DATA ENGINEER

M&S Consulting; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

M&S Consulting is seeking a hands-on Data Engineer to join a small, high-impact on-site data engineering team in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

You will own the end-to-end platform, building and maintaining ETL pipelines on a stand-alone, classified environment, and you will coordinate with data owners and analysts to ensure data provenance and reliable delivery. This direct-hire, long-term role requires Top Secret clearance and the ability to obtain SCI, with occasional domestic travel.

Qualifications

• Top Secret (TS) clearance and ability to obtain SCI.
• 3–5 years of Python experience.
• 3–5 years of data engineering and ETL pipeline experience.
• 3–5 years of pipeline orchestration experience.
• 3–5 years of theoretical foundations of data science and practical implementation.
• Hands-on experience with graph modeling and graph databases.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Perform ETL tasks on a stand-alone data platform.
• Use, troubleshoot, and modify data extraction, cleaning, parsing, and storage tools.
• Identify and implement new tools and methods within engineering and security processes.
• Stay current with data engineering advances and provide guidance.
• Engage with data owners to understand provenance and context.
• Produce summary reports and draft technical documentation.
• Communicate updates and issues clearly with technical staff.
• Maintain and administer the team’s networks and computing environment.
• Install/configure/maintain server hardware and stand-alone networks.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and network issues.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments and security audits with leadership and security staff.

Skills

Python

ETL pipelines

Pipeline orchestration

Data science fundamentals

Graph modeling

Data engineering tools

Communication

Tools

Open Metadata

PostgreSQL

Data Load Tool (dlt)

Dagster

Airflow

Prefect

Neo4j

Amazon Neptune

Job description

DATA ENGINEER

Full-Time | On-Site | Washington, D.C. Metro Area

Active Top Secret (TS) clearance required | Start date: September 28, 2026

POSITION SUMMARY

• Position Title: Data Engineer
• Security Clearance: Must have Top Secret (TS) clearance and the ability to obtain SCI
• Location: On-site — Washington, D.C. metro area (occasional domestic travel possible)
• Employment Type: Full-time, direct hire with M&S Consulting, LLC
• Start Date: September 28, 2026

ABOUT THE ROLE

M&S Consulting is seeking a hands-on Data Engineer to join a small, high-impact on-site data engineering team. You will build and maintain ETL pipelines on a stand-alone, classified platform, work directly with data owners and analysts, and evaluate and introduce new tools and methods. This role combines data engineering, graph databasing, and day-to-day administration of the computing environment your pipelines run on — you will own the platform end to end.

This is a direct-hire, long-term position. M&S Consulting is a Women-Owned, HUBZone-certified small business headquartered in Morgantown, West Virginia.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Perform extract, transform, and load (ETL) tasks on a stand-alone data platform in accordance with team standards.
• Use, troubleshoot, and modify existing tools and methods for extracting, cleaning, parsing, and storing data.
• Identify, vet, develop, and implement new tools and methods following established engineering and security processes.
• Stay current with advances in data engineering and provide guidance on tools and methods relevant to the team's work.
• Engage with data owners to understand provenance, format, and context of data; provide feedback to stakeholders.
• Produce summary reports on new and existing data holdings and draft technical documentation.
• Communicate updates, changes, and issues clearly with other technical staff.
• Maintain and administer the team's networks and computing environment, including installing rack-mounted hardware and performing foundational network configuration.
• Perform system installation, configuration, and maintenance of server hardware, software, and stand-alone networks.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, network, and system issues.
• Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and security audits in coordination with program leadership and information-system security staff.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Clearance: Must have Top Secret (TS) clearance and the ability to obtain SCI.
• 3 to 5 years of professional experience in Python.
• 3 to 5 years of experience with data engineering techniques and principles, including building ETL pipelines and optimizing data storage and retrieval.
• 3 to 5 years of experience with pipeline orchestration tools and concepts.
• 3 to 5 years of experience with the theoretical foundations of data science and their practical implementation.
• Working knowledge of industry-standard data engineering tools and their practical application.
• Hands-on experience with graph modeling and graph databases.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently and take ownership of technical work.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with Open Metadata, PostgreSQL, and Data Load Tool (dlt) or similar.
• Experience with orchestration frameworks such as Dagster, Airflow, or Prefect.
• Experience with graph platforms such as Neo4j or Amazon Neptune.
• Experience operating in stand-alone, air-gapped, or classified computing environments.
• Familiarity with Linux/Windows server administration, STIG compliance, and vulnerability scanning tools.
• Prior experience in a cleared environment.

WHY M&S CONSULTING

• Direct-hire, long-term stability.
• Small-company culture with direct access to leadership and real ownership of your work.
• Competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage, retirement plan, and paid time off.
• Meaningful work in a cleared environment.

M&S Consulting, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. U.S. citizenship and an active security clearance are required for this position.