Data Engineer

Agile Defense; Falls Church (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Agile Defense is looking for a Data Engineer to support the design and deployment of data solutions for the Department of Defense. This position requires a strong background in data science and engineering, with collaborative work across teams.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of experience, proficiency in Python and SQL, and familiarity with tools such as Palantir or Databricks. This role is located in Camp Smith, HI, with a salary range of $150,000 - $175,000 per year.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in data science or engineering roles.
• Experience with data visualization tools like Palantir.
• Strong technical communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain data science services to support AI/ML workflows.
• Develop and deploy ML models for various tasks, including anomaly detection.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis to derive actionable insights.
• Engage with cross-functional teams to define data and model requirements.

Skills

Data visualization

Storytelling with data

Python

SQL

Machine learning

MLOps

Distributed data frameworks

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience

Tools

Palantir

Databricks

Spark

AWS

Job description

Requisition #: 1653

Job Title: Data Engineer

Location: Camp Smith, HI

Clearance Level: Top Secret, Must Have Clearance to Start

Job Description

Agile Defense is seeking a Data Scientist / Engineer to support the design, development, and operational deployment of scalable, AI-enabled data solutions within the Department of Defense’s CDAO ADA IR program. This role is part of a multidisciplinary team integrating advanced analytics, machine learning, and engineering practices into mission-critical environments at Combatant Commands.

You will help shape and deploy data pipelines, pre-processing workflows, feature engineering strategies, and machine learning services within secure, containerized environments. The ideal candidate brings a hybrid of statistical modeling fluency and hands‑on software engineering expertise. You will collaborate closely with product managers, full‑stack developers, platform engineers, and mission stakeholders to transform raw data into meaningful insights and decision‑support tools.

This role requires strong technical communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and experience working in agile environments that value reproducibility, testing, and continuous delivery. Familiarity with cloud‑based data platforms such as Databricks, Palantir, or AWS‑native data services is highly preferred.

Location: In Person: Honolulu (Camp H.M. Smith), HI

Key Objectives

Objective 1: Design and Maintain Scalable Data Science Services

• Plan, develop, and maintain reusable services for data ingestion, transformation, and feature engineering that support AI/ML workflows.
• Implement core data science capabilities, such as entity resolution, classification, clustering, or prediction, within containerized environments that adhere to CI/CD, version control, and testing standards.
• Collaborate with DevSecOps engineers to integrate services into secure production environments using tools like Databricks, Docker, and Terraform.
• Ensure services meet performance, reliability, and security requirements consistent with DoD enterprise and cloud‑native architecture.

Objective 2: Build and Operationalize AI/ML Solutions

• Develop and deploy standalone or embedded ML models for tasks such as decision support, automation, anomaly detection, and pattern recognition.
• Select and implement appropriate modeling techniques using Python, Spark, or cloud‑native ML frameworks (e.g., SageMaker, MLflow).
• Maintain reproducibility and interpretability of model outputs to meet mission transparency and audit requirements.
• Package model inference services with well‑documented APIs for integration into end‑user applications and operational dashboards.

Objective 3: Perform Exploratory Data Analysis and Communicate Insights

• Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA) to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities within structured and unstructured datasets.
• Develop data visualizations and interpretive summaries that support stakeholder understanding and product team decision‑making.
• Translate analytical findings into actionable recommendations using a mix of visual, narrative, and quantitative communication strategies.
• Contribute to the team’s shared library of analysis templates, reusable queries, and analytic workflows to accelerate future delivery.

Objective 4: Collaborate Across Teams to Deliver Mission Impact

• Engage with product managers and mission users to define data and model requirements aligned with operational goals.
• Work closely with engineers to ensure data science components align with technical constraints and deployment patterns.
• Participate in agile sprint planning, retrospectives, and demos, sharing progress and adjusting priorities based on feedback.
• Maintain strong documentation practices that enable handoff, reproducibility, and technical accountability.

Education and Background

• A bachelor's degree plus 3 years of recent specialized experience, OR, an associate's degree plus 7 years of recent specialized experience, OR, a major certification plus 7 years of recent specialized experience, OR, 11 years of recent specialized experience
• Experience with data visualization and storytelling using tools such as Palantir's MSS Workshop and Slate applications

Years of Experience

3+ years

Required Skills

• Experience with data visualization and storytelling using tools such as AIP & Foundry

Preferred Skills

• 4+ years of experience in applied data science, Palantir Foundry development, or data pipeline development.
• Proficient in Python, SQL, and distributed data frameworks (e.g., Spark, Databricks, PySpark).
• Experience developing ML models from training to deployment using industry-standard tools and libraries (e.g., scikit‑learn, TensorFlow, XGBoost).
• Familiarity with MLOps, API development, and secure cloud-based environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, Palantir Foundry).
• Strong understanding of data validation, model testing, and performance evaluation techniques.
• Excellent technical communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to non‑technical audiences.

Working Conditions

• Must be able to work onsite in a SCIF

$150,000 - $175,000 a year

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities