Junior Data Engineer (DEA)

Expression; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k matching

Health insurance

Education reimbursement

Generous PTO and holidays

Onsite gym facility

Commuter Benefits Plan

In-office Cold Brew Coffee

Job summary

Expression is seeking a Junior Data Engineer to support the DEA ICDE modernization effort at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, VA. This on-site, early-career role focuses on data ingestion, transformation, validation, migration, and integration within a centralized, secure ecosystem.

Working with experienced engineers, you will design and maintain ETL pipelines, assist with data-quality checks, and document data flows while preparing for potential TS/SCI clearance. Onsite work only.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM and 0–1 years of professional experience.
• Foundational exposure to data analysis, ETL concepts, or data migration through coursework or internships.
• Working knowledge of SQL with basic queries, joins, and aggregations.
• Familiarity with Python for data manipulation or automation tasks; introductory level acceptable.
• Introductory experience with ETL or workflow tools such as Apache Airflow, Talend, or similar.
• Understanding of data warehousing concepts (staging, fact/dimension models).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain ETL pipelines under guidance.
• Support migration of legacy data into the modernized data ecosystem.
• Analyze data structures and data-quality checks to identify gaps.
• Run validation queries and profiling to ensure data quality.
• Assist with data cleanup and tagging activities.
• Collaborate with analysts and engineers to translate requirements into pipelines.
• Monitor pipeline performance and troubleshoot issues.
• Document migration results and data flows for maintainability.

Skills

SQL basics

Python basics

Data analysis

Communication

Learn in fast-paced env

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Tools

Apache Airflow

Talend

AWS S3/Redshift

Job description

Expression is seeking a Junior Data Engineer to support the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Investigative Case and Data Ecosystem (ICDE) modernization effort. The program is focused on replacing fragmented legacy investigative and case management capabilities with a centralized, secure, scalable, and integrated ecosystem. Working alongside experienced data engineers and other technical team members, the Data Engineer 2 will support data ingestion, transformation, validation, migration, and integration activities. This is an early-career opportunity for an individual with foundational data engineering knowledge who is interested in developing hands-on experience supporting a large-scale Federal technology modernization program. Clearance: Secret level required and willingness to pursuit TS/SCI. Location: Arlington, VA. The program is primarily onsite at DEA Headquarters.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in designing, developing, and maintaining ETL pipelines for ingesting, transforming, and loading datasets under the guidance of more experienced engineers.
• Support migration of legacy data into the modernized DEA investigative and case management ecosystem.
• Assist with analyzing data structures, source-to-target mappings, and data-quality checks to identify issues or gaps.
• Help ensure data accuracy, consistency, and integrity by executing validation queries, profiling datasets, and supporting data-cleaning efforts.
• Contribute to data migration activities, including mapping source data to target systems and executing migration scripts.
• Support data cleaning, standardization, classification, and tagging activities.
• Collaborate with analysts, data scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into data transformations and pipeline updates.
• Monitor pipeline performance and assist with troubleshooting operational issues, escalating complex issues as appropriate.
• Participate in validation activities and help document migration results and identified data-quality issues.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and support data engineering activities throughout development sprints.
• Help document data flows, transformation logic, mappings, and operational processes to support maintainability and knowledge sharing.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM fields and 0–1 years of professional experience.
• Foundational exposure to data analysis, ETL concepts, or data migration through coursework, internships, personal projects, or early professional experience.
• Working knowledge of SQL, including basic queries, joins, and aggregations.
• Familiarity with Python for data manipulation or automation tasks; introductory-level experience is acceptable.
• Introductory experience with ETL or workflow tools such as Apache Airflow, Talend, or similar technologies.
• Understanding of basic data warehousing concepts, including staging, fact/dimension models, or schema structures.
• Exposure to cloud-based data storage or compute platforms such as AWS S3/Redshift, Google BigQuery, Azure Storage, or similar environments.
• Foundational understanding of data profiling, validation, and data quality.
• Strong communication and documentation skills.
• Ability and willingness to learn in a fast-paced, evolving technical environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on or coursework experience with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Exposure to Hadoop, Spark, or other distributed-processing technologies.
• Familiarity with Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or similar visualization tools.
• Familiarity with Git or similar version-control systems.
• Experience building or supporting automated data workflows using orchestration tools or scheduled scripting.
• Exposure to Agile development methodologies.
• Coursework, internship, project, or professional exposure to data migration or system-modernization activities.

Benefits

• 401k matching
• PPO and HDHP medical/dental/vision insurance
• Education reimbursement up to $10,000/yr
• Complimentary life insurance
• Generous PTO and 11 days of holiday leave
• Onsite gym facility
• Commuter Benefits Plan
• In-office Cold Brew Coffee

About Expression

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Washington DC, Expression provides data fusion, data analytics, AI/ML, software engineering, information technology, and electromagnetic spectrum management solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, and national security community. Expression’s culture focuses on creating immediate and sustainable value for our clients via agile delivery of tailored solutions built through constant engagement with our clients. Expression was ranked #1 on the Washington Technology 2018's Fast 50 list of fastest-growing small business Government contractors and a Top 20 Big Data Solutions Provider by CIO Review. We make sure to provide everyone with the tools and opportunities to grow while working on some of the newest technologies in the industry. We get excited about celebrating our professionals' milestones, accomplishments, promotions, overcoming challenges, and many other aspects that make an engaging collaborative environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Expression is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please submit your request to our Human Resources department through the application portal.