engineering best practices
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders, platform architects, AI engineers, and governance specialists to ensure data pipelines support mission analytics, comply with data governance policies, and enable AI model consumption of authoritative datasets

Qualifications

Required –

• Bachelor's degree + 15 years of experience in data engineering, data architecture, software engineering, or related field; equivalencies considered (Master's + 12 years; 21 years with no degree; AA + 17 years)
• Proven leadership experience architecting and delivering enterprise-scale data integration and ETL/ELT solutions with demonstrated ability to lead data engineering teams
• Deep expertise in cloud data engineering using Azure services (Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Lake, Azure Synapse) or equivalent AWS/GCP platforms
• Extensive hands-on experience with data pipeline development using Python, SQL, PySpark, and modern data integration frameworks with understanding of lakehouse architectures and Delta Lake
• Strong background in data architecture, data modeling, data quality, performance optimization, and operationalizing production data pipelines at scale

Desired –

• Experience with Informatica PowerCenter, Informatica Data Quality, or other legacy ETL platforms and successful migration to cloud-native solutions
• Hands-on experience with DHS data fabric, Delta Sharing, or federal data-sharing mechanisms in secure government cloud environments (Azure Government, AWS GovCloud)
• Background in federal government, law enforcement, investigative, or national security data environments with understanding of sensitive data handling, data governance, and compliance requirements (NIST 800-53, FedRAMP)

What You Can Expect

A culture of integrity.

At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you’ll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer’s missions and driven by a higher purpose – to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust.

CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You’ll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth.

Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success, and find opportunities to break new ground - in your career and in our legacy.

Pay Range

There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications. Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI, you will receive comprehensive benefits such as; healthcare, wellness, financial, retirement, family support, continuing education, and time off benefits.

Since this position can be worked in more than one location, the range shown is the national average for the position.

The Proposed Salary Range For This Position Is

$114,600-$252,100

CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.