Data Platform Engineer

Syms Strategic Group, LLC; Shreveport (LA); Remote; USD 85,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Syms Strategic Group, LLC is seeking a Data Platform Engineer to lead modernization of a healthcare data platform in a remote capacity. You will migrate XML object stores to AWS, design scalable data architectures, and enable SQL-based reporting for stakeholders.

The role requires deep AWS experience, SQL proficiency, and familiarity with services like S3, Athena, Redshift, and OpenSearch. You will collaborate with developers, analysts, and the VA department to deliver secure, cost-efficient

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in software or data engineering with a strong AWS focus.
• Proven experience architecting and executing cloud data platform migrations in production enterprise or healthcare environments.
• Track record of evaluating and selecting AWS data services to meet business reporting and query requirements.
• Experience delivering reporting or analytics solutions that serve non-technical business users.
• Deep hands-on AWS experience across data-oriented services – S3, Athena, Glue, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, OpenSearch, Lambda, IAM, and Cloudwatch.
• Strong SQL skills with the ability to design relational query layers over semi-structured or non-relational data (XML, JSON).
• Experience working with XML-heavy data stores – parsing, querying, and transforming XML at scale.
• An ability to evaluate trade-offs across AWS data services and make architecture recommendations based on cost, performance, and business requirements.
• Familiarity with AWS analytics and reporting services, including Athena, QuickSight, RedShift, or equivalent BI tooling.
• Proficiency with Git and GitHub - branching strategies, pull requests, and collaborative workflows.
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices and AWS-native tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy).
• IaC experience (AWS CDK, CloudFormation, or Terraform).
• Strong ability to communicate technical architecture decisions and trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience gathering and translating business reporting requirements into technical data models.
• Comfort driving ambiguous architecture decisions to resolutions with limited direction.
• Experience with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and JIRA.
• Strong documentation habits – architecture diagrams, data dictionaries, migration runbooks

Responsibilities

• Lead the next phase of the healthcare data platform modernization.
• Implement the evolution from MSSQL XML object store toward a scalable, cloud-native AWS data architecture for SQL-based reporting.
• Evaluate and decide the right AWS data strategy for the platform.
• Assess options like S3 + Athena, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, OpenSearch for performance and cost.
• Design and build the reporting layer for relational SQL queries against healthcare data.
• Architect the migration path of XML object store data from MSSQL into AWS, including formats and partitioning.
• Build and maintain AWS data catalog, schemas, and metadata management for discoverability.
• Optimize query performance and cost across AWS services.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate reporting requirements into durable data models.
• Coordinate with back-end C#/.Net engineers to ensure data flows from EDI pipelines into the new layer.
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines using AWS tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy).
• Apply Infrastructure as Code using CDK, CloudFormation, or Terraform.
• Document architecture decisions and data flows for technical and non-technical audiences.

Skills

AWS data engineering

SQL proficiency

XML data handling

CI/CD pipelines

IaC

Cloud architecture

Data migration

Agile/Scrum

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

S3

Athena

Glue

Aurora

DynamoDB

Redshift

OpenSearch

Lambda

IAM

CloudWatch

Job description

Syms Strategic Group (SSG) is seeking a talented Data Platform Engineer

Location: Remote

Department: Veterans Affairs (VA)

Type: Full Time

Min. Experience: Experienced

Security Clearance Level: Public Trust (MBI)

Salary Range: $85,389 - $116,975

If you have previously applied to Syms Strategic Group (SSG), there is no need to reapply. Applications are still under review.

Military Veterans are highly encouraged to apply!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the next phase of the healthcare data platform modernization
• Implement the evolution from a Microsoft SQL eXtensible Markup Language (MSSQL XML) object store toward a scalable, cloud-native AWS data architecture that enables business stakeholders and analysts to run performant, SQL-based reports and queries against healthcare data seamlessly
• Evaluate and decide the right AWS data strategy for the platform
• Evaluate and recommend the optimal AWS-native data storage and query architecture for the XML object store data, assessing options such as S3 + Athena, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, and OpenSearch based on query patterns, reporting needs, cost, and scalability
• Design and build the reporting and query layer that allows business stakeholders and non-technical users to run relational SQL queries against healthcare data using familiar tooling
• Architect the migration path for XML object store data from MSSQL into the target AWS platform, defining storage formats, partitioning strategies, and data organization for optimal query performance
• Build and maintain AWS data catalog, schemas, and metadata management so that object store data is discoverable and queryable by business users
• Optimize query performance and cost across chose AWS services – partitioning, compression, file formats, and query pattern tuning
• Work directly with business stakeholders and analysts to understand reporting requirements and translate them into durable, performant data models and query patterns
• Collaborate with back-end C#/.Net engineer to ensure data flows cleanly from Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processing pipelines into the new data layer
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines for data infrastructure using AWS-native tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy)
• Apply Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices using AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK), CloudFormation, or Terraform
• Document architecture decisions, data flows, and data dictionaries clearly for both technical and non-technical audiences

Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years’ experience in software or data engineering with a strong AWS focus
• Proven experience architecting and executing cloud data platform migrations in production enterprise or healthcare environments
• Track record of evaluating and selecting AWS data services to meet business reporting and query requirements
• Experience delivering reporting or analytics solutions that serve non-technical business users
• Deep hands-on AWS experience across data-oriented services – S3, Athena, Glue, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, OpenSearch, Lambda, IAM, and Cloudwatch
• Strong SQL skills with the ability to design relational query layers over semi-structured or non-relational data (XML, JSON)
• Experience working with XML-heavy data stores – parsing, querying, and transforming XML at scale
• An ability to evaluate trade-offs across AWS data services and make architecture recommendations based on cost, performance, and business requirements
• Familiarity with AWS analytics and reporting services, including Athena, QuickSight, RedShift, or equivalent Business Intelligence (BI) tooling
• Proficiency with Git and GitHub - branching strategies, pull requests, and collaborative workflows
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices and AWS-native tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy)
• IaC experience (AWS CDK, CloudFormation, or Terraform)
• Strong ability to communicate technical architecture decisions and trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders
• Experience gathering and translating business reporting requirements into technical data models
• Comfort driving ambiguous architecture decisions to resolutions with limited direction
• Experience with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and JIRA
• Strong documentation habits – architecture diagrams, data dictionaries, migration runbooks

Professional Certifications

None but AWS certifications are a bonus

Years of Professional Experience

n/a

Desired experience

Electronic Data Interchange X.12 (EDI) Medical Claims

• X.12, Medical Claims (837, 835, 277CA, etc), Health Level (HL7), Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)

Familiarity with C#/.Net back-end services for integration touchpoints

Experience with Entity Framework migration or deprecation projects

Experience with healthcare payer/Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) systems, clearinghouses, or pharmacy operations

Knowledge of HIPAA compliance requirements in cloud data architecture

Formal Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline; equivalent practical experience considered

Citizenship Requirement

U.S. Citizenship required for this specific opportunity

Security Clearance Requirements

Must possess or qualify for a Public Trust (MBI)

CRITICAL NOTES

1. SSG will not make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Your answers to the mandatory screening questions must be supported by the information on your resume. Applications with inconsistencies will not be considered.
2. Recruiters or Third parties will not be considered.
3. This is a 100% U.S. based remote position. However, candidates from CA, CO, IL, MN, NJ, NY, OR, or WA will not be considered.
4. This is a W-2 position
5. All interviews will be conducted on Microsoft Teams with your camera on; there will be no exceptions
6. As part of our screening process, you will be requested to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile

U.S Citizenship is required for this specific opportunity. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and be able to obtain a government-granted security clearance. Individuals may also be subject to a background investigation including, but not limited to criminal history, employment and education verification, drug testing, and creditworthiness.

Syms Strategic Group, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or genetic information.