Junior Data Engineer

Lucas James Talent Partners; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare, Dental, and Vision

401K with company match

Unlimited PTO

Paid holidays

Job summary

Lucas James Talent Partners is seeking a mid-to-senior Software Developer with a strong Python focus to build production-grade backend services on AWS, including data pipelines and ETL workflows.

You will design APIs, integrate with AWS services (S3, Lambda, Glue, ECS/EKS), and work in a hybrid Chicago-based environment with a talented team.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Python (3.x) with production-grade code experience.
• Experience building APIs/backend services with Flask, FastAPI, Django, or similar.
• Hands-on AWS with services like S3, Lambda, Glue, API Gateway, ECS/EKS, DynamoDB, and CloudWatch.
• Experience with API development (REST/GraphQL) and IaC in Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Familiarity with Docker/Kubernetes, CI/CD, and observability tools.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain Python apps and APIs for ETL workflows.
• Integrate with AWS services to deliver scalable cloud-native solutions.
• Write efficient, cost-aware code and optimize AWS resources.
• Automate and orchestrate workflows with AWS Step Functions and MWAA.
• Monitor, debug, and optimize data pipelines for reliability.
• Implement security best practices, IAM, and secrets management.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and testing/deployment practices.
• Collaborate with data engineers, analysts, and stakeholders.

Skills

Python

API Frameworks

AWS

API development

Docker/Kubernetes

Infrastructure as Code

Observability

ETL

SQL

Troubleshooting

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

Software Developer – Python, Cloud Infrastructure & Data Pipelines (Hybird role)

Location: Chicago IL, Hybrid (3 days in office/ 2 days work from home weekly)

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role

We are seeking a mid-to-senior level Software Developer with a strong Python focus to join our engineering team. This role centers on building production-grade Python services, APIs, and ETL workflows that operate at scale across AWS.

While the position interfaces closely with data pipelines and cloud infrastructure, the primary focus is software development: writing clean, maintainable Python code; designing APIs; and building reliable backend services that integrate with AWS-native tools. This is an excellent opportunity for a Python-first developer who enjoys cloud-native architecture, backend systems, and infrastructure-aware application design.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain Python applications and APIs that support ETL workflows.
• Integrate deeply with AWS services such as S3, Lambda, Glue, ECS/EKS, Athena, Step Functions, DynamoDB, and API Gateway to deliver scalable, cloud-native solutions.
• Write efficient, cost-aware code that optimizes performance and leverages AWS resources.
• Automate/ orchestrate workflows using AWS tools (e.g., Step Functions, MWAA/Airflow) & infrastructure-as-code.
• Monitor, debug, and optimize pipelines to ensure scalability and reliability across large data volumes.
• Implement security best practices in AWS, including IAM policies, secrets management, and least-privilege access.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, CodeBuild, CodePipeline) and enforce best practices for testing and deployment.
• Work closely with data engineers, analysts, and shareholders to deliver robust, cloud-native solutions.

Required Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in Python (3.x), with experience writing production-grade, testable, and maintainable code.
• Experience building APIs or backend services using Flask, FastAPI, Django, or similar Python frameworks
• Hands-on AWS experience with services like S3, Lambda, Glue, API Gateway, ECS/EKS, Step Functions, DynamoDB, and CloudWatch.
• Proven ability to write efficient, scalable, and cost-conscious code in a cloud environment.
• Experience with API development (REST/GraphQL) and integrating APIs with AWS services.
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes on EKS).
• Familiarity with Terraform or CloudFormation for infrastructure as code. Solid understanding of cloud networking, IAM, and AWS security principles.
• Knowledge of observability and monitoring (CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog).
• Familiarity with ETL design patterns, data pipelines, and orchestration tools
• Working knowledge of SQL and data modeling.
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with production ML workflows (KubeFlow, MLFlow)
• Exposure to event-driven architectures (Kinesis, Kafka, SNS/SQS).
• Experience with cost optimization strategies in AWS
• Experience with connecting with several types of client CRMs such as Salesforce, StackAdapt, etc.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers to provide industry best practices/habits

Why Join Us?

• Own mission-critical infrastructure in a cloud-first environment.
• Work in a modern AWS-based ecosystem with opportunities to shape architecture and best practices.
• Join a collaborative and fast-moving team where your expertise in Python and AWS will have a direct impact.
• Grow your career at the intersection of software development, cloud infrastructure, and data systems.

Benefits

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 401K with company match
• unlimited PTO
• paid holidays