Lead Data Engineer

UST; Chicago (IL); Remote; USD 92,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Medical, dental, and vision

Paid time off

HSA/FSA for healthcare

Job summary

UST is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to architect, build, and optimize cloud-native data platforms. You will lead enterprise data pipelines on Databricks and AWS, leveraging Iceberg lakehouses and Unity Catalog for governance, while ensuring HIPAA compliance and PHI protection.

You will mentor engineers, drive best practices, and shape scalable data architectures for Medicare Advantage datasets and healthcare interoperability standards such as HL7 and FHIR.

Qualifications

• 7+ years data engineering experience.
• At least 2 years in a technical lead role.
• Production experience building and optimizing large-scale pipelines with Databricks.
• Production experience deploying data infrastructure on AWS (S3, EMR, Lambda, IAM, Glue).
• Hands-on experience processing Medicare Advantage data (CMS enrollment, RAPS/EDPS submissions, MMR/MOR files, HCC risk models).
• Experience with healthcare interoperability standards (FHIR and HL7).
• RBAC and PHI security implementation experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, implementation, and maintenance of robust data pipelines on AWS using Databricks.
• Architect scalable lakehouse structures with Apache Iceberg for healthcare data.
• Establish data governance and lineage using Databricks Unity Catalog.
• Implement RBAC, data masking, and row-level security for PHI.
• Architect and scale ingestion for HL7 and FHIR data feeds into the lakehouse.
• Oversee end-to-end processing of Medicare Advantage data assets and reporting.
• Ensure HIPAA compliance and robust data governance.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive best practices across the team.

Skills

Python

PySpark

SQL

Apache Iceberg

Databricks Unity Catalog

Healthcare data

Data pipelines

Security & compliance

Tools

Databricks

AWS

S3

EMR

Lambda

IAM

Glue

Job description

Role description

Lead Data Engineer

Lead II - Data Engineering

Who We Are:

Born digital, UST transforms lives through the power of technology. We walk alongside our clients and partners, embedding innovation and agility into everything they do. We help them create transformative experiences and human-centered solutions for a better world.

UST is a mission-driven group of 29,000+ practical problem solvers and creative thinkers in more than 30 countries. Our entrepreneurial teams are empowered to innovate, act nimbly, and create a lasting and sustainable impact for our clients, their customers, and the communities in which we live.

With us, you'll create a boundless impact that transforms your career-and the lives of people across the world.

Visit us at UST.com.

You Are:

UST is searching for a Lead Data Engineer to architect, build, and optimize scalable, cloud-native data systems. In this role, you will lead the development of enterprise data platforms using Databricks and AWS.

The opportunity:

• Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of robust data pipelines on AWS using Databricks
• Architect scalable lakehouse structures leveraging Apache Iceberg to ingest, process, and store complex healthcare data types
• Establish comprehensive data governance and data lineage frameworks using Databricks Unity Catalog
• Implement secure access controls, data masking, and row-level security through Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Architect and scale ingestion frameworks capable of processing HL7 and FHIR data feeds natively into the lakehouse ecosystem
• Oversee end-to-end processing of Medicare Advantage data assets, ensuring accurate risk adjustment and reporting workflows
• Ensure strict adherence to healthcare regulations, including HIPAA compliance and robust data governance frameworks
• Mentor junior engineers, conduct code reviews, and drive technical best practices across the data team

What you need:

• 7+ years of data engineering experience
• At least 2 years in a technical lead role
• Production experience building and optimizing large-scale pipelines within Databricks
• Production experience deploying data infrastructure on AWS (S3, EMR, Lambda, IAM, Glue)
• Explicit, hands-on experience processing Medicare Advantage data (CMS enrollment, RAPS/EDPS submissions, MMR/MOR files, HCC risk adjustment models)
• Proven experience working with healthcare interoperability standards (FHIR and HL7 models)
• Proven experience implementing enterprise-level Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and row-level security for PHI

Skills & Technical Competencies:

• Mastery of Python, PySpark, and advanced SQL for complex distributed computing tasks
• Deep understanding and practical experience with Apache Iceberg (open table formats)
• Expert-level knowledge of Databricks Unity Catalog for centralized data governance
• Comprehensive understanding of US Healthcare data architecture
• Strong data pipeline design and optimization capabilities
• Security and compliance implementation expertise

Knowledge & Domain Expertise:

• Deep domain expertise in US Healthcare systems
• In-depth knowledge of Medicare Advantage programs and workflows
• Understanding of healthcare regulations and HIPAA compliance requirements
• Knowledge of HL7 and FHIR healthcare interoperability standards

Preferred Qualifications & Certifications:

• Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional
• AWS Certified Data Analytics certification
• Familiarity with orchestration tools like Apache Airflow or AWS Step Functions

Compensation can differ depending on factors including but not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, education, and level of experience. UST provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired in various U.S. markets as set forth below.

Role Location: Remote - US

Compensation Range: $92,000-$138,000

Benefits

Full-time, regular employees accrue a minimum of 10 days of paid vacation per year, receive 6 days of paid sick leave each year (pro-rated for new hires throughout the year), 10 paid holidays, and are eligible for paid bereavement leave and jury duty. They are eligible to participate in the Company's 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer matching. They and their dependents residing in the US are eligible for medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as the following Company-paid Employee Only benefits: basic life insurance, accidental death and disability insurance, and short- and long-term disability benefits. Regular employees may purchase additional voluntary short-term disability benefits, and participate in a Health Savings Account (HSA) as well as a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for healthcare, dependent child care, and/or commuting expenses as allowable under IRS guidelines. Benefits offerings vary in Puerto Rico.

Part-time employees receive 6 days of paid sick leave each year (pro-rated for new hires throughout the year) and are eligible to participate in the Company's 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer matching.

Full-time temporary employees receive 6 days of paid sick leave each year (pro-rated for new hires throughout the year) and are eligible to participate in the Company's 401(k) program with employer matching. They and their dependents residing in the US are eligible for medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Part-time temporary employees receive 6 days of paid sick leave each year (pro-rated for new hires throughout the year).

All US employees who work in a state or locality with more generous paid sick leave benefits than specified here will receive the benefit of those sick leave laws.

What we believe:

We proudly embrace the values that have shaped UST since day one. We build our culture of Humility, Humanity, and Integrity. These values inspire us to nurture a people-first, human centric culture that fosters diversity, prioritizes sustainable solutions, and keeps our people and clients at the forefront of all decisions.

Humility:

We will listen, learn, be empathetic and help selflessly in our interactions with everyone.

Humanity:

Through business, we will better the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Integrity:

We honor our commitments and act with responsibility in all our relationships.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

UST is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with state and local laws and "fair chance" ordinances.

UST reserves the right to periodically redefine your roles and responsibilities based on the requirements of the organization and/or your performance.