Data Engineer

Princeton University; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Princeton University is seeking a Data Engineer to own and evolve our data integration practice. You will ingest data from enterprise sources into our data warehouse and lead migration to a cloud-native platform.

Key focus areas include ETL/ELT pipeline design, data quality, security, and CI/CD for data deployments. Strong SQL, Python, and Linux tooling are essential, with a bachelor’s in CS required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of proven experience with enterprise ETL/ELT tooling.
• Advanced SQL skills across Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL.
• Strong Python for data transformation and automation.
• Shell scripting for batch jobs on Linux/Unix servers.
• Hands-on with at least one cloud data platform (Fabric/Snowflake/Databricks).
• Experience with dbt for transformation layers.
• Documentation of data flows, pipelines, and logic.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain ETL/ELT pipelines to load data into the data warehouse.
• Lead migration of on-prem pipelines to a cloud-native platform (Fabric/Snowflake/Databricks).
• Implement data quality checks, lineage, and pipeline observability.
• Ensure data security, encryption, and IAM-aligned access controls.
• Collaborate with analysts and BI developers to translate data requirements.
• Develop pipeline documentation, data dictionaries, and SLAs; participate in on-call rotation.
• Contribute to CI/CD practices for data integration deployments.

Skills

Linux / Shell scripting

Python programming

SQL

Networking basics

Cloud infrastructure fundamentals

IAM

REST APIs

Data flow documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science

Tools

Snowflake

dbt

Fivetran

Databricks

Microsoft Fabric

IBM DataStage

Job description

Overview

The Princeton DMIA Integration team is looking for a Data Engineer to own and evolve our data integration practice. You will be responsible for ingesting data from enterprise source systems into our data warehouse platform — what the CIO office refers to as system-to-data-repository integrations. You will play a key role in our migration to a cloud-native data platform, with candidates expected to bring expertise in modern tooling such as Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake with dbt and Fivetran, or Databricks. The existing data warehouse technologies include IBM DataStage, SQL, Oracle, and Shell-based pipelines running on on-premises Linux infrastructure.

Responsibilities

Architect, Design, Develop:

• Design, build, and maintain ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest, transform, and load data from source systems into the enterprise data warehouse.
• Lead the migration of on-premises data pipelines to the organization’s future cloud-native data platform (one of Fabric, Snowflake + dbt + Fivetran, or Databricks).
• Implement and enforce data quality checks, data lineage tracking, and pipeline observability across all integration workflows.
• Ensure data security and compliance requirements are met, including encryption at rest and in transit, and access controls aligned with IAM policies.
• Optimize pipeline performance, scheduling, and resource utilization across batch and incremental load patterns.

Collaborate and Coordinate:

• Partner with data analysts, BI developers, and source system owners to understand data requirements and translate them into robust ingestion pipelines.

Production Support:

• Operate and support ingestion and transformation pipelines.
• Develop and maintain data pipeline documentation, data dictionaries, and SLA agreements for ingestion jobs.
• Participate in on-call production support rotation and respond to integration incidents per SLA.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipeline setup and DevOps practices for data integration deployments.

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications:

• CORE SKILLS
  • Linux / Shell scripting
  • Python programming
  • SQL (query authoring and data validation)
  • Basic networking (DNS, HTTP/S, TCP/IP, proxies, firewalls)
  • Cloud infrastructure fundamentals (any major provider)
  • IAM: LDAP, Active Directory, OAuth 2.0, certificate management
• 5+ years of proven experience with enterprise ETL/ELT tooling
• Advanced SQL skills across multiple platforms (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL)
• Strong Python programming skills for data transformation, scripting, and pipeline automation
• Shell scripting proficiency for batch job automation on Linux/Unix servers
• Hands‑on experience with at least one cloud data platform: Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake (with dbt and/or Fivetran), or Databricks
• Experience with dbt (data build tool) for transformation layer development
• Linux/Unix systems fluency including file management, cron scheduling, and process monitoring
• Understanding of data warehousing concepts: dimensional modelling, star/snowflake schemas, slowly changing dimensions
• Familiarity with basic networking, storage, and cloud infrastructure concepts
• Experience with IAM and access control: LDAP, Active Directory, and database‑level permission management
• Working knowledge of REST APIs for source system data extraction and pipeline orchestration
• Ability to document data flows, pipeline architecture, and transformation logic clearly
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years proven experience with enterprise ETL/ELT tooling
• Familiarity with orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow, Azure Data Factory, or Prefect
• Exposure to streaming or near‑real‑time ingestion patterns (Kafka, Kinesis, Event Hubs)
• Experience with data quality frameworks (Great Expectations, Soda, or equivalent)
• Cloud platform certifications (Azure, AWS, or GCP data engineering tracks)

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full‑time position; salaries for part‑time positions are pro‑rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.

Standard Weekly Hours

36.25

Eligible for Overtime

No

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Probationary Period

180 days

Essential Services Personnel (see policy for detail)

No

Physical Capacity Exam Required

No

Valid Driver’s License Required

No

Experience Level

Mid-Senior Level#Ll-DP1

Salary Range

$120,000 to $135,000