Data Engineer (junior to mid) - Secret Clearance

LaunchCode; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

Generous PTO

Bonus opportunities

Job summary

LaunchCode is assisting a defense-sector partner to recruit a Data Engineer for designing, developing, and maintaining cloud-based data infrastructure and end-to-end ETL pipelines.

The role focuses on Databricks, Spark, and BI platforms, with 3+ years of experience, US citizenship, and active Secret clearance preferred. On-site work near Scott Air Force Base is expected.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of data engineering or related experience.
• U.S. citizenship and active Secret clearance; sponsorship possible.
• Strong SQL skills with complex queries across datasets.
• ETL processes and data integration experience.
• Python programming and data engineering tech stack.
• Experience with Spark, Scala, JavaScript/JSON, and SQL.
• BI experience with Cognos, Qlik Sense, Power BI.
• Experience with large datasets and big data tech.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain end-to-end data pipelines using ETL processes.
• Build and optimize scalable data pipelines with Databricks, Python, Spark, SQL.
• Develop workflows to support reliable, high-performance analysis.
• Perform data cleansing, transformation, and quality assurance for large datasets.
• Leverage big data tech in federal environments.
• Troubleshoot data issues and propose solutions.
• Implement data governance aligned with regulations.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to model data and architectures.
• Provide data for reporting and analytics.
• Maintain technical doc for pipelines and processes.
• Evaluate new tech to improve automation and quality.

Skills

SQL

Python

ETL

Data analysis

Communication

Collaboration

Tools

Databricks

Spark

Power BI

Jupyter Notebooks

AWS S3

Teradata

Cognos Analytics

Qlik Sense

Job description

Position Type: Direct Hire / Full-Time

Location: Shiloh, IL / On-site at Scott Air Force Base

Schedule: On-site, generally 9:00 AM–5:00 PM depending on project needs

Clearance: Active Secret Clearance Preferred

Years of Experience: 3+ years

Hiring Timeline: Immediate

Compensation: $65,000–$90,000/year

Company: The name of our partner organization will be disclosed during the interview process. This is not a direct role with LaunchCode; it is a position through LaunchCode, working with one of our partner companies.

Position Overview

Our partner is seeking a skilled and highly motivated Data Engineer to support a growing portfolio of data and technology initiatives within the Defense sector.

The Data Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining cloud-based data infrastructure, scalable data pipelines, and analytics solutions. This role will focus on building and optimizing end-to-end ETL processes, integrating large and complex datasets, improving data quality, and supporting business intelligence and reporting initiatives.

The ideal candidate has at least three years of relevant experience and a strong foundation in SQL, Python, ETL processes, and modern data engineering technologies. Experience with Databricks, Spark, federal data environments, and business intelligence platforms is highly preferred.

Position Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain end-to-end data pipelines using ETL processes and modern data engineering technologies.
• Build and optimize scalable data pipelines using tools and technologies such as Databricks, Python, Spark, Scala, JavaScript/JSON, SQL, and Jupyter Notebooks.
• Develop data processing workflows that support reliable, efficient, and high-performance analysis.
• Perform data cleansing, transformation, integration, and quality assurance activities to maintain the accuracy and integrity of large datasets.
• Leverage big data technologies to process and analyze large datasets within federal and Department of Defense environments.
• Troubleshoot data-related issues and develop effective solutions to complex data challenges.
• Implement and support data governance policies, standards, and procedures in alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Collaborate with technical and business stakeholders to understand data requirements and develop effective data models and architectures.
• Partner with data scientists, analysts, and other stakeholders to provide timely and accurate data for reporting, analytics, and decision-making.
• Maintain technical documentation for data pipelines, applications, workflows, and related processes.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend tools and solutions that improve automation, scalability, performance, and data quality.

Required Skills/Experience

• 3+ years of experience in data engineering, data analytics, software development, or a related technical field.
• U.S. citizenship and an active Secret clearance. Clearance sponsorship may be available for qualified candidates.
• Strong SQL skills with the ability to write, troubleshoot, and modify complex queries and procedures across a variety of datasets.
• Experience with Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes, including establishing and maintaining data ingestion and transformation workflows.
• Experience manipulating, integrating, and combining data from multiple sources.
• Hands‑on programming experience with Python and related data engineering technologies.
• Experience with technologies such as Spark, Scala, JavaScript/JSON, and SQL.
• Business intelligence experience, including creating and updating applications, reports, dashboards, and analytical solutions.
• Familiarity with business intelligence platforms such as Cognos Analytics, Qlik Sense, and Power BI.
• Experience working with large datasets and using big data technologies to support efficient processing and analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across technical and business teams.
• Detail‑oriented approach with a commitment to high‑quality and accurate results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Databricks and modern cloud-based data engineering environments.
• Familiarity with Amazon Web Services, including AWS and Amazon S3.
• Experience working with Jupyter Notebooks.
• Understanding of data modeling, data visualization, database design principles, and data governance practices.
• Experience with Teradata, including Multiload, BTEQ, and related Teradata utilities or procedures.
• Experience supporting Department of Defense or other federal agency environments.
• Familiarity with Department of Defense accounting systems such as DEAMS, TFMS, NERP, or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of Department of Defense accounting processes, financial systems, or transportation policies.
• Experience supporting cloud modernization, data transformation, reporting, or analytics initiatives.

Benefits

• Health, vision, and dental plans for employees and their families.
• Competitive 401(k) plan with 100% company matching on employee contributions up to the first 6%.
• Generous paid time off based on length of service.
• Bonus opportunities based on individual performance and achievement of goals.
• Professional development support through training programs and certifications.
• Company-sponsored team‑building activities, retreats, and professional conferences.