Data Engineer II

MetLife; Cary (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan including medical/prescrip

Life insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Tuition assistance

Job summary

MetLife in Cary, NC is seeking a Data Engineer II to build and validate data pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Databricks, PySpark, Spark SQL, SQL, and Python. You’ll focus on validation activities and progressively contribute to pipeline development and operational support in Azure and Databricks environments.

In this hybrid role, you’ll work with engineering, analytics, and business teams to deliver analytics-ready data with quality, performance, and security considerations, supporting

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in a quantitative field or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of data engineering and validation experience.
• Strong Python, PySpark, Spark SQL, and SQL skills.
• Experience with Azure Data Factory, Databricks, and Delta Lake.
• Experience with Azure cloud data solutions.

Responsibilities

• Perform enterprise data validation including source-to-target validation and anomaly detection.
• Develop and maintain automated data quality controls using Python, PySpark, Spark SQL.
• Build and support ETL/ELT pipelines with Azure Data Factory and Databricks.
• Troubleshoot data issues and collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve defects.
• Design scalable data processing and validation solutions for reporting and analytics.

Skills

Python

PySpark

Spark SQL

SQL

Azure Data Factory

Databricks

Data validation

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Delta Lake

Lakehouse

Azure DevOps

Git

CI/CD

Job description

At MetLife, data isn’t just a tool - it is a catalyst for growth. As part of our Data & Analytics organization, you’ll unlock trusted insights that drive bold decisions, power personalized customer experiences, and deliver lasting business impact. We’re building the future of data - one that’s governed responsibly, engineered for scalability, and designed for growth. When you join us, you’re not just supporting the business - you’re empowering it. Let’s transform insight into impact and data into action, together.

The Opportunity

The MetLife Corporate Functions Data Office is part of the Data and Analytics Organization (D&A) within GTO. Our mission is to implement scalable data solutions for our stakeholders to generate actionable insights. We achieve this by partnering with our D&A teams, Technology, and our Business and functional partners to build and deploy next generation data solutions for MetLife.

As a Data Engineer II at MetLife, you will build, test, monitor, validate, and support data pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Databricks, PySpark, Spark SQL, SQL, and Python. The role requires strong hands‑on engineering experience and significant Python expertise to develop, automate, validate, and operationalize data solutions supporting reporting, analytics, and operational decision‑making.

This role will initially focus on validation activities, including source-to-target validation, data profiling, reconciliation, anomaly detection, test automation, defect analysis, and data quality controls. Over time, the role is expected to contribute more broadly to pipeline development, optimization, deployment, and operational support within Azure and Databricks environments.

Working with minimal supervision, you will perform intermediate to complex data engineering, data preparation, validation, evaluation, deployment, and operational support activities. You will partner with engineering, analytics, business, and operations teams to deliver reliable, analytics‑ready data assets while ensuring data quality, performance, scalability, security, and compliance requirements are met. You may lead small project teams and contribute to engineering standards, reusable validation frameworks, and platform improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform data validation activities for enterprise data assets, including source-to-target validation, reconciliation, profiling, anomaly detection, and defect analysis.
• Develop automated validation, testing, and data quality controls using Python, PySpark, Spark SQL, SQL, and related frameworks to ensure the accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness of enterprise data.
• Build, enhance, and support ETL/ELT pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Databricks, Python, PySpark, and Spark SQL, with an initial focus on validation and quality engineering use cases.
• Troubleshoot data issues, analyze root causes, document findings, and partner with Business, Technology, Operations, and Data & Analytics teams to resolve defects and improve data reliability.
• Design, develop, and optimize scalable data processing and validation solutions that support reporting, analytics, and operational decision‑making.
• Implement and support Delta Lake and Lakehouse architecture patterns to enable reliable, scalable, and efficient data processing.
• Ensure data processing and validation solutions comply with established security, quality, and operational standards.
• Contribute to reusable validation frameworks, engineering standards, operational playbooks, and continuous improvement initiatives across the data platform.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent experience.
• 3‑5 years of experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, data validation engineering, data platform development, or related disciplines.
• Strong hands‑on experience developing data engineering and validation solutions using Python, PySpark, Spark SQL, and/or SQL.
• Experience building, testing, validating, and supporting ETL/ELT pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Databricks, and Delta Lake architectures.
• Experience developing, troubleshooting, and optimizing scalable cloud‑based data solutions in Azure, including data quality, reconciliation, and validation activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with data quality testing, data profiling, source-to-target validation, reconciliation, anomaly detection, and validation frameworks.
• Experience developing automated testing solutions using pytest or similar frameworks.
• Experience supporting production data pipelines, monitoring, observability practices, and incident or defect resolution.
• Experience with Git, Azure DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with Attacama or similar data quality platforms and exposure to GenAI technologies.

Location Expectation: This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office.

The expected salary range for this position is $90,000 - $110,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short‑term incentive compensation. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

Benefits We Offer

Our U.S. benefits address holistic well‑being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no‑cost short‑ and long‑term disability. We also provide company‑paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more! For more information regarding MetLife’s U.S. benefits, please.

About MetLife

Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies", Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces™, as well as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

As part of our New Frontier strategy, MetLife is building an AI‑enabled, people‑centered future. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset as we use AI to enhance how we serve customers, support communities, and evolve the way work gets done. At MetLife, AI is a responsible partner that supports human judgment, creativity, and continuous improvement while helping us build trust, inclusion, and long‑term value.

Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values - Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead - we’re inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it’s #AllTogetherPossible. Join us!

MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).

If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.

MetLife maintains a drug‑free workplace.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liabilities.

This posting is for a current vacancy and is anticipated to remain open for at least 90 days from the listed posting date.